I am shocked that there is no thread for this game yet!
First of all, for those who do not know anything about the Anno series. Anno is a very interesting game as a whole, and I would even say it deserves its own title for its genre. It's this odd, yet extremely satisfying mix between city builder, RTS, and diplomacy/economic game. There are just so many layers to these games, I can't even begin to delve into all of the aspects in this post. So let me just jump right into the meat and potatoes of Anno 2070 specifically.
What would happen if Global Warming went into the worst possible scenario? What if all the polar ice caps melted, global temperatures rose, and it was just the worst it could potentially be? Well, that's what Anno 2070 is. With the massive flooding, only the highest points of land and mountains are what remains of Earth. With this struggle came out three factions across the globe: The Eden Initiative ("Eco's") and the Global Trust ("Tycoons") along with the Techs, which take the role of the Orients in this game for the Anno 1404 veterans. The first two powers are not the only factions, but are the two largest and are fighting for support and power as the global power to influence humanities decisions in the future of how to progress from the tragedy.
Now, the Eden Initiative are the sustainable energy people, or the "hippies", as you probably have gathered at this point. They work out of environmentally sustainable methods, such as wind turbines and the like to produce energy. The Tycoons are far more industrious and expansive, however, deplete resources significantly faster and contribute to pollution significantly. Both have their bonus' and drawbacks. The Tech's, for those unfamiliar with the Orient comparison earlier, are what give you your late game tech. In this games case, Submarines to settle underwater!
Remember what i said earlier about this game having many facets, more than I could talk about? Well, I wasn't exaggerating. Power consumption, power generation, income, dozens of different resources, population, population happiness/needs, moving in or moving out citizens, upgrading citizens are just the top of the iceberg. Islands have different fertilization, which requires more colonies for more advanced forms of citizenship and therefore requires intricate trade lines between your islands to keep good production up. However, with this massive trading, comes pirates and competition. Therefore you must protect your ships with warships and submarines and airplanes, taking missile strikes upon your enemies, so forth.
Diplomacy also takes a huge role. Being able to trade with your partners may provide extremely beneficial for both parties. In an upcoming expansion planned for next year, ground troops and even moving into Space is planned to be implemented as well --- adding huge dimensions of strategy to the field.
If you want a simple city builder, Anno can provide with its Easy Mode. If you want an intense nation builder with some side combat and easily some of the best resource management on the field today, Hard Mode and whatnot can be great. The campaign is one giant tutorial, as well. The main meat comes in Continuous mode, which is basically do fuck all with everyone around you. It even has a system where you can play side by side with someone and build a city together!
Now, there are "upgrades" available on Online Mode which take a LONG ass time to research (sometimes up to 40 minutes with massive resource dumps and a struggle to get there), but these are extremely beneficial and are permanent across all games due to them being unified on your "ark"
Oh, and of course: If you want to learn your shit about the game
Please don't tell me I'm the only one playing this game way too god damn much
On December 14 2011 11:42 Rybka wrote: You are not alone! I bought it off of Steam based on the fan reviews alone, but I haven't had an opportunity to really dive into it. I can't wait
You may be confused at first, even as an Anno veteran if you are, but the best way to overcome this is to just turn the music up and just start doing shit. I was confused and bored shitless at first, but after 30 minutes of playing, I just can't stop playing it all the damn time now.
EDIT: This god damn sound track is amazing. The juxtaposition between the soft, melodic and happy Eden Initiative music compared to the industrial and gritty Tycoon music.
The game's still expense so I haven't bought it yet. However, as an Anno fan, I'll get around to it eventually. I always wanted to play Anno games multiplayer but no one ever wanted to play with me.
Can you give me some reasons this game is NOT just a reskin on Anno 1404 as the demo felt like? Because with a game this expensive, I'd much rather just stick with 1404 if there's little new.
Damn you got me all excited about it but I can't afford it right now. Are there any cheaper older versions that are worth playing? Graphics is not an issue as long as they play well.
