Indifference
A people who have not seen their ruler for a long time neglect the tax; when you return, they pay it as before at once.
What happens?
The longer the people go without seeing you, the looser their loyalty becomes. Nothing changes in the first days; after that the tax falls short by a share each day, down to a lowest share. It does not go below that floor: however long the people have not seen you, they still pay part of their tax.
Tax day by day
| Day the people have not seen you | Tax still paid |
|---|---|
| 3 | 90% |
| 4 | 80% |
| 5 | 70% |
| 6 | 60% |
| 7 | 50% |
| 8 | 40% |
| 9 | 30% |
| Before day 3 the tax is paid in full; the days are real days | |
The share of the tax the people still pay, by the day they have not seen you. The days are real days, not tied to the world's speed.
What counts, and what does not?
The counter is the real time since you were last seen in the game. It resets the moment you enter the game. A notification arriving on your browser or phone does not reset it; opening the game from the notification does. A tab left open on screen, or the app in the foreground, shows you to the people too.
The moment the people see you, the tax is paid in full at once. There is no recovery period; only the tax that was not collected during your absence does not come back. When you return, the tax credited to the treasury is worked out at each day's own share; the whole absence is not paid in full.
How it combines with tax
Indifference is multiplied with the tax share of satisfaction: a people who are unhappy and have not seen their ruler pay the combination of the two. Wages and military upkeep are not affected; income falls and expenses stay. If the treasury runs dry, desertion begins.
Beginner protection does not stop Indifference. Protection shields you from attack, not a treasury left on its own from losing tax.
On holiday
Holiday and suspension stop the counter. When the holiday ends, the counter starts again: the days of the holiday do not count as absence. For an account released from suspension, the counter starts from that moment.
If you cannot play for a long time, going on holiday protects your tax; just dropping in to the game does the job too.
Activity entry and notification
When Indifference begins, an entry appears at the bell and says what share of the tax the people now pay. During one absence this entry comes once. When you return, a second entry says that the people have seen you again. If you are a Pro member, both also arrive as a notification.
The figures come from the game's own content. Balance updates can move some numbers; the rules themselves are as written here.