Hello dear Anno Community and welcome to the first Union Update on our shiny new website! We have several great news for you, so let's get started right away.
Welcome to the new Anno Union
Since Monday the now almost 3 years old Anno Union presents itself in a new, sleeker look. The new website provides several advantages like faster loading times, better optimisation for mobile devices and better support for more than just one game of the Anno series.
You might still see some issues with the layout here and there but we wanted to launch the website now to support the launch of the History Editions and get some feedback from you on the design.
Let us know and share your thoughts in the comments below the announcement.
Game Updates 1.1 for the History Editions
Talking about the History Editions: Thank you for your valuable feedback, your questions and the reports of a few issues with this re-release. Our team is currently investigating these reports and we can already announce a first patch for this week which will address several points on all 4 History Edition games like the language issue on the Steam version of the Anno 1404, the music problem when increasing the game speed in Anno 1503 and more.
We will have more details for you soon.
Currently still under investigation is for example the Anno 1404 History Edition using DirectX 9 instead of newer versions as well as other issues forwarded to us.
As with all Anno 1800 Game Updates before, you will be able to find all patch notes for the History Editions in the “Updates” section.
For the modders – a safe GUID range
As you know, we continue to being impressed and appreciate the work some our community members put into creating mods for Anno 1800. To make it a little bit easier for you when it comes to adjusting your mods to new Game Updates, we now reserved the GUID range 1337471142 to 2147483647 just for you. This range is “safe” and not used by us.
A nostalgic Anno Afternoon live stream
After a longer break, the Anno team is back with a History Edition live stream!
Ubi-Thorlof invites you to a slightly improvised Anno 1602 home office stream, joined by his colleagues Ubi-Hanabi and Ubi-Trenchcoat. To share your Anno 1602 stories and memories and get the chance to win a key for the complete Anno History Collection, tune in this Thursday at 6PM CEST over on twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte
Last Tuesday, June 2, marked the release of the “Bright Harvest” DLC and Game Update 8!
Boost your agriculture by building silos and state-of-the-art tractors, and beautify your islands with additional farming and industrial ornaments. The farming revolution is already well underway!
Game Update 8 additionally provides you with a convenient item overview, bigger warehouses, the Great Eastern steamer and many smaller improvements and fixes which you can find here.
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Thanks to your feedback following the release, our team is currently working on Game Update 8.1 to address some of the concerns you voiced. We will have more info on it closer to its release around Mid-June.
Get ready for analogue Anno 1800
And another kind of announcement was made last week which we are extremely excited about: On Thursday Kosmos Spiele (whom you may be familiar with from games such as “Catan” and “Legends of Andor”) announced “Anno 1800: The Board Game”, releasing this autumn.
Famed game designer Martin Wallace, who has proven his industrial expertise with award-winning games such as “Age of Steam” and “Brass: Birmingham” will be handling this version of Anno 1800, which we are very excited about ourselves. Follow Kosmos’ Instagram channel for updates if you’re interested in developing your island and competing with friends or family around a table.
The “Seat of Power” Screenshot Contest
We also have some winners to announce! In late April we started the “Seat of Power” screenshot contest and asked you to share the most epic pictures of your palaces with us – and wow, we received a lot of stunning examples of our community’s creativity! From smaller coastal palaces to enormous inner-city complexes. From palaces with vast parks and flower beds over palaces with an integrated zoo or museum, broad triumph and parade streets and intricate hedge-mazes to dedicated courtyards for specific events and functions.
Understandably, we had a hard time deciding on the winners and want to thank all participants for sharing their creations with us.
Let’s then get to the winners who can look forward to some great gear from our friends at Corsair.
First place, a CORSAIR VOID Headset, CORSAIR IRONCLAW Wireless Mouse and CORSAIR MM350 mousepad, goes to justVera.
