Hey Anno Community,

In today’s DevBlog we would like to focus on the Campaign and the story of Anno 117: Pax Romana – your path as Roman Governor, the characters you will meet along the way and the obstacles you will encounter.

Just a little disclaimer for this blog post: mild spoilers for the first part of the campaign ahead! So, if you want to go into the Anno 117: Pax Romana campaign completely blind, then we would recommend skipping this DevBlog – and while you wait for the next one to be published, feel free to check last week’s DevBlogs on diplomacy and rivals, and the one on multiplayer!

A story and its purpose

If you played previous Anno titles, then you probably already know roughly what to expect from the campaign mode: it provides the context of the world you are building – whether it’s industrial revolution, futuristic reconstruction or a colony on the moon.

You will follow a protagonist through a series of challenges and discoveries: in this way, the campaign act as a tutorial or onboarding experience, as it gradually introduces game mechanics like needs fulfilment, resource management, diplomacy and so on.

In the campaign, your city doesn’t just grow – it evolves alongside the story. As you hit certain narrative milestones, new parts of your city’s development open up. These moments aren’t just story beats, they also shape how your sandbox experience unfolds, making the whole journey feel more connected and alive.

How this applies to Anno 117: Pax Romana? Let’s have a look together.

“When the Emperors call, we mortals answer”

You should all know by now what’s the general setting of Anno 117: Pax Romana: it is the year 117, time of the Pax Romana (= “Roman peace”), an era of relative stability in the Empire; you will take on the role of a Roman governor, explore the provinces of Latium and Albion, build and manage cities and productions.

The campaign in Anno 117: Pax Romana is split into two main parts, which are then further divided into different chapters. Just like in Anno 1800’s campaign, you will see your empire grow and expand while you play the campaign; to ensure that you can keep playing in this world as much as you want, the campaign turns into a sandbox game once you finish the final chapter.

But who are you in Anno 117: Pax Romana, exactly? Well, for the first time in an Anno game, you will be taking the role of a specific character. Right at the beginning of Campaign Mode, you will face your first choice between two siblings: will you play as Marcus, Ninth Son of Decimus of the Delta, or Marcia, Eligible Daughter of Decimus of the Delta?

Marcus Naukratius

He is the youngest son of Decimus, Governor of Lower Kemet and the Delta. Tired of his son’s erratic behaviour, Decimus put him to work in the imperial granaries, supervising the monthly grain tally. One day, Marcus is summoned by Emperor Lucius and asked to take the role of Governor of a forgotten senatorial province in Latium – not too far from the heart of the empire, Rome.

Marcia Tertia

As her name suggests, she is the third Marcia (Tertia = third) born to the wealthy household at Naukratia – she is a quiet and observant daughter. Like most girls her age, Marcia is expected to marry but has little say in the matter. Soon she must leave home behind to join her future husband, a Roman governor: little does she know what part she will have to play.

Welcome to Juliana, Governor!

After a long voyage, your character finally arrives on an almost-empty island not too far from the heart of the Empire: here you will be welcomed by Emperor Lucius and his beloved wife Julia. To put it bluntly, whether you choose Marcus or Marcia, you will feel like a fish out of the water. Growing up you never thought you would end up governing your own island, so feeling very much out of your depth is on the cards. Despite your inexperience as leader, you will get to know your role and slowly adjust to the new challenges, especially thanks to Ben Baalion, your trusted advisor: expert slave of the imperial court, he will accompany you along your journey, through all the ups and downs.

The first thing you might spot on the island along the overgrown vegetation and the local fauna roaming free, is ruins. On this island there once was a lively city named Ambrosia. A terrible eruption of the nearby volcano, Old Occasus, destroyed the great city of Ambrosia. Your first duty as a governor (or his wife, in Marcia’s case) is to rebuild it anew as Juliana – named after Julia, the wife of the Emperor.

After trial and error, things start falling into place. Being a Governor is not so bad after all, isn’t it? Well… Sorry to inform you, but this balance is soon disrupted by a sudden and tragic event – but we won’t mention here today because… spoilers. Let’s just say that a new character enters the scene, Calidus – who we can safely describe him as a “difficult character”. Calidus forces seize the Senate, and he declares himself Emperor.

If you thought things were complicated for you in the beginning, then we have not-so-great-news for you: they get worse. Suspicious of all people to close to the previous Emperor, he exiles you to the North of the Empire, where no civilised Roman wants to be – Albion.

Your mission here is “simple”:  bring stability to these new lands, that have recently been conquered by the Empire. Here you will learn what it really means to be a Governor with all the difficult decisions and responsibilities it entails.

A whole new world of decisions and responsibilities

While we don’t want to dive too much into the second part of the story as we don’t want to spoil it, it’s important to talk about the main theme. Here, you will learn how to transform this exile into an opportunity: it is the time to show the Emperor and the other characters what you are capable of.

You will understand what type of Roman Governor you really are through the decisions you make here. As you already know, when arriving in Albion, you won’t be arriving in an empty world: the Celts have made this wild land their home; they thrive in a place you perceive as alien, by taking advantage of the marshlands and the harsh weather.

If you’re curious about Albion and its environment, feel free to check our devblog dedicated to the province and its choices here, plus an extra one on its deities, military options and discoveries.

Emperors

As we mentioned earlier, at the end of the second part of the campaign, the game will turn into sandbox. This means you’ll be able to play in the world that you’ve built as much as you want.

We have talked about choices a lot in this blog (and previous ones). Not only do they affect the way your cities will grow, but they will also affect your relationship with the Emperor – he’s watching your action closely.

Once in sandbox mode, if you decide to go against the Emperor, then another choice will come your way: pick a different Emperor or keep Calidus – it’s up to you. The other option is having Julia as Empress.

When starting a sandbox game, during game setup, you get to choose which Emperor you want to start the game with.

Calidus

Your loyalty to Roman customs doesn’t go unnoticed with Calidus. Uphold them, and you’ll earn his respect. But ignore tradition or decline his requests, and his reputation with him will suffer. His favourite deity? Mars, of course. Considering he was born and raised in military camps, it should not be a surprise. After all, he thinks that the only way to defeat enemies is to use force against them.

Julia

Unlike Calidus, Julia is not a fan of force: she prefers negotiation to overcome enemies. Embracing Celtic tradition and choosing the Romano-Celtic path will not provoke backlash from her, on the contrary.

She is a political animal and – being nobility herself – is largely oblivious to the needs and troubles of the lower classes.

Each Emperor will reward different behaviour by you and may react negatively to some others of your actions.

We hope you enjoyed this DevBlog on the story mode and campaign in Anno 117: Pax Romana! If you enjoyed it and would like to dive into more details about it, a reminder that previews of the game are now out – so make sure to check out what your trusted gaming website or Anno creator says!