Ubisoft

Category: Union Talk

Union Talk – Cosmetic DLC and current Voting

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

Marcel and Oliver used one of those rare occasions they’re at the office at the same time to sit down and talk about Anno 1800’s Cosmetic DLC and their personal favourites of the current voting in this new Union Talk.

 

But hey, what are Union Talks again?

Since it has been over a year since the last episode, during which a lot of new players have joined the Anno community, it is worth reintroducing our Union Talk videos to you all.

Unlike our tightly scripted and focused trailers, Union Talks are not intended to deliver breaking news about upcoming content, but instead, take a longer format to take you behind the scenes of Anno development and to explain how and why we do things we way we do.

Do you have any questions about the topic of Cosmetic DLC or are there any topics you’d like us to cover in a Union Talk? If there’s something you have always been curious about regarding the development of the Anno games or the inner workings of our team, let us know in the comments, and maybe we can cover it in a future episode!

 

And now: Grab a coffee or some hibiscus tea and watch the two ramble on.

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(Also: Who watched the full 27min?)

Union Talk – Plans and Challenges

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

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!

Union Update: About Writing Adventures

Posted on by Bastian Thun

In this week’s Union Update, we bring you another episode of our Union Talk show, this time we invited Game Writer África Curiel Gálvez to talk about inspirations and work on The Passage’s tense campaign story and background.

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With the Union Talk show, we not only want to keep you in the loop about recent developments and news from the world of Anno, we also want to provide insights into the work of our developers. Is there anything 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!

Community Highlight: Meet thousands of Annoholics on r/anno
Over the last years, our Anno subreddit grew from a knowledgeable, albeit small corner to a huge gathering place for Anno fans around the world. By the time of this writing, the reddit.com/r/anno channel gathered almost 20.000 Annoholics with hundreds of active readers every day.
From gameplay discussions over funny findings and memes to elaborate guides, we highly encourage everyone to check out this inviting community of fans and experts!

A new episode of Anno Afternoon with a very special throwback to a classic
A nunchuk? What are Thorlof and Trenchcoat up to now? Better turn into this Friday’s very special Anno Afternoon Stream, as we dive into an old classic even many of you veterans out there might not be that familiar with!

Tune in this Friday at 5pm CET at twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte

 

Don’t miss our big Lunar Sale discounts on the Anno series!
Anything missing? The Anno series is currently discounted during our big Ubisoft Lunar Sale, the perfect opportunity to grab old classics or even dive into the world of the industrial revolution.
And if you reading this right now on January 29, you can grab Anno 1800 Gold Edition in our flash sale for the price of 38 Euro (or regional equivalent). Yes your calculation is correct, -60% discount for the Gold Edition, including the Base Game, Anarchist DLC and the Season Pass!

 

Union Update: Rumors of Anarchy (Updated)

Posted on by Ubi_MarcelH

Hello, and welcome to another short, but nevertheless important Union Update! This time we will cover the release of today’s Game Update 2, give you first information on GU 3, and also tease you about our next major content release, The Anarchist. What fun!

Game Update 2 is out now

By the time you are reading this, we will have already released our Game Update 2, which includes a broad variety of bug fixes and balance adjustments. You can find the full list of release notes for this 850mb update in last week’s Union Update.

Coming up next: Game Update 3

Of course, there is no rest for the wicked, so we are already hard at work on our next game Update. While it is too early to go into details on the many fixes we are planning to include, we wanted to give you a first glimpse of what you can look forward to:

 

  • Eli Bleakworth has been busy locking up criminals, giving you access to a wider variety of specialists you can acquire on his prison island
  • We have reworked the monument construction interface for the world fair
  • Get ready to go an expedition with the first community-submitted event from our previous Union contest and vote

This Game Update will be released alongside the coming release of The Anarchist. Which naturally brings us to…

Coming next week: Our DevBlog on the Anarchist

As previously announced, our first big content release after launch will be The Anarchist character, whom you can already secure today by buying the game’s Digital Deluxe or Pioneers Edition of the game (or via the Digital Deluxe Edition Upgrade). Next week, we are planning to give you much more insights into this unique new NPC opponent and content, and some of the major ways in which he will differ from our existing cast of characters. Without giving too much away, let us just say that you will want to keep a close eye on your own islands when competing with his charismatic demagogue. Never underestimate the dangers of anarchy…

Update: The Anno Union Company Logo is now available

You asked for it, so here it is: The much asked-about “Anno Union Emblem” company logo is now available for redemption from the Club Rewards section on Uplay. So go forth and represent the Union!

Union Update: Happy Easter

Posted on by Bastian Thun

You asked us earlier if we plan to add new things to the game after the big release and last week, we let the cat out of the bag (gentle-cat doesn’t mind) about our season pass and free updates during the post launch of Anno 1800. With our announcement of the season pass, we also recorded a video for all of you where we talk about our plans to expand the world of Anno 1800.

