Pax Romana

117 AD. A time of peace… mostly.

The Roman bubble has expanded to bursting, swallowing territory from the Atlantic coast to the fertile crescent in the east. Rome has absorbed countless societies and cultures through conquest, that it is now obliged to call part of Rome, whether or not it is able to govern them.

Gone are the days of powerful voices in the Senate on such matters—ambitious officials gather instead around the Emperor’s throne; a seat easy to fall into, easier still to fall out of. Under the Pax Romana, these Emperors look to consolidate and build. Great projects are now no longer just for the city of Rome. In distant provinces, new cities (neapoles) are springing up to gather local taxes, feats of engineering are undertaken— walls, bridges, aqueducts. This is a global roman template, urban and geometric, to be unboxed wherever Rome is sovereign.

Ambitions for the provinces such as these, fuel decadent fashions back home. Like blood around the body, the heart of the empire controls the flow of goods, luxuries, technology. Its people have demands that must be met!

But some of these fringe provinces, Albion chief among them, are like the wild west. Governed by displaced indigenes, washed-up soldiers, outlaws, and you the player, the freedoms on offer here, don’t yet outnumber the dangers.

To the Romans, Albion is a land of both poverty and opportunity— underdeveloped, but strong in horses, metals and metalworking expertise. As a Roman Governor, you preside over a wilderness, and a people whose culture long pre-dates your own—how will you rule? How open will you be to their ways?

Inspiration vs. Authenticity

The broad outline described above shouldn’t be too contentious to historians, but how much do we stick to history in the actual game? In short, the answer is: we need to cherry-pick and take liberties with the history to keep the game FUN.

Anno is a world of islands. It has no real-world place names, no real-world people, no strict measure, even, of the passing of time. This immediately paints a picture of a parallel universe that does not necessarily have to follow the rules of our own world – while still feeling real!

Roman buildings you’ll see in game are both meticulously researched by the artists, but also products of artistic liberty and design requirements. As for Celtic buildings, sometimes an artist’s guess may anyway be as good as a historian’s. We must always remind ourselves that we are dealing with a period of history about which evidence is often limited.

Still, we designers are committed to sound research, and keen to incorporate as much detail, large and small, that we think creates a true (and fun!) impression of the time period. From beliefs to technological exchanges, we aim to show how Rome’s provinces began to invert the identity of Rome itself.

Naturally we invest in creating plausible historical characters too. We decided, for instance, that we want female characters to play a greater role in our parallel version of history than they did back in Roman times (Everything in the history points to a deeply patriarchal society in which women had very little power or freedom). Nevertheless, we strive to make them appear in roles that have some credibility, though in at least one case we break the rules entirely, simply because we like the idea of doing so. This is the trump card in Anno, reserved for the moments a better version of the game needs us to let go of realism.

The Provinces

Latium

With its serene breezes, azure coves, fields of wheat and lavender, Latium is a forgotten treasure of a province, close to the heart of the empire. Years ago, a volcanic eruption devastated local cities, driving people away from the province, allowing nature to take over.

Now, in the time of the Pax Romana, many officials, including the Emperor, question why such a gem should remain deserted for old superstitions. In their view it is time for renewal: for new cities to spring up where nature ran riot, for the curse of history to be buried once and for all. Surely, with its beaches, villas and marinas, this place will make the perfect retreat for the wealthy of Rome, and be the perfect opportunity for an upcoming Governor to make a name for themselves.

Superficially, it’s paradise, the epitome of Roman Italy— tranquil, restful, a place of luxury and for pleasure-seekers looking to swim with the dolphins. Still, the brighter the summer, the thicker the shade: mysterious forces operate below the surface here, that may at first go unnoticed.

Albion

Roman invaders first encountered the white cliffs of Albion generations ago. Several times they attempted to master the marsh-ridden land and its warlike people, never entirely managing to do so.

When they want to prove themselves, Emperors always look to Albion for triumph and trophies because expeditions to Albion are like mythic quests to Romans. To them, the Celts appear as far removed from civilisation as anything in the imagination.

