Summary of "LIVE | ANNO 117: Pax Romana - FIRST LOOK Campaign Gameplay | New Roman Strategic City Builder"
Summary of LIVE | ANNO 117: Pax Romana - FIRST LOOK Campaign Gameplay
Game Storyline
You play as Marcus Ncratius, an impostor governor summoned to rebuild the city of Juliana in the province of Latium after the destruction of Ambrosia by a volcanic eruption. The campaign weaves political intrigue around Emperor Lucius’s plan to make Empress Julia Rome’s first empress, a move opposed by the Senate.
The story also explores tensions within Marcus’s family, including the mysterious death of Emperor Lucius and conflicts involving his daughter Diana, who is engaged in freeing slaves and opposing corrupt slave traders.
Later in the campaign, Marcus is exiled to the northern province of Albian, where he must establish control and face new challenges such as hostile local populations (Kelts) and a power struggle involving a new emperor, Kaledus. The campaign features exploration, settlement of new islands, and managing relations with different cultures (Romans and Kelts).
Gameplay Highlights
City Building & Resource Management
- Strategic placement of buildings such as woodcutters, sawmills, farms, bakeries, markets, warehouses, and production chains (e.g., hemp farms → rope makers → sails).
- Importance of building near resources: trees for woodcutters, river slots for mills, mountain slots for mines.
- Efficient management of production chains to meet population needs (food, clothing, tools).
- Balancing positive and negative building effects (e.g., bakeries increase income but reduce fire safety).
- Utilizing radius bonuses from buildings like markets and taverns to increase coin and population in nearby structures.
- Strategic placement of warehouses to ensure smooth resource flow.
Population & Workforce
- Upgrading citizens from waiters to plebeians by fulfilling their needs.
- Maintaining positive income and workforce balance.
- Unlocking new buildings and technologies through different population tiers.
- Managing happiness and health via production buildings (e.g., lavender fields increase happiness, soap makers increase health but reduce happiness).
Military & Defense
- Constructing city watch and defensive structures such as walls and archer towers.
- Training and upgrading military units.
- Managing threats from raiders and hostile local tribes during the campaign.
Economy & Trade
- Balancing income and expenses to maintain positive cash flow.
- Using trading posts and upgrading market range to improve economic efficiency.
- Managing taxes and maintenance costs, with the option to change difficulty mid-game.
Religion & Culture
- Choosing a patron god for the island based on available resources (Neptune favored for fish and salt production).
- Building sanctuaries and grammaticus (schools) to increase knowledge.
- Using knowledge points to unlock upgrades and new technologies.
Campaign Missions & Quests
- Tasks include preparing for Empress Julia’s birthday, delivering tiles and garum, finding and escorting Diana, and building monuments like the emperor’s palace.
- Managing political intrigue and family drama through dialogue choices.
- Settling new islands with different cultures and resources.
- Handling exile and rebuilding in northern territories with unique challenges.
Key Strategies & Tips
Building Placement
- Place woodcutters near dense forests for maximum efficiency.
- Position markets and taverns centrally to maximize radius bonuses.
- Keep warehouses close to production chains to ensure smooth resource flow.
- Avoid placing polluting or happiness-reducing buildings (e.g., tanneries) near residential areas; use natural buffers like lavender fields.
- Use diagonal roads sparingly as they consume more space and may reduce efficiency.
Resource Management
- Monitor supply and demand carefully to avoid shortages.
- Produce a variety of foods (sardines, porridge, bread, garum) to satisfy different population tiers.
- Balance production chains to prevent bottlenecks (e.g., hemp farms → rope makers → sails).
- Manage fire safety by spacing buildings that increase fire risk.
Population Growth
- Upgrade citizens systematically to unlock new buildings and technologies.
- Fulfill all basic needs (food, clothing, tools) to maintain happiness and prevent unrest.
- Use decorative items and greenery to boost happiness where possible.
Knowledge & Research
- Build grammaticus and sanctuaries early to increase knowledge points.
- Prioritize research that expands market range and improves production efficiency.
- Unlock military and economic upgrades to strengthen your city and army.
Campaign Progression
- Pay attention to story missions and quests to unlock new areas and resources.
- Manage political relationships carefully; appease the emperor to gain favors.
- Prepare for exile by building new infrastructure and military defenses in Albian.
- Choose between Romanizing or embracing Celtic culture on new islands for different gameplay effects.
Gameplay Settings
- Game performance is smooth on medium settings with a 2080 graphics card.
- Difficulty can be changed mid-game, though this may reduce the challenge.
- Use the UI toggle (Ctrl+H) to view the city without interface clutter.
Additional Notes
- The campaign is estimated to last around 5-6 hours, shorter than previous Anno campaigns.
- Sandbox mode, featuring competitors and diplomacy, is expected to be the main long-term gameplay.
- The game features detailed resource cycles, production chains, and a rich storyline blending city-building with political drama.
- Some UI elements and mechanics (e.g., radius effects, decorative item benefits) differ from previous Anno titles.
- The streamer enjoys the game’s aesthetics and soundtrack and is excited to continue the campaign and explore sandbox mode.
Featured Gamer / Source
Gameplay and commentary by Soul Steel (YouTube and Twitch streamer).
This summary captures the storyline, gameplay mechanics, strategies, and key moments from the live stream of Anno 117: Pax Romana campaign gameplay.
Category
Gaming