This massive palace complex not only incorporates a Zoo, Museum and Botanical Garden, but does so in an extremely elegant way with plenty of green to separate the different modules and paths inviting for a stroll through the vast park. Directly connected to the World’s Fair on the other side of the park and a broad street and park leading to the palace from the harbour our team was deeply impressed by the amount of planning that went into the creation of it.
In second place, the lucky owner to be of a CORSAIR IRONCLAW mouse and CORSAIR MM350 mousepad, comes ChrisX86!
We really liked the symmetry of his palace complex which at the same time still including variety like the hedge maze or differently styled flower beds and courtyards. While less green and more focused on mosaic and plaza tiles than others, the palace does not feel stuffed with decoration but provides plenty of space, offering a calm oasis with resting spots in a busy city.
In third place we have adam5909’s lake palace on Crown Falls which won him a CORSAIR HARPOON mouse and MM300 mousepad.
Far from the bustling, noisy city, this palace sits on Crown Falls’ large lake and offers a spectacular panorama thanks to the waterfalls in the distance. While smaller in size than some other palaces, plenty of parks, hedge mazes and other botanical arrangements make this a calm and quiet retreat for any ruler or magnate with a perfect view in all directions.
All winners will be contacted by us via direct message or forum PM so please keep an eye on your inbox!
Believe us, it was a tough choice to make and our team decided to add two honourable mentions for their different approaches to the topic of palace-building.
One is gntherfrank for his not only idyllically calm and green but also very realistically looking palace and garden. You can easily imagine coming across such a palace in real life, a retreat for a local count or duke while over the years the nearby city has grown closer and closer, slowly integrating the palace into the cityscape.
The other is Moppelkotze09 for the sheer insanity when it comes to the scale of the city design. While the palace itself is not as big as others, city and palace are directly interwoven in their design with the latter not only being at the centre of it all but also dividing the former into four districts. The amount of ornaments and parks built into this project impressed us so much that it indeed deserved an honourable mention.
Finally, again, a big thank you to everyone who sent us screenshots of their palace or posted them on the forums! We can’t wait to see what you manage to create with more ornaments and buildings of the following updates.
And now for some education with Fatherlorris
Last but not least we’re excited to share another comic strip by Fatherlorris of The Chapel with you. Learn about Dr John Rae’s Arctic expedition and his discovery of the lost Franklin expedition:
All of the Anno games are inspired by history and our team spent a significant amount of time researching the era of Anno 1800. History buffs across all departments of the team spent countless hours going through hundreds of photographs and pictures as a reference for the design of ships and houses, researching on the societal changes and struggles of the time and discussing how to implement those as a gameplay feature. So while we are not and don’t want to be historically accurate, plenty of references can be found in the game.
The 1800s have also been an era of technology and innovations. Take “The Great Exhibition” that took place in London in 1851 as an example, which inspired the World’s Fairs in the game. Ground breaking innovations of the time found their way into Anno 1800, like railroads, electricity or steam ships, while Old Nate and his inventions are of course a small venture into early science fiction.
When we’re talking about expeditions, many of you were also curious about the inspirations for The Passage and we already had a Union Talk with our Game Writer África about the background of the DLC. So to give you a few more insights into the (ant)arctic expeditions of the time, for example the Franklin Expedition, we enlisted popular artist Fatherlorris of The Chapel and asked him to create some comics for us.
Who is this Fatherlorris and The Chapel, you ask? Well, we let him introduce himself:
Hi, my name is Ryan AKA Fatherlorris. And the Chapel is a little webcomic about strategy games.
How did you get into making comics – and even more so comics about strategy games?
I first started making comics as a hobby in high school, I am very dyslexic and wasn’t particularly literate so comics were a great way to make my friends laugh without needing to use too many words. But more importantly a great way of giving friends birthday and Christmas presents without spending any money. Then a few years ago I decided to sign up to reddit and post a comic there, it was a surprise success and I have been making comics ever since
Most of the games you’re creating comics about have a historical setting. A hobby of yours?
