When Anno 1800 perfected city-building, fans wondered where the series could go next. Enter Anno 117: Pax Romana. Ubisoft Mainz hasn’t reinvented the wheel—they’ve refined it, adding sophisticated new layers of strategy and visual freedom that thrill both veterans and newcomers.
Three major innovations redefine gameplay:
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Flexible Needs System – citizens now have optional requirements, letting you specialize strategically.
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Building Buffs & Debuffs – city planning becomes a spatial puzzle with bonuses and penalties.
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Diagonal Roads & Building Placement – finally, Roman cities can look organic while remaining functional.
This guide will walk you through all the major new systems in Anno 117, showing how these changes interconnect to create the most strategically rich and visually stunning Anno yet.
Revolution on the Grid: Diagonal Roads & Organic Cities
A Technical Marvel: The Sub-Tile Grid System
For the first time, roads and buildings can be placed at 45-degree angles. Standard tiles are subdivided into four sub-tiles, allowing eight rotation options instead of four. Roads now form smooth curves automatically, letting cities hug coastlines and terrain more naturally.
Diagonal roads create stunning, organic cities—but they can consume slightly more space. Builders focused on maximum efficiency may need to adjust building footprints or rotate structures to fit the sub-tile grid.
Intuitive Building & Enhanced Connectivity
Despite increased flexibility, placement is simple. Roads suggest optimal paths, and buildings snap to corners automatically. Connectivity is easier too: any road touching a building corner counts as connected, with blue indicators showing valid links.
Strategic City Planning: Area Effects & Building Buffs
Beyond Placement: Bonuses & Penalties
Buildings now provide radius-based buffs and debuffs:
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Bakery: +2 Income to nearby residences, -2 Fire Safety
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Charcoal Burner: -2 Health and Fire Safety
These effects are visually indicated, so you can optimize your layout before building. Buffs don’t stack—multiple identical buildings don’t compound—but separate effects, like income + happiness, do.
The New Planning Puzzle
Do you place a Spinner near residences for income or isolate a Charcoal Burner to protect your population? The choice depends on your current priorities and available infrastructure.
Monitoring & Managing Risks
The top-screen attributes bar shows fire safety, health, and happiness with detailed breakdowns of which buildings contribute positively or negatively. Buildings must be functional to apply buffs, giving you control over active effects.
Cultural Agency: Optional Needs & Branching Paths
The Romanization Dilemma in Albion
In Albion, Tier 1 Waders can become:
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Romanized Mercators: demand bread, sausages, togas
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Traditional Celtic Smiths: demand beer, cheese, trousers
Your choice affects production chains, trade requirements, and district aesthetics—Romanized districts have red-tiled roofs, Celtic areas maintain local style.
Production Chain Implications
Romanized citizens require imported goods, while Celtic chains can be self-sufficient but limit diplomatic options. Advanced players can maintain both cultures, creating complex dual supply chains.
Deeper Systemic Additions
The Flexible Needs System
Citizens now have category-based needs—you only need to provide one option per category, though multiple fulfilled needs grant extra benefits.
Example: Liberti need one food (sardines OR porridge), one clothing (tunics OR hats), and one public service.
Expanded Research & Religion
The Discovery Tree has three branches (Economic, Civic, Military) with 150+ upgrades. Patron gods provide bonuses:
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Ceres: Agriculture
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Neptune: Naval & Trade
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Minerva: Knowledge
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Mars: Military
Belief is generated through religious buildings and wine production, applying effects locally or globally.
Land Combat Returns
Land combat, previously absent, uses rock-paper-scissors mechanics (infantry > ranged > cavalry > infantry). Combined arms gameplay complements naval battles while remaining optional.
Conclusion: A New Foundation for the Future
Anno 117: Pax Romana evolves the classic formula without discarding what worked. Diagonal building, strategic buffs, and cultural choices interconnect to create a deeply flexible and strategically rich experience.
Quality-of-life improvements like the pause system and improved inter-island management make building and planning smoother than ever. Veterans gain new depth, while newcomers enjoy multiple pathways to success.
The ultimate challenge: balance beauty and efficiency, choose your cultural path, and solve new spatial puzzles. Your Roman legacy awaits.
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