Patch Notes

Rank & Gold HUD

• Reworked the WorldScene top-right interface into one compact medieval HUD, combining treasury, rank, progress, ship readiness, steering, and convoy access.
• Auto Trade ships are now excluded from the idle-ship count while remaining accessible through the ship anchor cycle.
• Ship dossiers now open at one consistent position below the HUD from map ships, city ships, convoys, and the anchor control, preventing their upper ornament from being hidden behind the interface.

Merchant Economy & Fleets

• Every AI merchant now has a persistent gold account used for market purchases, ship orders, and daily fleet expenses.
• Merchant starting wealth, starting fleets, and ship unlocks now scale by rank. Fleet growth no longer uses a fixed ship cap; budgets and performance safeguards control expansion.
• Remote merchant decisions now use only known city production instead of hidden stock, demand, or price information.
• Cargo capacity is now counted strictly by goods units. Legacy goods-weight values no longer affect trading, loading, or convoy space.
• New games and loaded saves now reconcile existing merchant ships and unfinished Shipyard orders in one shared pass, reducing startup overhead as fleets grow.
• Shipyard emergency materials now enter city stock through an independent supply service, preventing stalled construction without drawing from merchant budgets.

Merchant Portraits

• All 63 AI merchants now have unique, identity-bound late-medieval portraits that remain consistent across ranks and saves.
• The seven Guild Hall council members now use the same recognizable faces as their merchant identities.
• Expanded period clothing, regional accessories, poses, and portrait textures improve visual variety and make merchants easier to distinguish.