Anno 1404

Anno 1404
Studio	Related Designs Blue Byte
Publisher	Ubisoft
Senior Developer	Christopher Schmitz Dirk Riegert
composer	Tilman Sillescu Alexander Röder Alex Pfeffer Jochen Flach
Erstveröffent- lichung	EU , NA June 25, 2009
platform	Windows
genre	Building strategy game
Game mode	Single player
control	Mouse , keyboard
system advantages preconditions	OS : Windows XP / Vista CPU : 3.0 GHz RAM : 1 GB Graphics card : 128 MB Storage requirement (HDD) : 6 GB
medium	DVD-ROM , download
language	German , English , Spanish , French
Current version	1.3
Age rating	USK PEGI
information	In North America, the title appeared under the name Dawn of Discovery .

Anno 1404 , also Dawn of Discovery in North America , is the fourth part of the Anno game series and the successor to Anno 1701 . The game was developed for Windows by the German studios Related Designs and Blue Byte and published on June 25, 2009 by the French company Ubisoft .

Like its predecessor, Anno 1404 is about the exploration and settlement of previously undeveloped territories. The player takes on the role of a seafarer in the late Middle Ages . His goal is to build a metropolis in previously undeveloped areas. In order for residents to move to this city, the player produces consumables in increasingly complex production chains with which he supplies his settlement.

The title received mostly positive reviews from the trade press, especially in German-speaking countries. Critics praised the fact that the further development of Anno 1701 was successful in almost all points. The game is more varied, more beautiful and more challenging than its predecessor. The elimination of the multiplayer component, on the other hand, is disappointing. Based on the feedback, however, it found its way back into the game through an extension.

The game received several awards, including a Red Dot Design Award and a German Computer Game Award .

In February 2010 an extension with the title Anno 1404: Venice was published . A year later a successor followed with Anno 2070 .

action

The plot of the game is told in a campaign. It takes place in late medieval Europe, but does not refer to specific historical figures or events. The campaign is about a clerical intrigue to overthrow the emperor. The player takes on the role of an unspecified main character who is subordinate to the noble Richard Northburgh.

The emperor fell ill with a previously unknown disease. One of his relatives, Lord Richard Northburgh, intends to build a cathedral to pray for his recovery. The player character supports him in this. Shortly after construction began, however, Guy Forcas appears on the site, pretending to be the emperor's envoy and asking Northburgh to help him set up an army of crusaders. Northburgh reluctantly complies, as it prevents him from building the cathedral. He also doubts the legality of Forcas' assignment.

After Forcas has assembled a sizable army of crusaders, Cardinal Lucius, a church leader and Forcas' client, arrives on his island and benevolently assesses the progress. A little later Forcas sets off with a fleet of cruisers for southern climes. Northburgh and the player's character haunt him as several children were reported missing in a neighboring town shortly before Forcas left. Northburgh suspects Forcas kidnapped her.

After a while, Forcas meets corsairs who give him safe conduct in exchange for the children. Northburgh breaks the chase to rescue the children. With the support of the Oriental Grand Vizier Al Zahir, who is based in the region, Northburgh and the character succeed in defeating the corsairs and freeing the hostages. When the two of them make their way to the Emperor to reveal Forcas' actions, the latter intercepts their ship and arrests Northburgh. Forcas, however, lets his companion go because he no longer considers him dangerous.

However, Al Zahir is willing to prevent the crusade and agrees to support the character. The grand vizier leads him to the base of the crusader army. He intends to convince the devout general Marie D'Artois, who is convinced that the move is in the name of Christianity, that it took place without Imperial approval and that Forcas made pacts with corsairs. This is achieved by means of a document from a shipwreck of the corsairs. D'Artois takes a stand against Forcas and, together with the main character, destroys his fleet.

