Ironically, I've noticed that many people flag lock far too early and far too often.  This under itemizes them for a temporary warscore lead, which my team then completely negates once we start flag locking/tele ganking 5 minutes later.

yep.  I see no point in caplocking anything except gold / portal flags.  It can be kinda funny to caplock a flag when 2 ppl come into the fort flag lane while you're solo in it and make their efforts worthless.. but unless you think it's going to get you a kill, it's pretty worthless imo.

Watch this replay...  http://www.gamereplays.org/demigod/replays.php?game=51&tab=upcoming&show=download&&id=96831

I'd say this is rather early and all the time.

I think I foresaw this months ago.  And I agree, something could probably be changed for the better.  One idea I had was if the flag lock was targetable and had a few thousand health to burn through, then it would break.  Increases in price might work too, at least delaying the onset of locks.

I agree there where other factors here, but if you check their items, you see that they have very little equipment until giants are out, because everything is spent on locks/portals/pots.

The thing is, once you have a lead in warscore there is no comeback for the other team if you manage to lock the flags all the time with all players. That's really all you have to do then.

6. you used qot.

if its 2v1 and you stay a second to lock that flag your dead. i think i've proven that quite a few times

Posting a game where you did that with a premade and won, against a PUG with a QoT and Reg?  Thats your arguement?  You played a premade against a pug, first off.  Second off, a pug with a Qot and a Reg - the two weakest DG in any kind of competetive game.  Anecdotal evidence is never good, but at least get try to get better anecdotal evidence.  Note that they are the weakest DG in part due to the complete and utter lack of interrupts or stuns.  Try gettign that flag lock off every time against a sedna with silence and pounce, an oak that isn't stupid with his penitence, or a frost TB.  And then bam, you've lost the flag.  And are under itemized.  So anytime you try to get that flag back, they kick your ass. Suddenly the warscore game goes the other way.  Basically, don't bother flag locking until you can afford to carry ports around with you - then if someone trys to get that flag back, you port in and blow them off of it. if all three of them come to take it, the person in that lane drops a lock on it, and then falls back.  If they stay for the lock to drop, everyone ports in and again, you lose since you are underitemized.   What flag locks are really for is to drop one and then retreat past it - if someone chases you, bam tele gank.  Or portals and gold mine flags, which are close enough to their crystal for the itemization to not matter.  Or for shopping trips.  And, after a certain point in the game on cata, the xp flag in the middle. 

Yes.  The point, however, is that they don't get that way until after a certain period of time.  It's a mistake to lock early, almost all of the time.

No its not. Not on maps like Zikurat where towers in the middle are being pushed.

In 5v5 games (I imagine I've played more than more 5v5s than anyone on this forum, which is sad because they're the best) though the entire game changes. You have more money than in 3v3 maps. Its a matter of format really.

All goes back to Demigod's connectivity stuff. I really like 5v5s the best. 3v3s are kind of dull when you play a ton of 5v5s. I don't have the same enthusiasm for 3v3s that I do for 5v5s. 3v3s just are not as fun.

Oh well. The game changes significantly depending on the size.

Um. I get your point, but your math is wonky. My internet handled 5 of us on a LAN against other people online with lag only coming from other people.

If there is a 10% chance a player will drop in a 3v3, you will play 9 games and on the 10th game someone will drop.

If there is a 10% chance a player will drop in a 5v5, you will again play 9 games and on the 10th someone will drop.

That is, unless you're saying each player has a 10% chance to drop. We can just blame it on the silly peer to peer.

Even so, these are stupid numbers =P

Price increase prevents early flag lock usage. It reduces it late game aswell (quality > quantity). The cooldown being longer then the locking prevents constant relocking of portal flags in the endgame. This decides so many games. I do this like all the time, relocking right after cooldown. Usual if they dont engage 2vs1, it cant be stopped, because the creeps are on your side. And 2vs1 leaves only 1 dg for the other side and mid, which is essentialy suicide.