On December 14 2011 11:51 beef42 wrote: Can you give me some reasons this game is NOT just a reskin on Anno 1404 as the demo felt like? Because with a game this expensive, I'd much rather just stick with 1404 if there's little new.
This is the sole reason I havent bought it, and I LOVE 1404.
Lay us out some reasons to play this one instead of 1404
On December 14 2011 11:51 beef42 wrote: Can you give me some reasons this game is NOT just a reskin on Anno 1404 as the demo felt like? Because with a game this expensive, I'd much rather just stick with 1404 if there's little new.
This is the sole reason I havent bought it, and I LOVE 1404.
Lay us out some reasons to play this one instead of 1404
I just feel it's far more refined overall. There just seems a bunch of smaller shit implemented that makes it generally more enjoyable than 1404 in my opinion. If you're a die hard 1404 fan, then keep doing what you gonna do. However, at least try the game out -- it's really god damn good. I'm far too occupied right now to come up with something coherent in response (I wrote up the OP last night, inundated with shit all over right now), but I'll be sure to do a write up tomorrow afternoon if someone already doesn't in the meantime!
This game is on my Steam Wishlist....if I don't win the Steam giveaway....I will buy this after the contest is over...I really enjoyed their previous games, Anno 1404, and this one looks pretty kickass
On December 14 2011 11:51 beef42 wrote: Can you give me some reasons this game is NOT just a reskin on Anno 1404 as the demo felt like? Because with a game this expensive, I'd much rather just stick with 1404 if there's little new.
This is the sole reason I havent bought it, and I LOVE 1404.
Lay us out some reasons to play this one instead of 1404
I just feel it's far more refined overall. There just seems a bunch of smaller shit implemented that makes it generally more enjoyable than 1404 in my opinion. If you're a die hard 1404 fan, then keep doing what you gonna do. However, at least try the game out -- it's really god damn good. I'm far too occupied right now to come up with something coherent in response (I wrote up the OP last night, inundated with shit all over right now), but I'll be sure to do a write up tomorrow afternoon if someone already doesn't in the meantime!
I'll be honest. I'm on the fence after reading your OP. My first girlfriend introduced me to the series with 1503. The first one I bought was Anno 1701. And you know what? Every one of them is the same, just a *ttiiiny* bit more refined.
I'll.. uh, I'll play the demo and maybe wait for a $20 sale even then. I'm sure it'll be fun but it's like Tropico or err
I can't think of any other resource/city builder games that fit into this catagory atm but my decision not to buy a full priced Anno refinement is still valid.
I bought it and i gotta say that i really love futuristic setting. The medieval setting was really getting old. I prefer this to 1404 by far. Gameplay and graphics are top notch of course.
On December 14 2011 11:51 beef42 wrote: Can you give me some reasons this game is NOT just a reskin on Anno 1404 as the demo felt like? Because with a game this expensive, I'd much rather just stick with 1404 if there's little new.
I bought it for the soundtrack wahaha. Which is like previously mentioned the best part of the game. But different? yea, you can vote in city and world councils and TWITTER in the lobby! Could you do that in 1404 huh!? It supports cooperative modes where you can be several players controlling one 'player'. I'm not sure since I haven't tried it though. The multiplayer is pretty scarce like usual, maybe its cause people are playing through the campaign...
But yeah, the game-play is pretty similar. Some new things like underwater cities creates two layers of one map and the faction system is a bit more elaborate than in 1404. Also, there's a lot of statistics and extra console controls added in game. The graphics, reskin as you say it, makes the mood a bit different from the other games. It's more gritty and grey, not colorful as in 1404. Campaign is pretty much the same though, and one of the major complaints is that it holds your hand too tight in the missions. Go do this, retrieve that, build that and so on. Think it loosens up later on, but I haven't played very much yet. Might not be the most revolutionary game, but it's no EA Sports / FIFA in terms of developer laziness either. It's your money, make the decision yourself. A game 'this expensive' sounds strange though. You want them to market each game as an expansion? It's normally priced here, I bought it for 400 sek (55$?).