Still, on paper, they call Albion a Roman province, and exports of strange culinary delicacies plucked with grimy hands from its muddy mires are becoming ever more popular back home—call it a taste of the exotic.

Celts just do everything differently, and while the Romans consider some of them beastly barbarians, they are at the same time fascinated by their craft and ideas, and have no compunctions taking what they need from them, if it works.

As for the Celts, those who come to your cities in Albion in search of shelter may no longer have a tribe or a place to call home. For although the Romans have brought destruction to their door, they also offer peace (a very rare thing in those days), education, warm baths and best of all…wine!

We hope this article also sets your imagination loose and we’re curious: What was your first thought on seeing the announcement of Anno 117: Pax Romana? Which event, theme or even personality was your first association for the Roman Empire and its provinces? We’re looking forward to your comments!

What’s this, a new Anno logo? Have they now really abandoned the good old wooden plank from the days of Anno 1404?

Well, we used the last year(s) to not only refine our vision for Anno 117: Pax Romana and start the development of the game, but also to think about Anno as a brand overall and its visual identity. Today, let’s talk about branding with Haye Anderson, our Brand Director.

Note: If you’ve watched our livestream on July 2nd (VOD can be found here) you will have already heard most of this. But we wanted to also have this information here on the Anno Union – and share the Behind the Scenes video with you!

Having flourished over the last 25 years, the newest evolution of ANNO immerses players in the cultural melting pot of the Pax Romana, and at the start of its development, the team discusses topics like: “what makes up an Anno game?” or “why does this new Anno need to exist?” The reason we ask ourselves these questions is because, as we add new features (or take some away), we always need to keep the core of the product intact. And know it or not, these questions are just as important for Brand as they are for Game Design!

We start with some self-discovery by identifying the core pillars we consider make Anno “Anno”. As a branded product, Anno must have five certain things:

1. A historical setting that feels real
2. Top-notch graphics
3. Rich gameplay experience
4. Complexity (the challenge is the fun)
5. Peacefulness

As some of you have pointed out, there are two Anno games with a futuristic setting. And yes, we also consider them Anno games as they fulfil all 4 other aspects. The historic games, however, are what the series was founded on (Anno 1602), where it found it greatest success (Anno 1800) and where it’s moving towards (Anno 117), that’s why the “historical setting” pillar plays such a central role in our new brand guidelines.

The “Peacefulness” pillar does not exclude warfare. As you are all very much aware, all Anno games included military aspects and conflict to varying degrees. However, we don’t see Anno as a warfare-focused game: Economy, logistics, diplomacy and creativity are playing a much bigger role.

When we boil these core pillars of the game down, they become our Brand Values that guide our daily work within the Anno Dev brand team!

1) CRAFT : Uncompromising on the quality of the game and marketing materials
2) AUTHENTICITY : Deeply researched stories & settings that always feel real (even if they are not)
3) EMOTION : Immersive experiences that engage the heart of the player
4) INTELLIGENCE : Enriching challenges that stimulate the mind

These four core brand values also helped us (as a brand) find our purpose, and answer that big question of: “why does Anno exist?” SIMPLE, as a brand we cultivate the joy of building! Anno revolves around themes of legacy and creation, which we believe our audience passionately resonate with, too, and central to this is our design ethos ‘Crafted With Care’, inspired by attention to detail – a mindset shared by both our fans and our development teams!

In a future blog, we’ll also look at the Design side of things and how these high-level Brand Pillars and the Design concepts come together in Anno 117: Pax Romana.

While the brand has been refreshed, you’ll notice we didn’t get rid of things that are beloved, like the number 9; however we also reimagined some things like the wooden plank:
Allowing the symbol itself to act as a vessel allows it to hold all sorts of materials –  more than just wood – and it allows us to tell a bigger story of production, craft, and building in Anno 117: Pax Romana.

When developing the logo, we wanted it to feel like more than just a logo, we wanted it to feel like a tool in the hands of a builder; we were inspired by the caliper, which was a tool used to measure a distance between two points on a map – it symbolized trade and exploration. This felt really perfect for us as a brand, and this then became the foundation of our symbol.

BUT many people see a house, the flame of a candle, or the arrow of a compass. And that’s the beauty of brand identity: it leaves your own control and is given additional meaning by the community.