YouTube

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Union Talk
Luckily, Basti was far from alone with our small release celebration on Twitch. Thank you to everyone who joined our rather spontaneous stream, we had a “jolly” good time especially thanks to so many Union members chatting with us during the show.
And when we kicked off the party, we released our third Union Talk video which was, of course, pre-recorded. (Just because some folks in the chat asked us questions).

And in case you missed the whole party stream, you can watch it now here:

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Highlight: AnnoCast – LAUNCH PARTY von ubisoftbluebyte auf www.twitch.tv ansehen
Last but not least, let’s talk about your feedback and reports.

Patch incoming after the easter weekend
We are working on a patch update to fix some of the issues you reported to us. The patch will hit next week on April 25 and here are the patchnotes:

ANNO 1800 – Patchnotes (Patch 01, coming 25.04.2019)
Fixed several crashes.
Fixed several Multiplayer Desyncs.
Fixed an issue for the Steam version, that made the games FPS drop significantly.
Fixed a rare issue, getting no further quests, after loading a savegame that has been created while a Newspaper was displayed.

Added some balancing fixes:

  • Diplomacy: Lowered the cooldown of “Flattering” and “Gifting” from 60 mins to 30 mins.
  • Diplomacy: Negotiations in the late game now cost ~70% less.
  • Visitors: Visitors are now more generous (Visitor income increased by 50%).

We will continue to improve the game in the future so keep up the good work and share your feedback in the Ubisoft Anno forum. With that being said, we had an incredibly exciting, successful as well as very busy first launch week. As there are two bank holidays about to come up in Germany, we will recharge our batteries in over the long weekend and will be back in the studio next week Tuesday.

Thanks to all members of the Anno Union for that incredible launch week and keep in mind: leave the PC once in a while to get a coffee or to stretch your legs!

Union Talk: Looking back to the Beta

Posted on by Ubi-O5

In October we had our first Union Talk, a video where we talked a bit about the development of Anno 1800. Today, we’ll have a new one ready for you, where Dirk Riegert, Marcel Hatam and Bastian Thun discuss their Closed Beta impressions. Additionally, we’ll give you a look at the things to come this week.

Union Talk – Closed Beta

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As usual: Let us know what you think of the Union Talk format and which topics you want to see covered.

[vc_single_image image=”3933″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://smarturl.it/anno1800vinyl”]

Anno 1800 Vinyl Soundtrack
Ubisoft Blue Byte and Black Screen Records are excited to announce the official Soundtrack to Anno 1800™ on audiophile 180g double vinyl in April.
The symphonic soundtrack was composed by an experienced team around Tilman Sillescu (Dynamedion), recorded by a 70-member-ensemble of the Brandenburg State Orchestra and will come in a beautiful gatefold sleeve with original artwork by Karakter Design Studio.

Get a first taste of the soundtrack here.
And if we got your attention, audiophile Anno 1800 fans can pre-order the soundtrack here: https://smarturl.it/anno1800vinyl

Fire and Sickness – City Incidents
The promised City Incidents Blog will come this week. You’ll get to see, what can happen in your city, when you don’t pay attention. And more importantly: What to do when the fire breaks out and how to prepare for some of them.

[vc_single_image image=”3950″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://www.twitch.tv/events/xQnkx6qkRcSaksLPwNM-2w”]

Community Corner with Bastian
On Thursday, we invite you to our first Community Corner, a livestream with Community Developer Bastian Thun, where you can ask questions regarding the development of Anno 1800, while he tries to build a city in Anno 1800.

When: Thursday, 14. February, 3:00PM GMT
Where: https://www.twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte/

Union Talk: Player Feedback

Posted on by Bastian Thun

Today, we want to present you our first Union Talk, where we sit together to talk about Anno Union relevant community topics.
With our big reveal in 2017, we invited Anno fans around the world to share feedback to help us developing Anno 1800. Thousands of comments and 120 blogs later, how has the community actually changed the game for the better?
Our Creative Director Dirk “Karrenschieber” Riegert will give you some insights how your comments and participation helped to shape the New World and other important game content.

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Let us know if you liked the idea of our Union Talk, is that something you would love to see more in future and topics you would like to see tackled in the next episode?

Let’s talk about feedback!

Posted on by Bastian Thun

To be honest: the vast amount of detailed feedback with the start of the Anno Union blew us away. We knew that you would be as passionate as resourceful but we underestimated the extent of your passion.

While we work to improve the final bits of the website and prepare ourselves to share videos and streams with you guys, we decided to answer some of your first comments at the same. For that, we pulled Creative Director Dirk Riegert and Community Developer Bastion Thun out of their offices and gave them a printed version of your comments. The weight of the ideas, comments and suggestions was breathtaking.

