Here is the flagging system… which I have just completely worked out today. As I said it should function so you can always know who is attacking you… It will also let you know sometimes who you have attacked… or sometimes speculate as to whether or not you can get a murder count for killing the players.
There are three sets of flags… one for people out of combat… one for people not in groups that are in combat… and one for groups in combat. The group combat flags take priority over the non group combat flags which take priority over the out of combat flags. It is possible that you can be multiple flags at once(meaning this guy sees you as red… this guy sees you as green… this guy sees you as white)… but to each individual you will never be more than one color(because mechanically you are either in combat with that player or in a group or like you have attacked or like you attacked first).
I will now explain all of the features of the flagging system.
Murderers are red. If you kill an innocent player who has not attacked you first you will get a murder count. Murder counts disappear every 8 hours(as long as you have not killed anyone) and even if you are logged out. Five murder counts and you are red. If you attack an innocent player you will become a criminal. Criminals are grey. Innocent players are blue. Red takes priority over grey which takes priority over blue. And in this system… if you are grey you are a criminal(I like the clarity this provides).
If you attack a murderer or criminal he will become white. A criminal or murderer attacking you is black. If he is white(or was white) and you are innocent then you are purple to him(sort of like local grey in other games). If you attack an innocent player first he will become gold… if a gold player attacks you he will become yellow.
If you attack a group member they will become orange and their other group members who have not engaged you will be flashing orange… and you will become pink or flashing pink. If the group attacks you then they will become brown or flashing brown. If the group attacks you first then you will become green or flashing green… and if you attack them back once you are green you will become burgundy or flashing burgundy.
There is a grey area no pun intended. You can never be sure if you will get a murder count if the player you are attacking is green or burgundy…