EU IV Alerts Zone. Considering this example from left to right, we see a High-Level Alert indicating that the Aztecs are cannot take any further loans. There follows a Mid-Level Alert, that there are rebellions looming. Finally there are three Low-Level Alerts: there are vacant cabinet positions, they have no mission selected, and they have a truce. These alerts are rather severe, and do not paint a picture of prosperity and success for the Aztecs.

Right underneath the Information Bar is the Alerts Zone. When something happens that you should be aware of, a little banner will unfurl here alerting you to this new development. Each Alert has its own emblem displayed on the banner, so after a time you will be able to tell at a glance what is going on.

Until you commit them to memory, however, you may hover the mouse over an Alert to open a tooltip which explains nature of the problem and its potential ramifications. Clicking on an Alert will take you to the interface where the problem can be resolved – assuming it can be resolved.

Right-clicking on an Alert will dismiss it from view. Holding down the shift key while Right-clicking on an Alert will disable future Alerts of that sort. There are three primary types of Alerts, each with a different banner background:

High Level Alerts[edit]

These Alerts appear on a red banner with golden trim. These Alerts can be dire warnings of potentially catastrophic events, or indicators of monumental opportunities. Either way, they require immediate attention. Examples of High-Level Alerts include troops stranded in foreign countries, Casus Belli which are about to expire, and pending national bankruptcy

Mid-Level Alerts[edit]

These Alerts appear on a yellow banner with trim along the bottom.

These Alerts are not of immediately serious issues, but they are nevertheless of important note. Examples of Mid-Level Alerts include military forces in need of reinforcement, unusually high risk of rebellion in certain provinces, an opportunity to invest in new technologies or ideas, news of your military excursions, and so on.

Low-Level Alerts[edit]

These Alerts appear on a green banner with a crenellated bottom edge.

Low-Level Alerts indicate things you should probably keep in mind and may want to address, but are not usually as critical as the Mid-Level issues. Examples of Low-Level Alerts include vacancies in your cabinet, reminders to select a major mission, truces and their expiration dates, availability of buildings, and the status of mercenaries in your domains.

There are also Diplomacy Alerts which unfurl whenever you receive a diplomatic request from another nation. Longer in length than the standard Alerts, they are decorated with crimson trim and bear a seal at the bottom. In the center is the flag of the nation which sends the request, and a symbol indicating the manner of their diplomatic offer.

You may receive these, for example, when your despicable foes wish finally to beg for surrender, or when other, lesser countries wish to earn your friendship though dynastic marriages or substantial cash payouts. Alas, you will probably see considerably more of the former.