Idea Flag "Poison" Rework

In a nutshell, I suggest that flags have an area of effect poison rather than only affecting the players who actually carry them...but as simple as it sounds the consequences can get a bit tricky and would lead to some changes in game strategy.

The reason for this idea is to reduce stalemates, reduce flag-room-only combat a bit, and add more strategy to protecting a "safe on its base" flag rather than just parking a skilled Pyro or Dwarf on the flag base and calling it a day. Recovery would be a bit easier since multiple players within range would be affected by the Flag Poison rather than just the one player who can fairly easily be healed like crazy to postpone the urgency of reclaiming the team's lost flag during the dreaded stalemate moments.

As for the Flag Poison area of effect damage in more detail, it'd be a delayed mini burst of damage that is based on any player's closest proximity, so the farther away from the flags a player stays the less damage that player will suffer from their poison.

From farthest to closest, keeping a distance of 6 blocks or more (radius) from the flag is completely safe.
Stepping within 5 blocks of the flag would trigger (a delayed) 0.5 true heart of damage total.
Stepping within 3 blocks of the flag would trigger (a delayed) 1.0 true heart of damage total.
Stepping within 1 block of the flag would trigger (a delayed) 1.5 true hearts of damage total.
Stepping within/onto the same block as the flag would trigger (a delayed) 2.0 true hearts of damage total.

The "Flag Poison damage" would be completely changed up so that when ANY player is within 5 blocks of either flag, carried by a player or resting on a flag base, a 6 second delay is started for them. Once the delay expires, damage would instantly affect each player based on their CLOSEST distance from the NEAREST flag during that 6 second delay. Once a player suffers the damage, that player is immediately subject to the same thing again if they remain within 5 blocks of the flag (but with the closest distance reset to their current distance in case that player decided to stay farther away from the flag since).

Note: Flag Poison damage would trigger at different times for different players based on when they were detected to be within 5 blocks of either of the flags. Also, the flag area of effect poison doesn't stack, so staying close to both flags at once wouldn't hurt any more than staying close to only one of the flags.

With this, flag carriers would suffer 2.0 true hearts of damage every 6 seconds since they'd be remaining on the same block as the flag. Flag carrier healers and defenders would risk suffering Flag Poison damage as well if they stay super close. Even melee attackers would suffer Flag Poison damage too since they need to be within range to strike - but the advantage leans toward the attacker since they would get 6 seconds without any Flag Poison damage when they first rush in and they're a bit farther away from the flag during combat even if the fight lasts for awhile.

Sure, Medics would still be a flag carrier's best friend. And the area of effect Flag Poison any Medic suffers would be a joke. But when a flag recovery attack rushes in, the Medic may not be as effective as before during a stalemate because any flag defending "hard hitters" crowded around getting poisoned by that flag would need heals every now and then...and the heals for the hard hitters might be on cooldown when an attack rushes in again weighing the advantage toward the attacker(s).

One major down side I can foresee to this is that it can inspire same-team trolling. For example, a fast-moving self-healing troll player would be able to chase down teammates while holding the enemy flag and harm them with the area of effect poison. Then again, with the knowledge of held flags being dangerous to be around, players might actively pay closer attention to where the flags are in case they feel the need to avoid them rather than carry or defend them.

Another issue is with Ninjas. I would think a Ninja would have a much harder time capturing a flag with the combination of area of effect poison ALWAYS being active around the flag and there being the extended delay before a Ninja can grab a flag at all. I'd like it if the delay extension for Ninjas grabbing a flag is completely removed if any of this area of effect Flag Poison is put into effect.

One last note: The one exception to the flags having the Flag Poison effect is when they're dropped (whether purposely dropped by a flag carrier to pass the flag or when a flag carrier is killed and the flag drops to the ground). In other words, a flag is only "dangerous" when it's held by a player or a flag base. There is absolutely no reason to discourage flag retrieving after all - even if a player is hanging on by a thread.