Game is very good , but its very luck based game. You can just stuck in late game , if you dont find island whit truffles..and its very rare. And you gonna need it to make better "food" in late game , to make your citizens to advance to next lv. I stuck at two games because of that.. or im just stupid and i dont get this game ( other way to find truffles )
On December 14 2011 16:42 pallad wrote: Game is very good , but its very luck based game. You can just stuck in late game , if you dont find island whit truffles..and its very rare. And you gonna need it to make better "food" in late game , to make your citizens to advance to next lv. I stuck at two games because of that.. or im just stupid and i dont get this game ( other way to find truffles )
You can simply give the island another fertility if you have the right item(usually bought from the faction arcs) and an island with a question mark. If not, you probably aren't supposed to get that far( usually in certain scenarios or campaign missions).
400kr is a lot of money to me. I know it's no different from everything else. I'm sure the price will drop soon enough though, these games are rarely huge CoD caliber smash hits.
I think for old Anno fans, you all just need to realize that every Anno is, at its core, the same. However, every one introduces some cool new shit and some minor changes (and some big ones) that make the new ones just a bit more amazing. Although the setting isn't for everyone, I feel the underwater and the soon to be space and ground troops really add something different.
On December 14 2011 16:42 pallad wrote: Game is very good , but its very luck based game. You can just stuck in late game , if you dont find island whit truffles..and its very rare. And you gonna need it to make better "food" in late game , to make your citizens to advance to next lv. I stuck at two games because of that.. or im just stupid and i dont get this game ( other way to find truffles )
You can also trade for goods that you cant produce yourself. Isn't that a major part of the game?
On December 14 2011 16:42 pallad wrote: Game is very good , but its very luck based game. You can just stuck in late game , if you dont find island whit truffles..and its very rare. And you gonna need it to make better "food" in late game , to make your citizens to advance to next lv. I stuck at two games because of that.. or im just stupid and i dont get this game ( other way to find truffles )
You can also trade for goods that you cant produce yourself. Isn't that a major part of the game?
yes, it is, haha.
I'd be down for some Anno Multiplayer, maybe... I dont have this one though, just 1404 iirc. ^^
It's kind of like...picture SimCity style building game. Your houses all have levels.
I build a shanty (or w/e it's called, lowest level house) Once I fulfill these XYZ needs, the shanty upgrades to a house. Once I fulfill ABC needs, which are harder to acquire, it upgrades to an estate.
On December 15 2011 03:19 Bleak wrote: Is it like Civilization, Master of Orion etc? I really like that kind of shit.
No, it's realtime and not as large-scale. Stuff like trading and managing economy growth is more or less manual in comparison. It's more about creating villages and weighing resources so that they break even. Well, I also like Civilization and Master of Orion, but I wouldn't say they're that similar.
Played the demo. Like i thought would be the case when i first heard of it, i just can't get into it. Anno series has absolutely no place in the future. The immersion or charm is completely gone, at least for me. I can't blame them for being kind of sick for basically making the same game with the same setting over and over, but i hope they get this whole future thing out of their system and go back to their old ways
On December 15 2011 05:58 DannyJ wrote: Played the demo. Like i thought would be the case when i first heard of it, i just can't get into it. Anno series has absolutely no place in the future. The immersion or charm is completely gone, at least for me. I can't blame them for being kind of sick for basically making the same game with the same setting over and over, but i hope they get this whole future thing out of their system and go back to their old ways
Well, I respectfully disagree. Then again, I love almost every game I touch
Perhaps the immersion is a bit reduced, however, the complexity increased makes up for it in my opinion.
On December 15 2011 15:09 Bosu wrote: I will buy this game, but not until there is a price drop. There are very few games that are single player that I need to have right away.
its pretty good, i enjoyed the campaign and was about to start an endless game. but then i took an arrow in the knee (couldnt resist). i got skyrim, in other words.
however, will surely spend another 20 or 30 hours with this.
On December 15 2011 15:09 Bosu wrote: I will buy this game, but not until there is a price drop. There are very few games that are single player that I need to have right away.
There's MP
Yea, but I won't be playing it for the multiplayer. I enjoy the competition of multiplayer games and I can't imagine the competitive anno 2070 scene captivating me.