Then both flee from the main force of the cardinal, who has meanwhile arrived at the remains of Forcas' vanguard, to Marie's settlement of Edenreuth and take a stand there. Lucius besieges and destroys the city, but the persecuted were able to escape beforehand with the help of Al Zahir. After escaping to the emperor's residence, the character discovers that the emperor has been poisoned by the cardinal and creates an antidote. Lucius is now planning to build a cathedral in order to claim rule of the church after the impending death of the emperor. The main character succeeds in erecting his own cathedral before the completion of Lucius' building. Lucius then begins to attack his adversaries. With the support of the emperor's fleet, who has since recovered, he is defeated and disempowered.

Gameplay

General

Merchant shipping is critical to progress in the game

At the beginning of a game, the player starts in a sparsely populated island region. It begins either with a sailing ship to independently search for a suitable island or with an office on an island randomly selected by the computer. He has a limited number of building materials and food available to start with.

The focus of the game is on building and maintaining a stable economic cycle. After the player has established a basic supply, he tries to enlarge his settlement. This requires that he constantly supplies his residents with goods such as food or clothing. To do this, the player gradually builds up production chains for the goods that the population needs.

Initially the settlement is inhabited exclusively by farmers. These have comparatively few needs. If citizens of higher classes of the population settle down, they develop more complex needs, which are increasingly difficult for the player to fulfill.

The scenery of Anno 1404 is formed by the Occident and the Orient . A novelty of the game is that it is necessary to build an oriental settlement next to a European settlement, since certain raw materials and goods that the Europeans demand can only be produced in the orient. In earlier parts, on the other hand, the player only had to concentrate on one settlement. Up to three computer-controlled players also try to gain a foothold in the region through the settlement construction. The player can interact with these in both a peaceful and a warlike manner.

Anno 1404 offers a large number of awards and medals that the player can achieve through special achievements in the game, for example by completing the campaign or reaching certain population figures. However, some of them also refer to well-known films or literature.

Urban planning

The player builds residential huts that develop into villas over time . The prerequisite for this is that the needs of the residents are met. These are divided into two groups. Some are satisfied by goods, others by buildings that are being built in the neighborhood.

At the beginning of a game the residents ask for food in the form of fish and for a market place near their houses. If these two needs are met over a longer period of time and the tax burden is not too high, the local farmers develop into citizens. Citizens also demand clothing and a pub. Furthermore, the need for food was expanded to include spices.

For the production of spices it is necessary for the first time to colonize an oriental island, as these only grow on such. Initially, it is not possible to build an oriental settlement. The player must first get in touch with an oriental grand vizier in order to receive the blueprints of some buildings. Then he begins to build one in the Orient, analogous to the first European settlement. The construction and maintenance of these settlements follows the same scheme.

If the player succeeds in supplying the citizens, they will rise to become patricians . New needs are again associated with the patrician level. If the player also fulfills these, the patricians develop into nobles. A new feature of Anno 1404 is that only a certain percentage of the population is allowed to climb to the next higher level.

The division of needs into individual categories is another new element of Anno 1404 . While in the predecessor all needs had to be met separately from each other, similar needs are grouped here. For example, the demands for fish, spices and bread are summarized as the need for food. As a result, it is no longer necessary to supply the residents with all goods. This makes it easier for the player to avoid product bottlenecks.

Analogous to the development of the main settlement, the oriental colony can also develop into a large city. The principle is the same, only the development opportunities are less with two population levels , nomads and ambassadors .

A Gothic cathedral is one of the monumental buildings in Anno 1404

The player can place most of the buildings anywhere on his islands. Mines, on the other hand, can only be built on corresponding resource deposits. Likewise, port buildings can only be built on coasts. In Anno 1404 , the construction of a port facility increased in complexity, but also in versatility. The player not only has shipyards and offices, but also defenses, warehouses and other construction options.

In both cultures the player can erect monumental buildings as soon as he has reached a certain number of inhabitants of the highest population level. These are an imperial cathedral and a large mosque . In contrast to regular building projects, monumental buildings are erected in several stages and over a longer period of time. Both buildings require an efficient economy because of their great need for money and building materials. When a monument is completed, the emperor or sultan travel to the island region. They give the player access to powerful items and give him orders from time to time.

Economic simulation

In order to have both the goods and the financial means to expand his settlement, the player builds a stable economic cycle. Production companies form the basis of this cycle.