The brand’s visual identity is drawing inspiration from traditional crafts (some of which are featured in the game), and brought forward into a digital-first system that seamlessly blends the old and new ways of building. We crafted a lot of the brand by hand, from forging the logo out of metal over mixing the paints (which became the brand colours), to even carving the typeface. We wanted the brand to feel built, just like how our players build in the game!

Have a look at our Behind the Scenes video below for more impressions on the process and insights directly from our partners at Wolff Olins.

Something like this has not been seen in the gaming industry before, but we believe the effort was essential to bring our premier builder game to life!

To summarize our work and ambitions:
Drawing inspiration from the classical period, the Anno brand’s colors, bespoke typeface and graphic language together form the foundations of a builder in those ancient times. Creating a system that is designed to support the purpose of building and a celebration of craftspersonship.

Much like the great nations of the past, the new mark represents a collective mindset – fusing craft, the power of the human spirit and the ambition of building for future greatness.

Meticulous in detail and crafted with care, the symbol becomes a tool wielded by the community to shape their ANNO world.

As per requests from several of you, we’re offering a wallpaper of the logo variations and our colour tests in 1440p as download.

Did we leave any questions unanswered? Is there anything else you’d like to learn about the topic of branding or logo design? Leave us a comment below!

Hey Anno Community,

It’s May, the weather is getting sunnier and warmer: This should hopefully put both you and your citizens in the right mood for the upcoming Cosmetic DLC – the “Fiesta” Pack!

Now, we have already included a teaser at the end of our “Anno movies” videos, meaning that it’s no big surprise anymore that the “Fiesta” Pack is adding a bunch of new ornaments for the New World. Considering it’s the second most important region in Anno 1800, we have seen the comments asking for more ornaments and more ways to customize your cities there.

As the name suggests, the “Fiesta” Pack looks on the bright sides (literally) of life with ornaments that add even more colour and prepare your public places for festivities.

Ornaments

On the ornament side, our focus was on spicing up your public spaces, like your market place or other plaza-type locations. For this matter, the pack contains bright and colourful festive banners and the purple Jacaranda tree. Combine this with the new groundplates and some vendors like the Fruit Stall or the Mate Stall.

It’s also about providing more space for the local culture and heritage, for example with the Mesoan Memorial or the Sunwell. Round things off with a few cacti and flower beds and your people will thank you – provided they don’t get too close to those cacti.

Skins

We did not only include ornaments in the “Fiesta” Pack, however, but also skins for two existing buildings:

The first is the Market Place itself, that now not only features a bright purple paint, but also more colour on its pillars as well as a rounder shape with an open market space in the middle

The second building profiting from a visual make-over is the Chapel. Following the rest of the Cosmetic DLC, the new Chapel skin comes with clean white paint job and multiple coloured spots on its façade and windows.

Of course, that’s not quite all the content of the Cosmetic DLC, and you have probably spotted several more ornaments on the screenshots above – and, we’ll have a list of all its content below.

The “Fiesta” Pack will release in 2 weeks, on May 23rd, for the usual price of 4,99€. We’re looking forward to seeing your reworked New World cities! How do you plan on implementing the new skins and ornaments?

List of full content

• New model variation for the Chapel (with standard and plaza groundplate)
• New model variation for the Market Place (with standard and plaza groundplate)
• Public Bench (3 variants)
• Organ Cactus
• Rosy Pincushion
• Fence Post Cactus
• Traditional Path (groundplate)
• Traditional Terracotta (groundplate)
• Fountain of Inspiration
• Sunwell
• Jacaranda Tree (3 variants)
• Palm Tree (3 variants)
• Summer Pavillion
• Mate Stall
• Tropical Fruit Stall
• Market Cart
• Fried Corn Cart
• Mesoan Memorial
• Bright Banners (modular system)
• Exotic Flower Bed (modular system)
• Traditional Wall (modular system)
• Brick Arch

Hey Anno Community,

With the playtest for the “Annoversary Update” (previously: “Jubilee Patch”) having concluded – thank you to everyone who participated and wrote us their feedback! – let’s talk both about our learnings from the test as well as (of course) about the upcoming Game Update itself!