Yes, absolutely. Always been a huge fan of history. I am from South Wales, not too far from the Blaenavon Ironworks, one of the birthplaces of the industrial revolution. The landscape all around is shaped by the coal and steel industry and I think it’s almost impossible not to take an interest in it.
Obvious follow-up question: How did you get involved with Anno then?
I was actually a bit of a latecomer to anno, I only started playing with the release of ANNO: 1404 Venice. At the time it was one of the only multiplayer city builders on the market, and that really appealed to me.
With these latest comics focusing on the (Ant-)Artic: Do you have personal connections to those regions or their history?
I don’t have any personal connection beyond my great granddad sinking the coal mine that dug the coal that fuelled the ships that sailed to the arctic. I actually got interested in the Arctic by accident, I picked up a copy of The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard and it was one of the most gripping books I have ever read. Ever since I have been reading every diary about arctic expeditions I could get my hands on. If you are looking for crazy Tolkienesque tales about real people then I would definitely recommend a book written by or about an arctic explorer.
Thank you very much, Ryan!
So, without further ado: here is the first The Chapel comic about the events of the Franklin expedition. There will be 4 more about similar icy adventures which will be shared in future Union Updates – so keep an eye out 😉
With all the tools necessary to construct a palace worthy of an industrial magnate at your disposal, we are sure that many of you have already created some amazing and lavish palace complexes! The ideal time to start another creative contest and ask you to share pictures of your architectural marvels with us.
Simply share your screenshots with us on Twitter using the #seatofanno hashtag or post them in this dedicated forum thread.
And while it is not mandatory and will not be part of the selection process, feel free to tell us more about your palace! Did you model it after any real-world monument? Is there any cool story behind it? We want to know!
The submission deadline is May 8th, 11:59pm CET. We will announce the winners in an upcoming Union Update after our team had some time to browse through all your magnificent screenshots.
Of course, palace-building is hard work, and needs the right tools. Thankfully, our good friends at CORSAIR (no business or family relationship to Anne Harlow) have once again volunteered to sponsor some of their great gaming hardware for the Anno Union, allowing us to offer these prizes:
Grand prize: CORSAIR VOID Headset, CORSAIR IRONCLAW Wireless Mouse and CORSAIR MM350 mousepad
2nd prize: CORSAIR IRONCLAW mouse and CORSAIR MM350 mousepad
3rd prize: CORSAIR HARPOON mouse and MM300 mousepad
Given current circumstances, we have to add a small disclaimer: Once we have selected the winners, we will undertake every effort to send them their prizes as soon as possible, though there may be some delays depending on the Covid-19 related regulations at the time.
Good luck to all palace builders out there, we are looking forward to your creations! And as always, stay healthy and safe!
To prepare you for all architectural challenges of our upcoming Season 2 Pass DLC “Seat of Power” as well as Game Update 7, we will run another Twitch Drop Event beginning this Friday.
The whole event takes place from Friday March 20th and – to give you some time to pick your favourite streamer – will last until March 29th.
During the Event, you will be able to watch how a variety of selected Twitch Streamers construct their first palace to not only beautify their cities but also boost culture, production and more.
Anyone watching them struggle during their attempts can grab two brand new ornaments, the Seat of Power Flag and the Seat of Power Billboard. The only thing you need to do is link your Uplay to your Twitch account and watch the streamers during the event for up to 3 hours to receive your loot. You don’t have to watch these hours consecutively to receive your drop; watching them accumulated on participating streamers will also grant you the ornaments.
If you haven’t already done so in the past, to link your Ubisoft- and Twitch-account, just follow the steps outlined on this website.
You can find the full list of all participating Streamer here:
What an exciting week! In our big announcement livestream on Monday we unveiled the future of Anno 1800 and our plans for 2020. If you missed the stream or want to watch it again, we got you covered:
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As a big thank you for your support and by now over a million players, we also prepared a special ornament for you which you can now find in the game.
