think about it.

why is it that, whenever someone wants to flag, they only have the option of flagging for whatever position they are currently in?

the three main reasons why people flag, currently (although correct me if i've missed a couple) are:

1) they have no chance of doing well / have been screwed over, and want out

2) they want to prove to whoever's in a higher position that they aren't a threat, when the higher placed player would otherwise feel threatened and concentrate his/her attacks on them

3) they've just ninja'd and want to say "flagged" in the chatbox, and whine if anyone attacks them that they aren't "respecting flags"

we've all had our fair share of the third kind, and, basically, they're really annoying. and i believe, although i may be wrong, that the second kind is why the new flagging system was originally implimented.

so how about if players were given the option to flag for any place (bar first, obviously) ?

this would /not/ mean that they "deserved" that place, simply that it was the highest they wanted to get in that game. this would pacify higher places, mean that players could make it completely clear what they wanted to get out of a game, and also give people the option to get out if they didn't want to be there any more. what's more, it would also save us the annoying situation of being third by one stack, having second flag, and first then take you out because you "haven't flagged", when all you wanted was a decent shot at second.