At the beginning, the player's settlement consists only of simple huts, in which the lowest class of the population, the farmers, lives. Only fish is required for their supply. Higher classes like the citizens or the patricians also demand clothes, books, churches and other things. While the needs of the farmers can still be met with little effort, those of the higher sections of the population sometimes require complex production chains and certain resources. For example, paper and indigo are required to make books . Paper mills require a nearby river and indigo farms require warm climates and adequate fertility.

The islands that can be developed are fertile for up to four agricultural products. These include, for example, grain , wine or coffee . Furthermore, there are mineral resources on most of the islands, such as iron ore , stone or gold .

All buildings, ships and troops cause running costs. In order to achieve a positive economic record, the player essentially has two options. The main source of income are the taxes of the population. The second mainstay of the economy is trade. The player can sell surplus goods. To do this, he can either offer goods for sale at his offices or carry out trade trips independently.

Items with which the player can gain various advantages have been introduced in the Anno series . These include, for example, bonuses for ships and production companies or seeds, through which the player can make islands fertile for certain goods. The player can purchase items from traders and the corsairs.

Interaction with other players

When settling a region, the player encounters computer-controlled traders, competitors and corsairs. Compared to the predecessor, in which you could meet native peoples, there are fewer parties with which the player can interact. In return, the player has more extensive diplomatic possibilities vis-à-vis the existing parties. In Anno 1404 all parties also have the opportunity to give the player orders from time to time.

Traders settle centrally located islands and supply the player with goods and items. In addition, they support the player in financial or military emergencies. There are two dealers in each lot, Lord Northburgh and Al Zahir.

Up to three competitors try like the player to establish a functioning branch. The competitors present individually designed profiles that differ in general playing strength and focus. They can be friendly or hostile to the player. The player can trade with friendly fellow players and establish an alliance.

The player encounters corsairs mainly in oriental regions. They are hostile to all players from the start and attack their ships. The player can make peace with the pirates in two ways, military and diplomatic. If the player chooses the military route, he must sink a certain number of ships in order to force the pirate leader to surrender. The alternative route is extensive tribute payments.

Warfare

Anno 1404 includes military battles on land and sea. In battles on land, the player commands troop units. These appear in the form of army camps. As soon as they have taken position, army camps have a certain radius of action. If these action radii overlap with two warring camps, the camps can attack each other. Allied units that are nearby can be summoned as reinforcements.

There are two types of troops available to players, soldiers and siege equipment. Soldiers consist of infantry and cavalry and are used to fight other soldiers. Siege engines include cannons and trebuchet positions and are primarily used to fight buildings. The player can recruit troops in both the Orient and the Occident. The troops of the two cultures vary. In the Occident, larger and more powerful army camps are available to the player, but in the Orient the player has access to long range cannons and miners .

Fighting at sea is comparatively easy. As soon as a ship equipped with cannons or ballistae approaches an enemy, it can open fire.

Game modes

As in Anno 1701, the central game mode is the endless game . In this game mode, the player competes against up to three computer opponents in a randomly generated island environment and tries to build his settlement. This mode gives the player great freedom of action. He can either play with an open end or set victory conditions before a game begins. This includes, for example, reaching a certain number of people or generating a certain amount of wealth.

A campaign consisting of eight missions is also available. This serves primarily as an introduction to the game mechanics of Anno 1404 . The missions will be unlocked one after the other. They are made up of individual goals, which are divided into main and secondary goals. Main goals represent the central storyline. Secondary goals make it easier for the player to cope with the main tasks. The player can do the missions on three different levels of difficulty. These vary in the starting resources that are available to the player.

In addition, six scenarios can be selected. Scenarios contain predefined starting and victory conditions, but otherwise leave the player free.

GUI

GUI of Anno 1404 , all essential windows are displayed

The user interface permanently shows a mini map showing the explored parts of the island world and a financial overview showing the current fortune of the player. If necessary, this can be expanded to include an exact balance.

Further overviews can be displayed if required. If the player selects any object, an information window appears with basic data about the selected object. If the camera is aimed at an island, the stocks of building materials, the cultivation possibilities and the raw materials available on the island are displayed. If the player selects a house, an overview of the needs of the residents and a slider with which the tax level can be set appear.