I played the PC Gamer demo last night and while I usually dislike Civ like games, I really enjoyed the 2 campaign missions I was able to do. The game really eases you into it and explains things very well. It's definitely on my list of games to buy now.
On December 15 2011 15:09 Bosu wrote: I will buy this game, but not until there is a price drop. There are very few games that are single player that I need to have right away.
There's MP
Yea, but I won't be playing it for the multiplayer. I enjoy the competition of multiplayer games and I can't imagine the competitive anno 2070 scene captivating me.
It can be pretty competitive with high skill ceiling multiplayer, the only problem is that a game can take 10 hours, most people do not have the endurance or patience for that...
Played loads of lan Anno 17. Burnt out from endless hours playing it. Got bored of setting up the most efficient production chains after a while, so when I tried 14 I got bored quickly. I don't think this'll change my mind.
Back to Dwarf Fortress where creativity flourishes!
On December 15 2011 15:09 Bosu wrote: I will buy this game, but not until there is a price drop. There are very few games that are single player that I need to have right away.
There's MP
Yea, but I won't be playing it for the multiplayer. I enjoy the competition of multiplayer games and I can't imagine the competitive anno 2070 scene captivating me.
It can be pretty competitive with high skill ceiling multiplayer, the only problem is that a game can take 10 hours, most people do not have the endurance or patience for that...
Good old days of boardgame axis and allies.
Trying to preserve the game board over a weekend...hahahah good times.
On December 15 2011 15:09 Bosu wrote: I will buy this game, but not until there is a price drop. There are very few games that are single player that I need to have right away.
There's MP
Yea, but I won't be playing it for the multiplayer. I enjoy the competition of multiplayer games and I can't imagine the competitive anno 2070 scene captivating me.
It can be pretty competitive with high skill ceiling multiplayer, the only problem is that a game can take 10 hours, most people do not have the endurance or patience for that...
Good old days of boardgame axis and allies.
Trying to preserve the game board over a weekend...hahahah good times.
My middle school had an axis and allies club that was ran by the teacher who told me that I should buy civilization 3. Guy was a badass.
I got this game as a Christmas gift, I used to play 1602 a lot, and this is a ton of fun, its just incredibly time consuming. So far I've only played against the AI, simply because I have a feeling that playing against people is going to be as wearing as playing Sins of a Solar Empire was, 9+ hours of not much action, with advantages taking forever to compound.
The first time I read about this game I thought it sounded awesome. I love Sim City and Tropico. I played the demo and thought it sucked. I got confused about how to transfer things from my ship and what I was supposed to do. Then I played them demo again last night and thought it was really cool. The multiplayer sounds fun after I figure out how to do things. Plus I love playing Tropico on big open maps and making efficient production routes. So the end game sandbox mode sounds cool. So I just bought this game and am installing it now. I hope it is as amazing as everyone says. I think it will be a lot of fun.
All three of those strategy games couldn't be more different from one another, so it's reallllllly hard to compare.
Anno is a game you can play for 4-6 hrs in one sitting, getting told every 2 hrs 'you should take a break' before going back and smirking "PFf, naaaaaa" as you continue trading between islands and balancing production. Try the demo, tehe.
Total War can be 'just another turn..ok one more turn...last turn...GOD D******', but the AI is so bad, once you find out how to beat in siege battles/land battles (turtle), you can win almost any fight 1:2 or 1:3 and it becomes a snooze fest. But if you aren't burnt out yet, TW is good.
Civ5 is civ5?? Reading Amazon reviews not one person recommends it, 'Civ4 is the same thing with more depth' even the praise posts dont get much better than that. I played Civ5 for a while then never came back. Probably due to random bad AI and lack of many fun mechanics. Hi we are most peaceful civ, fruit for all!!! BRB ATTACKING ALL YOUR CITIES DESPITE GOOD RELATIONS.
Anyone actually played Anno online that can review that portion ??
