Is this pollution?

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
I think it is nothing but a crease in the paper

But not when you consider that there are 2 (or three) squares of pollution in that screen. On a related note, i hope that the pollution is more obvious than it is in that screen - only after someone else pointed it out did i find that second square of pollution!!

[Grumbold]

Certainly not instantly identifiable on the busier tiles. Trying to find it on a railroaded jungle time could be tricky. Then again the tiles are much bigger in the game.

[ColdWizard]

i don't know what it is but the black stuff on the mountain is the same shape as the other stuff. pollution seems a reasonable guess

Actually I think there is an altogether more feasible explanation for this, and a rather dull one. I remember when these screenshots were scanned out of a magazine. I think it is nothing but a crease in the paper

the lesser deity of spam has spoken. cease your speculations before he strikes us all down with massive lumps of spam

[Dauphin]

It looks like two hedges with the shadows on the side facing us.

To me at any rate, it looks like some kind of raised surface with shadows.

[dainbramaged13]

Agreed, provost

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Those "snake things" are hills

[SerapisIV]

I don't know what the black lines are, but I know they're from older screenshots then the AVault preview and here's two screenshots that almost defenitely do show pollution

#4 - Sucky English Lands yet building Space Ship? (London pollution)
#5 - Spying on the French (Tours pollution)

Also, on the Tours screenshot, at the very far right, you can see half of another pollution tile. It's gotta be pollution. What else could it be? Maybe it's animated

[Akron]

Yeah, Serapis, that definitely looks like pollution. Probably, the one I originally posted was from an old screenshot.

[vovan]

I'd say that those black lines are just shadows of the hills, which were drawn too dark, so they look like pollution or something. Those are just hills.

[Urban Ranger]

No idea what that is, but looks too indistinct to be pollution.

[Skanky Burns]

Maybe there are different types of pollution?? It couldnt be a mistake, seeing as there are 3 tiles with the black squiggles on them.

[albiedamned]

Maybe they are shadows from the massive interstellar spaceship being constructed 20 miles overhead!