City Income Summary: What does the flashing mean?

The title says it all really....I usually access the settlement details screen when trying to decide on the most beneficial building investment to make in terms of income.

I know that by selecting a market, or farmland upgrade, or whatever the income summary shows me what impact that building will have on the cities income and from that I can decide if it gives me the best return on my investment.

What I don't understand is why when you first access the settlement detail screen there are usually several flashing icons. Do these have some particular meaning that I haven't picked up from the manual?

The only time I remember seeing this is when the "tutor" is making suggestions about what she thinks you should build. Other than that, I don't think I remember seeing flashing icons on that screen.

I thought that some trade related icons flash if some effect is ending when the turn ends. It is hard to tell.

Patricius is right or at least that was what flashing meant in RTW

I think it's ending. Greyed out means it's what will happen in the future (like if you add something to the build queue)/

From what I know, Patricus and vonsch have it right :yes:

@Vonsch/Patricius: So, the flashing income icons that appear when I first entre the settlement detail window effectively indicate what income I got last turn due to some special effect which may, or may not, be repeated this turn.

That would explain why when I select a potential building upgrade they cease to flash and are replaced by fixed 'greyed out' icons instead, as these now show what income I will get once that building is complete.

That makes sense, the only other thing I am not sure about is whether the trade income increases arising from all buildings is accurately represented.

I happen to have a saved game right before London gets blinking trade cash (in addition to blinking growth from trade, and blinking health). It is in the amount of 508 or so IIRC (I noted the difference between the blinking total and the non-blinking one when highlighted). This amount corresponds to the amount of one of its sea trade routes. However, when I end the turn, that route isn't gone... in fact nothing noticeable happens to the trade route, as displayed on the map or on the details screen. What I did notice is an event that seemed to cause the blinking - London got a new import route on that turn. Coincidentally, the growth and health bonuses weren't ending that turn either - they were new from that new incoming trade route. So in light of that observation, my conjecture is that the blinking is not intended to tell you of something that is ending, but rather something that is beginning, just from a source that is not the city whose detail scroll you're currently looking at. In my case London gained income because of a sea trade route building completing somewhere else, so London gets blinking trade income icons. I still have no idea why it would be in the amount of the trade route though - maybe the import route was from the same city London had been exporting too already, and that caused it to blink. I'll have to check, and also fiddle around with it more to see if what I've notice is really what is going on.

Ah, good catch, Foz. And that makes sense with the two-way trade connections and the effects of trade on other things.

I need to build a sandbox to test the effects of trade building with. Need a nice peaceful situation where I can maintain peace for a while so I can control things better. Hmm, maybe I can start a new England game and turtle it before things heat up too much.

I'm thinking the greyed out shows things that you control, and the blinking things that you do not. But that needs testing. I mean control at the city where you see the blinking.

My understanding also, notice when rebels appear you have one turn before you loose that trade income and how much you will loose, sometimes it may be worth it to leave your rebels in situ to deter invading armies( they usually won't take on your rebels)