Fittingly, this week’s Anno Afternoon is all about YOUR cities! Ubi-Thorlof and Ubi-Hanabi will take a look at several Anno 1800 cities created by community members. Time to take a stroll along beautiful boulevards, check out fleet sizes, city layouts and production centres – and maybe cause a bit of mayhem along the way.
Tune in on Friday, March 13th, at 4PM UTC over on twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte A big thank you again to everyone who sent in their savegame!
Episode 6 of our Union Talk show is here, with Community Developer Basti and Brand Manager Marcel talking about the differences and challenges of Anno 1800’s first year and what is to come. They also address the unusual quiet on the Anno Union in early 2020 and might even know a thing or two about when things will pick up again…
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Our Union Talks aim at providing you insights into the work of our developers and certain processes behind the scenes as well as news about the most recent developments for Anno 1800. Is there a topic you always wanted to know more about? Are you curious about a specific aspect of game development or an ingredient of the Anno series? Let us know in the comments below for future episodes of the Union Talk!
Anno Afternoon – Scuba Diving Cows
Since they were not able to save all cows from the flood last time, Ubi-Hanabi and Ubi-Thorlof return to the world of Anno 2070. With their priorities set and the heart-shaped city completed, it’s time to explore the ocean and build an underwater base. Tune in for a fun and relaxed Anno Afternoon on Friday, 28. February, at 4PM UTC over on twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte
We also want to use this opportunity to thank you for sending us save games of your Anno 1800 playthrough! We will showcase them in the next Anno Afternoon (March 13th) – Ubi-Hanabi is already looking forward to getting her hands on them.
And of course, feel free to also send us YOUR save game for the stream! Just send them via mail at anno-community@ubisoft.com
Podcast – Environment Sounds in Anno 1800
There’s always something going on in the world of Anno 1800, but all the activity on the roads and sea is not just visual. Listen to the latest Game Makers podcast with members of Anno 1800’s audio team and learn about how sounds adapt based on camera zoom or jumping from one end of the map to the other. Audio Director Stefan Randelshofer and Lead Audio Designer Tino Schleinitz from Ubisoft Düsseldorf talk about how they developed a brand-new environmental sound system for Anno 1800. Give it a listen!
The New Year is already over one month old – about time to share a Union Update with you, feature some great Anno 1800 creations from our community and let you know about our upcoming live streams.
Anno Afternoon Stream
This Friday our community team is traveling into the future for another Anno Afternoon. On this Anno 2070 adventure, Ubi-Thorlof invited his colleague Ubi-Hanabi – the goal: brew some tea, hug a few trees and save everyone from drowning. Join them on their adventure over on twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte
And if you want your Anno 1800 city to be featured, judged and most likely also devastated live on stream, send us your save games at anno-community@ubisoft.com! When we have gathered a few, we will show off your layouts, parks and fleets in a future Anno Afternoon. *
*We can only accept unmodded save games
Community Spotlight
As usual, we want to share some of the cool creations and stories from the community here on the Anno Union.
Let’s start with jasperwillem’s blog, a great source for tutorials and tips&tricks for Anno 1800. You can find detailed blogs and videos about all phases of the game, the different population levels and more. Worth checking out!
If you instead prefer some entertainment, Normul8or’s new video series could be for you. The goal: creating a city purely dependent on imports. To follow him on his journey, head on over to his YouTube channel.
Now, we all know you love creating beautiful cities with massive parks and impressive zoos and museums. And we never grow tired of looking at your creations and sharing them here.
Bootlegsoldierwent all-in and hid something in his city – can you see it?
And since working in a team gets things done a lot quicker, Smeerwolfteamed up with some friends to beautify his city – the result you can see here:
We know you’re all waiting for what exciting things we have planned for Anno 1800 this year. Right now we’re still very busy creating new content for you to enjoy and are looking forward to sharing more with you, soon.
