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[existent]

I've always wondered what's actually happening when the icons for the towns/villages flash/change during worldgen. Anybody know?

[ZaDoktor]

I thought it had to do with population in that village, so when it naturally raises it changes, and when it's drastically lowered from a Megabeast or a war, it changes.

I could be wrong though.

[existent]

I thought that as well, but it doesn't seem likely that they'd always be in such a state of flux, or that close to the line between the two.

[Hokan]

Wealth, perhaps.

[blazzano]

I think that the most energetic "flickering" happens when they're at a state of war with some other civ.   Stuff like goblin child snatching might also cause the effect.  I've paid a bunch of attention to it for lack of anything better to do (it takes a while on my slow comp), and I've noticed that:

a)  it seems to happen more to cities closer to a potential enemy's borders
b)  it seems to happen for segments of time, then stops, starts up again, etc.

[Joishi]

It could also fluctuate from cities sending out people to start new cities.

I'd attribute war to be the more likely candidate, though.  You gotta get that death # SOMEHOW.  ^.^

[pickupsticks]

What population values relate to which icons?  If it's a difference of only half a dozen or so for the smaller steps then the flickering might not seem that unreasonable.

Also people travel from site to site (e.g. when they get married) and resettle, regardless of whether there's a war or a megebeast rum-stealing rampage going on.  The world is in a state of constant flux!  Until some adventurer comes along and slaughters everyone to quiet things down.

[cephalo]

Each type of settlement has two states, one representing a small settlement and one a large. Goblins and dwarves go dark grey when their settlement is small, Elve's go from the large 'P' paragraph sign for large to the accented 'i' for small, and Humans I don't know which is which. I think the '#' is for large.

Not only do the civs tend to fight alot, they are also constantly attacked by cave dwellers, so pops fluctuate alot.

[pickupsticks]

Humans have several different icons, more than two.

+ * # ☼

...I think that's all.

[Funtimes]

http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/DF2010:Map_legend#Sites

Four different human ones, up to six Dwarf ones.
Do hamlets and outposts appear? I never pay attention.

And think how often Dorfs die, the same could well be happening in every one of those. And the difference between icons is potentially just one death, or birth, or migration, so it's not surprising that it flickers a lot once it first reaches the threshold.

[Terisuke]

Funtimes has it right.  Threshold is at 50, or whatever, and town population is at 49.  One birth = new icon.  But wait, one drowning!  Old icon.  And then one migrant!  And then one snatcher!  And twins!  A megabeast! Migrant wave!  Berserk craftsdwarf!

Flicker flicker flicker.