On January 23 2012 01:26 zulu_nation8 wrote: Can anyone give a review? I'm deciding between civ5, this game, the newest total war game or just going back to civ4
And the companies wonder why piracy exists? 100% sure anyone who gets cracked game X doesn't ever have to think about these silly DRMs and limited activation numbers based on hardware hash or whatever the hell.
Seriously, only 3 copies and then you're done after paying money? What kind of crap is that...
On January 23 2012 01:26 zulu_nation8 wrote: Can anyone give a review? I'm deciding between civ5, this game, the newest total war game or just going back to civ4
2070 is different from its predecessor 1404 (aka Dawn of Discovery) quite a bit, but the underlying mechanics are still too close for my taste. But, if you've never played any Anno games before, I'd definitely recommend getting 2070 over Civ5. You'd be in for quite a treat. I was disappointed with Civ5. At first it sucks you in, but after a while I was disguisted with how shallow it was.
I loved 1404 a lot. I played around with 2070, but didn't quite like it. It just feels like I'm playing the same game, but with a futuristic touch to it. I much prefer the renaissance feel
well, i loaded a demo and while its a fun game, i dont see how over 50 euros would be wise to pay, after 1 endless mode game its probably just more of the same afterwards, like in previous anno games. 1602 at least had a long, funny and challenging campaign that wasnt just a glorified tutorial.
On January 23 2012 01:38 DarKcS wrote: All three of those strategy games couldn't be more different from one another, so it's reallllllly hard to compare.
Anno is a game you can play for 4-6 hrs in one sitting, getting told every 2 hrs 'you should take a break' before going back and smirking "PFf, naaaaaa" as you continue trading between islands and balancing production. Try the demo, tehe.
Total War can be 'just another turn..ok one more turn...last turn...GOD D******', but the AI is so bad, once you find out how to beat in siege battles/land battles (turtle), you can win almost any fight 1:2 or 1:3 and it becomes a snooze fest. But if you aren't burnt out yet, TW is good.
Civ5 is civ5?? Reading Amazon reviews not one person recommends it, 'Civ4 is the same thing with more depth' even the praise posts dont get much better than that. I played Civ5 for a while then never came back. Probably due to random bad AI and lack of many fun mechanics. Hi we are most peaceful civ, fruit for all!!! BRB ATTACKING ALL YOUR CITIES DESPITE GOOD RELATIONS.
Anyone actually played Anno online that can review that portion ??
Shogun 2 is really the most polished in the series, it all fit and the only downside is that it lacks variety (compared to the many civilizations of Rome Total War for example) since you only have japanese units with a few uniques here and there.
Then Shogun 2 with mods is even far better in all aspects.
Don't bother with CiV5, it's broken once you get passed the first games. If you want a civ game get civ 4.
I picked up this game a month ago, before the steam sale unfortunately.
Let me tell you. It is AWESOME. There is so much content in there, so much complexity. You play a game until you run out of ideas and even then you haven't seen everything.
I'm currently making wads of cash to pour into research, with 7 academies lined up, working at 500% and unlocking new technologies. I find it really cool that you can upgrade your ark and bring it into other games.
I got 3 of my friends into it. I'm just waiting for them to learn the game before we play an FFA.
I love the RTS aspect of it. Not nearly as intense as Starcraft, which works out well for me because I stress out during SC games. Everything is slowed down and there is a massive focus on industry and trading.
I played 1404 last year and liked it but I wasn't sure about 2070, especially with the 50$ price tag. I bought it on drunken impulse and regretted it for a few days until I played a continuous game and now I'm hooked. I love the futuristic aspect and the satyr of today's society. With pollution and consumption being your biggest enemies.