So, what is the “Annoversary Update”?

The “Annoversary Update” is the last big free Game Update that we’re planning for Anno 1800 on PC (the update will not release for the Console Edition). It includes two larger new features, several quality-of-life improvements and a laaaarge number of bug fixes.

As the name implies, it’s releasing just in time for the 25^th Anniversary of the Anno series! That’s a quarter of a century full of Anno!

Specifically, the release is planned for April 4^th, and in addition to what we mentioned above, you can also look forward to a few surprises for the Annoversary in particular. We keep those for later 😉

Instead, let’s take a look at the contents of the Update.

The Creative Mode

The Creative Mode is a completely separate game mode, an alternative to campaign or sandbox mode. Important to note here also is, that this is NOT the intended way to play Anno 1800 since it does not simulate a regular game. Instead, it’s a mode targeted towards our beauty building community, making it easier to build the city (or industrial district) of your dreams!

Accordingly, in Creative Mode, multiple core mechanics are disabled or changed, for example:

• Money is unlimited
• The influence system is deactivated
• You won’t have to worry about incidents
• Buildings don’t need a street connection, don’t have construction costs, and don’t require input goods or workforce to function

Basically, it allows you to build whatever you want and as much as you want and – it’s in the name – be creative!

To further help with that, there are more special rules and changes compared to the regular game, like:

• Immediately place any type of residence building without needing to upgrade
• Place unlimited numbers of decorative versions of all monuments
• Place any of the Museum, Zoo or Botanical Garden exhibits freely without having to first acquire them

The Creative Mode is intended as a playground to play around with and specifically for the beauty builders among you to have a less restrictive sandbox to build and design as you please. If you own any DLC or Cosmetic DLC, they will of course also be available in this mode.

Even if you’re not so much into beauty building, the mode might still be interesting for you because of the second feature we’re adding. Introducing…

The Stamp Feature

Yes, this certainly is something we have seen being requested a lot over the years: A way to save layouts and use them again later or even in a different savegame. And that’s exactly what the Stamp Feature does.

Like with the copy tool, you can select a number of buildings, streets, ornaments etc. that are then saved as a “stamp” in a separate menu. You can rename each stamp and select an icon (from any of the buildings included in the stamp) and there are folders you can sort your stamps into.

To make things much easier, you can organize and rename your folders and stamps also outside the game in the Windows File Explorer. Additionally, this allows you to share your stamps with other players, for example on Reddit or Discord. Be it a perfect production layout or a beautiful park for your city, we’re already looking forward to seeing your creations.

If a Stamp includes content that is either limited to the Creative Mode or part of a DLC you don’t own, you can still place it, but the unavailable objects are placed as blueprints and cannot be upgraded (or, in the case of DLC content: not until you own it).

More Quality-of-Life Improvements

In addition to these changes, there are also some smaller quality-of-life improvements in this update, a quick selection below:

• Roads can now be upgraded/downgraded via the upgrade tool, like regular buildings
• You’ll be able to enable fully colored minimap islands (an improvement we took from the Console Edition)
• In Warehouses and the expedition preparation menu you can now search for specific goods
• We’ve reworked the Happiness calculation for residences to better factor in Hotels/Tourists that previously had too little impact
• Some smaller improvements for our modding community

Learnings from the Playtest

The recent playtest in particular helped us identify a few key areas where the two new features need some more context or explanations (esp. when it came to the Stamp Feature and the folders), and we’ll soon start working on those to have them ready upon the update’s release.

Additionally, our testers highlighted a few more bugs both with those new features, as well as in other areas, that they’d like us to tackle for the update, that we now have on our fix-list for the next weeks.

Once more, a big thank you to everyone who participated in the playtest and provided us with reports and feedback!

So… what’s left to say? The “Annoversary Update” will release on April 4^th, and as usual we will have the full Release Notes ready for you closer to that date when we have finalized the version.

In the coming weeks we’re getting ready for the launch of the Anno 1800 Console Edition which we’re very excited about. And at the end of March you can then expect news on the “Annoversary Update”. Stay tuned!