With over 1000 comments in the Anno Union already, it wasn’t easy to pick a first set of comments. As we will explain development relevant topics in near future, we decided to concentrate on a few general questions about the Anno Union and Anno 1800. We will to react to your feedback more frequently in near future.

t_picklock
The Anno Union is a good idea in general.
But I think that the focus on communication via comments is not really optimal.

Basti: We got some feedback regarding the comment section. We will implement a few improvements soon and in addition, will offer different ways and formats to keep discussions going and to collect your feedback. From the general comments to voting’s, questionnaires, the Ubisoft forum and media content such as live streams and video updates. There is always room for improvement so keep the ideas coming.

xTopsy
I am with the previous comment: Please don’t make it too easy. I think it is an important part of Anno that you have to pay for mistakes being made and that one click shouldn’t be an easy way out to revert everything.

Dirk: We are aware that Anno 2205 did not met all the expectations of our players. Especially the missing of some key features, which were relevant for the long-time motivation, was a problem for some of you. We analyzed exactly that feedback and checked all internal factors which lead to that situation. For that reason, we will set the focus for Anno 1800 on the essential elements of the game, such as a multiplayer mode or AI characters. Furthermore, it is of very importance for us that the game experience is as flexible as possible to ensure that new players are not lost in the sea of possibilities, while experienced players have a variety of options, ways to configure the game and freedom to create their perfect Anno experience.

jdredd62
Please dear developers, you have a vast amount of options but please don’t forget new players in such games.

Dirk: The Anno series has many passionate fans, some of them sunk hundreds of hours in every single title. We want to bring a satisfying experience to all of them. But it is also important for us to win new players over to the Anno series. Especially Anno 2205 had, when we are talking about an easy first step into the game, excellent features but we want to improve that further. But it is important to say that we don’t want to cut down the depth of the game for that.

yeti1962
This blog reminds me about the various „forumblogs“ in AO, where they ensured us that they read every comment, but feedback to the suggestions came rarely, even less in the form of direct answers.
With that in mind, a frequent „Questions and Suggestions“ would be a big improvement. At least I am allowed to dream here.  

Basti: We will do our best to meet your expectations. But at the end of the day, actions will be more important than promises. Give us just a bit of time to catch up with everything. With nearly 1000 comments on the Anno Union alone, our team had a lot of work to through all Union comments, forum posts and other reactions on channels such as Twitter and Facebook. We cannot promise that we will be able to catch and answer everything. But our whole team is incredibly interested about your feedback. Nearly every day, co-workers stop by at my desk and ask for the current state of the union and read posts on their own during breaks. We want to use anything possible to get in contact with you. For that reason, will bring as many interactive formats as possible, from hangout feedback sessions to livestreams. While we cannot talk about the cadence of each content yet, we want to ensure that we are in a constant dialogue with our Union members.

Dorimil
Surprising announcement of a new Anno and even a new website. Seems like that Ubi/BB learned a lesson thanks to 2205. I hope that you take is serious and will follow that path tot he end (sorry but too many not fullfilled promises in the last years…)

Basti: We understand that you guys are skeptical. But we also hope that the future and our current activities for the Anno Union initiative show our passion and commitment, as we share the same passion for the Anno series as you. With the 2205 frontier DLC, we had the chance to invite players before the actual release of the content and the result was incredibly valuable feedback. For that reason, we want to get player feedback as early as possible. And we want that feedback for Anno 1800 as well as the Anno Union. So please, feel free to share all your thoughts and ideas with us.

Annothek
A small suggestions for the comments.
Wouldn’t it be better to limit the amount of comments to maybe 10 per page before the Site creates another page? Currently, we are spending a lot of time scrolling on the page.

Basti: We understand that it is a too much scrolling right now and will perform ongoing improvement on the site such as limiting the comment section. We will try out several options for page size until we find the one that works best.

eroark79
I am the owner of ALL the Ubisoft Anno games starting with 1602. These games are AWESOME!!!!!! I would love to be in the Alpha and Beta testing phases of the game. I cannot wait til this one is released

Basti: Playtesting is a crucial part of the Anno Union initiative. These playtests are an important part to test the game in an early stage. With that said, if you are an active member of the Anno Union and if you share your feedback frequently, there will be a good chance that you get to test the game early!

philriggin
I read on Game Spot that “Winter” means first quarter 2018. So not too far off!

Dirk: That was a misunderstanding. We are not talking about this winter as more about the winter coming next year. It wouldn’t make sense to invite players to join us becoming a part of the long-term development of the game if it would be almost finished. 6 month up to the final release wouldn’t give us enough time to take your feedback into account. We are more than one year away from the final release and Anno 1800 is currently in the so-called “Pre-Alpha” state, where the various game elements getting build to come later together as a complete game. We have enough time to check your feedback, share our progress and to discuss about the game itself.

Bre2d
Waiting for it.
Like the other.
My first ship will be called Titanic.

Dirk: Titanic? Then we are lucky that there are no icebergs in the game!