Bought the game yesterday after a month and hundred of hours on the "offline" version, got it + expansion for 20€ on a CD key site. Got into it after being on a suicide watch because of simcity, and I can't stop playing it, especially with the features unlocked with having the legal version =) This reminds me of Settlers 3 and 4, I must have spent thousands (yes) of hours on these 2 titles + their expansions. Very good game, for 20€ + expo it's a bargain !
edit : people looking for a similar game, try the Settlers serie ! The most recent, Settlers 7 is a good game but quickly finished. On the other hand, Settlers 3 and 4 still look good (they were in 2D so the graphics are still nice) and you'll spend countless of hours, it's very similar to Anno (managing production chains), very challenging and basically amazing. In fact, I just checked and Blue Byte studio developed both Anno and Settlers ! (and also the Battle Isle serie, another monument of PC games. If old 2D graphics rebuts you, try Battle Isle : the Androsia War, a fantastic game in turn by turn, in 3D)
I was hesitated to bring up this thread when i bought it a few weeks ago, easily sunk in 40hours on it and i'd play more by more if i could Q_Q I got the game from amazon for about 20euro but without expansion, where do you get yours D:
A very very good game especially i am a huge simcity fan but heard that simcity5 is bad. I am waiting for anno 1404 but it is taking ages to arrive...
On April 19 2013 02:24 BurningSera wrote: I was hesitated to bring up this thread when i bought it a few weeks ago, easily sunk in 40hours on it and i'd play more by more if i could Q_Q I got the game from amazon for about 20euro but without expansion, where do you get yours D:
A very very good game especially i am a huge simcity fan but heard that simcity5 is bad. I am waiting for anno 1404 but it is taking ages to arrive...
The expansion is at 9€ where I bought it, http://www.gameholds.com/anno-2070-deep-ocean-pc-cd-key.html Code "dlcompare" when you checkout for 5% discount. They just give you a CD key, inside anno go to "downloadable content" menu, "activation code" and paste the code they mail you and it'll download the expansion pack.
On April 19 2013 02:24 BurningSera wrote: I was hesitated to bring up this thread when i bought it a few weeks ago, easily sunk in 40hours on it and i'd play more by more if i could Q_Q I got the game from amazon for about 20euro but without expansion, where do you get yours D:
A very very good game especially i am a huge simcity fan but heard that simcity5 is bad. I am waiting for anno 1404 but it is taking ages to arrive...
The expansion is at 9€ where I bought it, http://www.gameholds.com/anno-2070-deep-ocean-pc-cd-key.html Code "dlcompare" when you checkout for 5% discount. They just give you a CD key, inside anno go to "downloadable content" menu, "activation code" and paste the code they mail you and it'll download the expansion pack.
Nice catch!! 12+9euro is a steal! I got the hard copy version though (nothing special about it). Highly recommend it to anyone who is into simcity game, the quality of the product is very impressive, the visuals is stunning.
My only thing against the game is the lack of single player content (the campaign is a big tutorial with just a pair of challenging missions, the expansion campaign is the same, it presents the new features). Some of the single missions are not bad tho, and now that I have a legit version I also have access to the "world events", new campaigns that are active by periods. Having said that, I spent so much time on it that saying it lacks single player content is certainly unfair =) And I'm not finished, as I want to do a continuous game, maxing all factions and researching everything, this should take some time. The game is really well done and polished (when you finish a mission or campaign level you can compare your time to other's, for instance). This game is a very good surprise for me as I totally missed it at release.
I finished 3/4 of the tutorial/campaign and i went to open a continuous game and i stuck in that game for 30+hours xD I have the monument up, 8000+ income but i am not even close to satisfy all my people with those high tech food/gadgets lol I haven't tried to build tycoon city too.
Feel amazing when you have a country made up by islands running beautifully. Yup, i am shocked too that i haven't heard about it at all until the whole tragedy happened to simcity5, which is funny in some ways.
I loved 1602, but it felt like once I figured out how to 'beat' the game (for me all that meant was reaching endgame as far as island populations/aristocrats) my interest in this type of game really tanked. I've tried some of the later versions and although they are neat, they're not 'different enough' to be addicting. I guess I didn't really get into any of the later Sim Cities after I figured out 2000 either...
Hey everyone, someone still has anno 2070 installed ? I can't access the game for a week or two now, when I login (in game) it tells me "unspecified error" or something like that. Even reinstalled it and tried annocookie to force online, still can't connect. Did they close the servers ? (as it's an always online even in solo game....)