That moment hits every Anno 117: Pax Romana player eventually — your city’s humming, production chains are stable, but progress grinds to a halt. Your rivals surge ahead, and you’re left wondering what hidden gear you missed.
The answer? The Discovery Tree and the Pantheon of Patron Gods — two of the game’s most powerful and interconnected systems that separate struggling governors from true imperial masterminds.
These mechanics elevate Anno 117 beyond standard city-building. Your divine alignments and research choices define whether your legacy will be a prosperous trade hub, an unstoppable military empire, or a beacon of Roman culture.
This guide breaks down every crucial aspect of both systems — helping you unlock their full potential for ultimate empire domination.
The Discovery Tree: Your Blueprint for Imperial Advancement
Understanding the Three Branches of Power
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Economic Branch: Focuses on infrastructure and productivity. Must-have discoveries include Paved Roads (faster transport), Depots (bigger storage), and Woodland Rebirth (tree planting in meadows).
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Civic Branch: Enhances citizen happiness and cultural growth. Highlights include Market Forces (cuts upkeep by 10%) and reduced workforce demands.
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Military Branch: Unlocks elite units, defenses, and ship upgrades. Plated Hulls and Repair Cranes are key early military boosts.
Generating Knowledge & Overcoming Inspiration Gates
Knowledge fuels progress — and it’s generated by your infrastructure.
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Grammaticus buildings give a +3 Knowledge buff in their radius.
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Supplying Writing Tablets to upper-class citizens creates more Knowledge flow.
You’ll also face Inspiration Gates — milestones (like trade routes or aqueducts) required before specific research can begin, ensuring your empire grows naturally through achievements.
Must-Have Early Game Discoveries
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Paved Roads: Improves logistics and production range.
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Blood of Terra: Enables iron mining on non-iron islands.
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Protective Entourage: Boosts Auxilia morale for stronger defense early on.
The Pantheon of Power: Strategic Divine Intervention
Matching Deities to Your Imperial Ambitions
Religion isn’t cosmetic in Anno 117 — it’s tactical. After constructing temples, you assign Patron Deities per island, gaining scalable buffs tied to Devotion levels.
| Deity | Core Bonus | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Ceres | Boosts food & drink chains | Core production islands |
| Neptune | Improves ship durability & upkeep | Naval/fleet hubs |
| Mars | Enhances weapons & morale | Military bases |
| Minerva | Boosts clothing & Knowledge | Research-heavy cities |
| Epona (Albion) | Improves animal goods & logistics | Albion resource hubs |
| Cernunnos (Albion) | Boosts marsh/forest output & health | Marshland-focused islands |
Festivals and Global Worship Effects
Hosting Festivals tied to your deities can grant temporary buffs — from riot prevention to resource boosts.
Worshipping the same god across multiple islands activates global effects, rewarding specialized empire management rather than one-size-fits-all worship.
Strategic Synergy: How Faith and Discovery Intertwine
The Celtic gods — Epona, Cernunnos, Mercury-Lugos — are unlocked through specific Civic branch technologies.
Research leads to divine favor, divine favor boosts research — creating a powerful synergy loop.
Example:
Unlock Minerva via the Discovery Tree → worship her for Knowledge bonuses → use that Knowledge to unlock more advanced research.
Province Paths: Latium vs Albion
Albion’s Unique Technologies & Challenges
Albion changes the game. Beyond new deities, the Marsh Drainage tech lets you drain marshlands using canals, converting them into usable Romanized land. Removing the canals reverses the process — meaning planning matters.
But watch your diplomacy:
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Voada (Celtic leader) dislikes Romanization and swamp drainage.
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Tarragon (Roman rival) dislikes Celtic alliances.
Your technological and religious decisions will directly shape diplomatic outcomes — and the story of your empire.
Advanced Strategies: Late-Game Optimization
Research Focus by Playstyle
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Economic Path: Pier-to-Pier Trading, Healthy Competition.
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Military Path: Imperial Measures, Sword and Salt.
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Cultural Path: Recruitment Drive, Marble Roads.
Island Specialization via Deity Selection
Tailor each island:
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Food production → Ceres
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Naval base → Neptune
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Knowledge hub → Minerva
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Celtic forests → Cernunnos
This layered specialization transforms your empire into a finely tuned, multi-deity machine of progress and profit.
Conclusion: From Settlement Manager to Master Governor
The Faith and Discovery systems in Anno 117: Pax Romana are where real mastery begins.
Your empire’s strength depends on how cleverly you combine technological breakthroughs and divine blessings.
Build Knowledge, unlock gods, plan diplomatically — and you’ll forge an empire worthy of the gods’ favor.
Which deity defines your empire — Ceres’ prosperity, Mars’ strength, or Minerva’s wisdom?
Share your divine allegiance and strategies below — and may your Pax Romana endure the ages.
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