The camera shows what is happening from a bird's eye view, as in the previous one. It can be rotated freely and has three zoom levels as standard. However, the player can switch off the zoom levels and bring the camera freely into the game.

Development history

development

Related Designs logo

The game was first officially announced by publisher Ubisoft in 2008 at the Leipzig game fair Games Convention . The developer had already shown short game sequences to trade magazines. In addition to a presentation of the main innovations of the game, the studio indicated the expected release date of March 2009.

The Mainz based studio Related Designs acted as developer again. Like his predecessor, Dirk Riegert was the development manager. The project was coordinated by Christopher Schmitz from the Düsseldorf publisher Blue Byte. The core team consisted of around 60 developers, but at times up to 100 people were involved in the game.

Schmitz stated that the development goal was to make the game more challenging and complex. This was intended to counteract the often criticized low level of difficulty, especially in the late phase of a game.

Furthermore, the military component should be thoroughly revised. Battles in Anno 1701 were based on the mechanisms of numerous real-time strategy games, in which many units are brought into the field and speed is a decisive factor. The enemy players set up their troops and lead them into the field against each other. The player has the opportunity to control each individual unit. However, this system has often been criticized for being too simple and chaotic. The developer therefore planned to work out a more strategically characterized system.

In January, the company began a beta test that players could participate in. In March, shortly before the release, the publisher organized a promotion in which 30 players were able to test the game in Hamburg for several hours before Anno 1404 was released. At the end of April, Ubisoft announced that the game is expected to be released in June. The game finally reached gold status in early June . It was ready for publication.

Vocal music was composed for the game music . It combines European with oriental elements. Related Designs booked the Staatskapelle Halle and the Philharmonic Choir Leipzig for the recordings . The music runs continuously in the background. In addition, numerous sound effects such as animal noises, conversations between citizens or natural events were produced. The selection of the sound and music pieces takes place depending on the camera position of the player. Depending on how close he is to the action or on which region the camera is aimed, the program plays appropriate pieces of sound.

technology

A new engine was programmed for Anno 1404 , which enabled a detailed water simulation and the display of wind currents. The game supports the DirectX graphics interface in versions 9 and 10 and has been optimized for multi-core processors to increase performance . Using multithreading , the engine divides the game's calculations into different blocks, which can be divided into several cores as work lists.

The French Tagè system was used as copy protection . Tagès required a one-time online activation and limited the number of possible new installations to three. For further activation, players had to contact Ubisoft.

publication

Anno 1404 appeared on the European market on June 25, 2009 for Windows. It was released in North America on the same date under the title Dawn of Discovery . Ubisoft released the title in two versions, a simple and a limited. In addition to the game, the latter contained a book with concept drawings, a compass, a poster and other additions.

A first patch for the game was released in October 2009 . It removed the tag protection, which had been criticized many times by players, and fixed a few bugs. At the same time two editors were published, a map editor and a script editor. The map editor is used to create your own island worlds. Such was already included in the predecessor, but this was different from the newly published rather simple. Using the script editor, you can create your own scenarios and modifications to a limited extent. Lead developer Christopher Schmitz commented on the programs as follows:

“The editors are primarily intended for advanced players. In contrast to the editors of 1701, they are primarily not aimed at interested beginners. Basically, they are tools and editors that we also worked with in development. You don't have to be a programmer to use these programs, but it helps to be familiar with modding, scripting, level design, etc. During development, the editors were primarily used by level designers and game designers to create and edit game content. It will therefore also be possible for committed laypeople to work with our tools after an induction phase. "

- Christopher Schmitz : producer

In November 2009, Ubisoft announced in a press release that an expansion for the game entitled Anno 1404: Venice was in the works. This extension was released on February 25, 2010 in Europe for Windows. In North America, the title was released on the same day for Windows under the title Dawn of Discovery: Venice . In the British market, the expansion followed a day later.