Once again we want to share a community update with you, showcase some great Anno 1800 impressions from our community and let you know about our streaming plans. Let’s go!
Anno Afternoon Stream – Retro Edition
This Friday, we’re changing things up with the Anno Afternoon. After noticing that Ubi-Thorlof has never played Ubi-Trenchcoat’s favourite game of the series – Anno 1701 – they spontaneously decided to do a retro stream! Tune in on the 8th at 4PM UTC (5PM CET) when they’ll be diving into the The Sunken Dragon campaign.
Playtest und Game Update 6.0
The Game Update 6.0 playtest has started last week and is going very well. A big thank you to everyone who already provided their feedback in the dedicated forums. If you haven’t already – let us know your thoughts!
And if you have signed up for the playtest but haven’t received an invite yet: Do not worry. We will send another wave of invites in the coming week.
Parallel to the test our team continues their work on the Update including the third DLC, coming out in December. We will share more information regarding all the features and a precise date closer to release.
Community Spotlight
Let’s again round things up by featuring some the cities you built and the experiences you shared.
ClassicReddltor is extremely happy about finally getting the Extravaganza Steamer, posing in front of his massive city. How many of you already managed to get hold of this proud ship?
For friends of grapes and champagne, a visit to Conschbourg – the Green City – might be a good idea. Spacer176 also provides you with a tourist guide and a history lesson of this town.
If you’re more of a fan cities, you should probably plan a trip to DerGrindelwutz’s and RegalSeagull’s versions of Crown Falls. With plenty of parks, promenades along the river islands and bridges in front of the waterfall panorama, these cities simply invite you to take a long walk.
As a stark contrast to these peaceful views, cjnewson88 seems to have a few issues with his rioting populace.
But he later explains his city setup and the strategy behind his success – well worth a read.
That’s already it for this week’s Union Update!
Feel free to share your adventures and achievements with us on social or reddit and don’t forget to tune in to tomorrow’s stream.
We’re back once more with a community update and some info on what to expect from us in the near future.
Anno Afternoon Stream
This Friday, Seraxia and Thorlof will put their creative hats on (most likely not literally) in another Anno Afternoon and try something completely different. You want to know more? Then don’t miss out this special livestream episode and tune on the 25th at 4PM UTC+1 (5PM CEST).
And if you got any cool or funny ideas for future streams, what better opportunity to share them with us than this Friday?
Playtest beginning next week!
As you all know the next playtest is just around the corner and as we work together with the community to get a jam-packed Game Update 6 ready for December, we will take a short break from Union blogs in the upcoming week. But worry not, we will be back soon with community news and new game information.
And we already got some exciting news this week! Keep an eye on your inbox, cause for a first wave of players the the playtest will already start next week – more invite-waves will follow.
We’re very much looking forward to your feedback. So, when we’re already talking about GU6 and The Passage, why not hop over to Reddit. Some of you already started a discussion about the content of the DLC there. We might have some theories ourselves but it’s far more exciting to read your predictions. Which features and production chains do YOU think will be added with The Passage?
Community Content
Something that impressed all of us quite a bit was jasperwillem not only managing to get this settlement to house Engineers without ever visiting the New World but shortly after also luring Investors into ‘Golden City’.
How many of us spent long nights outsourcing production chains and setting up new trade routes. Or planting hedge rows for hours for that perfect inner-city park or the world’s best botanical garden. We bet there are some quirky challenges or legendary achievements you set yourself in the past or future. So, share them with us in the comments below!
Fitting to last week’s blog about the Day & Night Cycle, we also want to use this blog to share some impressions from the community. Apparently some of you have a weird fascination with exploding factories…but admittedly, fires look very cool at night:
That’s it for this Community Update. Did you already share your favourite moments with us? Be it day or night, dusk or dawn, we always love to see what fantastic scenes you manage to capture.
