Hi, yeah, sorry that the way Flashbangs work is confusing to you guys.

First off: later on you DO get access to items that actually stun enemies and make them unable to act, they are called Stun Bombs in the game and have the exact effect you guys expected from the Flashbangs.

Secondly: yeah, well, the game is an abstract turn-based game but in a realistic setting. So what we had to do is to assign various abstract effects to real-world equipment. Some effects are instantly comprehensible and "natural", others not so much. That's one of the reasons we provide detailed descriptions of the effects of each ability and item.

We designed all items and abilities with the whole set in mind, so the comparably minor effect of Flashbangs (remove awareness) didn't feel like a big deal to us knowing that there's also Stun Bombs in the game that actually stun enemies. I see how the effect of Flashbangs may be annoying to some, though, while you haven't discovered the Stun Bombs yet. Rebalancing items and making them behave more realistically is something that we might do in patches.