Hi, so I was thinking that maybe it could be useful to both passive and violent (not in a bad way) players to be able to communicate better in PVE mode.
I think this is possible by using the flags not just as a customisation option for the ship, but to use them to communicate different messages regarding the ship it is flying above. For example, the white flag is available to all players as soon as they login - so I propose that the white flag has a different description that references a passive pirate. Similarly, the red flag could symbolise that your crew is going to be a ruthless crew that will plunder anyone they come across. Ostensibly, this will be abused as violent crews may lure passive crew by flying a white flag; however it is more of a moral issue than that of a game issue.
To educate players on the different flag colour meanings, you could add in some text on the loading screens for each type of flag colour and possibly even add a note somewhere within the tavern and at each of the sea posts.
By doing this, it would allow some people to think twice before approaching a crew with the intention of making friends, only to be sent to Davy jones’ locker as soon as they are in telescope distance.