Messages go into an activity log down the left of the game screen (272 px wide, beside the World, Ships, Finances and Shop screens; hidden on the Route Assignment screen). Newest first, in small text (size 8; about three-quarters of messages fit on one line, and longer ones like "held at" warnings wrap to two), each with the play time it happened (e.g. "02:10"). Text is in the color of the ship it's about (lightened if too dark to read; company-wide messages stay white). Bad news (breakdowns, lost ships, ships held in port or that won't make it) has a red highlight behind it; good news (level-ups, recoveries) a green one. It keeps the last 100 messages and starts empty each session.
Messages, e.g. "Sea Otter sold Toys at Rotterdam: +$2,300 profit (bought $1,200, sold $3,500)" (in red for a loss), "Sea Otter loaded 15 containers of Toys for Rotterdam ($45,000)", "Sea Otter is held at Tunis: not enough fuel for Rome; turn on refuel", "Sea Otter broke down at sea! Maintenance now 30%", "Sea Otter is lost at sea (out of fuel)", "Big Mo carried Sea Otter to Tunis", "Auto-recovery: Little Mo sent for Sea Otter (about $160,000)", "Sea Otter won't make it to Tunis at this rate!", "Sold Big Blue for $10,000", "Sea Otter entered the Panama Canal: toll $4,200 (+50% XP on this delivery)".
The « button at the top of the log folds it away to a thin strip (» opens it again), giving the screens the room; remembered with the game.
Each model's group on the Ships screen has a Mute button at the right of its title: a muted model's routine news (its ships loading cargo, selling at a profit, entering canals) is left out of the log; losses, breakdowns, lost ships, level-ups and other trouble still show. "Muted" while on; remembered with the game.
Maritime Empire