Digby has really dug into the screenies!
Answers in random order:
- Only ports in coastal regions are depicted.
- There are always 2-3 ports that produce specific Main Trade Item (MTI). As long as the port is native controlled, anyone can visit there and trade freely. If port is taken over by one of the companies, then as a default other companies no longer have access to it. Companies with a pact can use the port as supply point, refreshing their fleet's range. Allied companies can in addition do trading there in normal fashion. Single company can take over of all the silk ports for example and so prevent everyone else of getting any silk at all.
- Europe is included. Each company has its Home Port. London for the british, Göteborg for the swedish and so on. Logic in trading is that you have to ship the MTI's to your Home Port and then sell them there. And naturally buy export items for on the way to east indies.
- MTI, area, number of ports
Ivory, west africa, 2
Gold, west africa, 2
Diamonds, south africa, 3
Exotic furs, eastern africa, 3
Coffee, arabia, 2
Spices, western india, 3
Tea, south india, 3
Silk, east/north india, 3
Porcelain, port blair/aceh, 2
Those grey crates indicate that the port has no MTI, but only generic items.
- Flags indicate who rules the port. Ports with pirate flags are pirate strongholds that launch pirate fleets. If you are feeling strong enough, you can attack the port in order to put an end to that.
- Strategic level (=the map level) is indeed in real time.
- Different coloured outlines on fleet commanders indicate what kind of orders their fleet is on.
- The area with the pigeon is mailbox: you get all kind of communiques there, from notifications that some other company has taken over some port or missions or trade offers from other companies etc. etc.