You can take that approach with the current system too: go do something else if you don't see a party forming up to full within minutes, because there clearly aren't enough people around. That's basically the approach you took with the flag system, why not repeat it here?

I don't like the current party system either, but you can't defend the flag system because of something you did when you could be doing the same in our current one. You're seeing differences because you want to.

I'm sure they'll add flags sooner or later, enough people seem to want them.