What do the transparent icons for income mean?

**Ulstan** · 10-01-2004, 15:34

Frequently, I'll look at a town, and see a row of, say, trade icons, ad then next to them a row of trade icons that are transparent and less visible. A mouseover of the visible/solid ones will give one number, and then a mouseover of the other more faint ones will give a different number.

What is this other number? Projected income for next turn? What you will earn if a buildling you are building finishes?

Also, where does unrest come from andhow do you get rid of it? (not devastation, but unrest)

**Blodrast** · 10-01-2004, 16:45

I've asked the same question a few days ago, and haven't got an answer yet.
Also, some of the transparent ones are blinking (not ALL of them, though).
No idea what either of them means.

The only idea I could come up with (and please note that it's mere speculation) is that in RTW the system is a bit smarter than in MTW, in the following way: you may begin to benefit from a building's facilities while you're still building it; i.e., if you've built 2/3 of a market, you get _some_ increase in trade (not 2/3, presumably much less, but more than nothing). If you stop to think about it for a moment, it kinda makes sense, since they charge you the FULL cost of the building at the very beginning, so it should be only natural that you get some benefits before it's finished, 'cause you've already paid the money !
But again, that's just my speculation.

Unrest may come from several sources: your gov's vices (quite often, apparently), possibly brigand/rebel armies roaming throughout your province (I know they also cause devastation, but wouldn't you feel threatened with rebels at your gates ?), and again possibly enemy armies in your territory. I'm not too sure of the last 2 ones, I would need to test them.

Afraid that's all I know atm, which is not much ;(

**Orvis Tertia** · 10-01-2004, 17:02

I wonder if those trade icons might represent trade that has been disrupted by (a) enemies in your provice or (b) enemy fleets that are on your sea routes.

Another possibility is that they represent trade being lost due to corruption.

These are all guesses.

**Orvis Tertia** · 10-01-2004, 17:25

Wow! I found a definitive answer. From Activision's tech support pages:

The Advanced Statistics screen shows the current state of your settlement as well as the effects of any changes to the city’s structure you made. For example, if your settlement hadn’t built a farm yet and you put one in the queue, you would see flashing icons for increased farming income you will get next turn if you continue building. Basically, the flashing icons are going to add that stat to your city next once your building queue finishes, grayed out items will be removed as a result of changes to your city.

**Noong** · 10-01-2004, 19:48

I think their tech support has it backwards.

If you have that town details scroll open and click on the ? button the advisor will tell you that ghosted icons will add to that stat in future turns (because you are building something that adds to it, etc.) and flashing icons indicate a loss.
I double checked this and started building a bath in one of my towns which will bring a 10% bonus to health when it is finished. Looked at the town details scroll and the heart icon worth 10% was ghosted, and not flashing.

Hope that helps.

**Orvis Tertia** · 10-01-2004, 20:22

Originally Posted by Noong

I think their tech support has it backwards.

If you have that town details scroll open and click on the ? button the advisor will tell you that ghosted icons will add to that stat in future turns (because you are building something that adds to it, etc.) and flashing icons indicate a loss.
I double checked this and started building a bath in one of my towns which will bring a 10% bonus to health when it is finished. Looked at the town details scroll and the heart icon worth 10% was ghosted, and not flashing.

Hope that helps.

I don't doubt it. I have never been impressed with Activision's customer support, and there has already been at least one misleading statement on their tech support pages. (The one about terrain elevation.)

**Blodrast** · 10-01-2004, 23:53

well, it makes sense, imo... cool, so i was at least partially right in my guesses, and now we know for sure

**Quietus** · 10-02-2004, 00:11

The ghosted Icons are future earnings after the current construction I think. (That's what Victoria said).

As for the blinking part. I still can't pin it down for sure. Either someone is sitting on your traderoute or riots are disrupting your trade. I'm looking around with Spies and Diplomats but I can't seem to see what is causing the disruption.

For Example, right now Carthage is only making half the trade income, and some other Icons are blinking. The prime suspects seem to be riots in the city or enemies/allies that are sitting in your routes. However, the seas are clear and I see no blockade. I can't seem to find any definite obstruction inland either.

I'll check for more clues

**Orvis Tertia** · 10-02-2004, 04:36

Originally Posted by Quietus

I'll check for more clues

Hint: Check three posts up.

**Quietus** · 10-02-2004, 08:12

I'm still looking for reasons for the disruption and consequently the blinking icons. Carthage has ~900 denari worth of blinking trade icons (half of total, not to mention one icon of "management" blinking and another "corruption".

It has been going on for about 10 years now. Anybody looked into an Assasin Sabotage (I haven't used a sabotage yet since I've only started training assassns recently)? Or Riots? I'm pretty sure there are no blockades by land or sea.

**Noong** · 10-02-2004, 17:28

Originally Posted by Quietus

I'm still looking for reasons for the disruption and consequently the blinking icons. Carthage has ~900 denari worth of blinking trade icons (half of total, not to mention one icon of "management" blinking and another "corruption".

It has been going on for about 10 years now. Anybody looked into an Assasin Sabotage (I haven't used a sabotage yet since I've only started training assassns recently)? Or Riots? I'm pretty sure there are no blockades by land or sea.

Rebels or bandits on any of the roads leading out of your city?

**Quietus** · 10-02-2004, 22:12

Hey Noong,

I've constructed Watchtowers and scoured the place with spies, assassins, diplomats and even army pieces. I can easily see if there are bandits,enemy spies, diplomats, and army nearby. it happens even on friendly regions near my Julii capital of Arettium. I'll check the friendly Brutii troops that use my roads since there is a constant stream of troops there.

I'll check the sabotage function of the Assassin and see what they can do. I'll load up the game now.

If you find any other leads, be sure to post so everybody will know!

**Ulstan** · 10-04-2004, 20:03

Well I agree with that people say about the grayed out/flashing thing.

Look at screen, queue up a farm, grayed out farm income higher than old one appers, unqueue farm, it goes away.

"I've constructed Watchtowers and scoured the place with spies, assassins, diplomats and even army pieces. I can easily see if there are bandits,enemy spies, diplomats, and army nearby"

The bandits can be anywhere on the road between your town and the one you are trading with. I'd have trade gutted by a bandit army that appeared on the doorstep of my allies town and they were too inept to drive them off so I had to march way over there and take them out.

**zentuit** · 10-05-2004, 15:36

I'm not 100% sure that the trade interdiction has to be in the province. I'll double check tonight but I believe I had a port trading silk which is not in its province but instead its in the neighbors province. If that province's trade is disrupted then this port province trade income might also fall.

Also you get trade income for exports and imports. If your trading partner is experiencing trade interdictions, wouldn't that cause your trade numbers to go down? Just a thought to throw out there for experimentation.