On November 25, 2010 the Anno 1404: King's Edition was published, consisting of Anno 1404 and the add-on Venice . Also at the end of November, Related Designs published a patch that fixed a serious error in the save routine. Already after the publication of Anno 1404 , numerous players complained that the game crashed when saving or that it created incorrect saved states. The Venice Enlargement also had this flaw.

In July 2014, a game package called Drei Epochen was released, consisting of Anno 1404 , the predecessor 1701 and the successor Anno 2070 .

reception

Preview reports

In an early preview report for PC Games magazine , the author described the game's graphics performance as groundbreaking in its genre. It can already be seen that her style has changed. It is less colorful, which, however, fits in well with the late Middle Ages. In terms of play, the game becomes more complex and demanding. The requirement to build two settlements in parallel is also promising.

Heiko Klinge from GameStar described the increased demands of the game as promising. With numerous new elements such as a campaign, a revised economic cycle and monumental buildings, the game has a good chance of eliminating the weakness of its predecessor, the monotony of a game that regularly sets in later in the game.

Reviews

reviews publication Rating 4players 89% Computer and video games 6.1 / 10 Computer picture games 2.35 GameSpot 8.5 / 10 GameStar 91/100 GamingXP 90% Gamona 89% IGN 8.2 / 10 PALGN 8/10 PC format 87/100 PC Games 91% PC zone 72% game tips 92% Meta-ratings GameRankings 82.11% Metacritic 82/100

The use of the Tagès system met with criticism from gamers because of the circumstances involved and frequent technical errors, for example in connection with the user account control introduced in Windows Vista . However, the game achieved consistently high ratings in leading game magazines. The online database Metacritic , which collects test reports and determines an average rating, calculated a rating of 82 out of 100 points for this game.

Marcel Kleffmann from the German online magazine 4Players described Anno 1404 as the best title in the series so far. He has a detailed and lovingly designed game world. Josh Clark from IGN praised the high level of detail in the building models. Another strength of the representation is that the settlements appear exceptionally busy. The game simulates a multitude of citizens who go about their work or walk the streets. On the other hand, it is annoying that the textures of the objects are only displayed in their highest quality after a noticeable delay. Christian Schlütter by the magazine PC Games praised the representation of water, among other things, with realistic looking reflections and reflections aufwarte.

The game mechanics were also praised by the testers. Kleffmann wrote that the game succeeds in motivating consistently and always offering players new challenges. Thus the title also remedies a frequently criticized weakness of the predecessor 1701 , the insufficient challenge in the later course of a game. Schlütter praised the complexity that the endless game possesses. Nevertheless, the game does not overwhelm beginners due to its slow flow. Chris Buxton from Computer and Video Games criticized the fact that the player is burdened with too much micromanagement . This makes the game difficult to use, especially for beginners.

Heiko Klinge from GameStar rated the new combat system as progress . There are now fewer units on the battlefield that move more slowly. This makes fights much clearer. Battles also fit in better with the rather leisurely course of the game. The artificial intelligence that controls the computer opponents is less convincing . They do not act systematically, especially in military conflicts. In the other areas of the game, construction, trade and diplomacy, however, the computer opponents convince.

Some magazines criticized the user interface. Schlütter wrote that overviews of the company's own production buildings were missing. This quickly makes you lose track of your own economy. Buxton and Clark complained that the game did not adequately explain its functions. Too often, players are forced to explore the game elements themselves.

Carolyn Petit of GameSpot praised the setting of the game as positive . The background music adapts well to the course of the game and looks authentic. The ambient noise is also convincing. Klinge praised the synchronization performance. Both the characters with whom the player comes into contact and the conversations between the residents are convincing and contribute to the credible atmosphere.

Awards

Several game magazines recognized the game because of its high ratings in reviews. GameStar presented a platinum award , 4Players presented a gold award in Anno 1404 .

In addition, the title and its developer won several computer game awards. In 2009, the Related Designs studio received the German Developer Award in five categories, including for the best German game. The game also received a Red Dot Design Award . The Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software also presented an award for the first 100,000 units sold.

A year later, Anno 1404 won the German Computer Game Award in the categories of the best German and the best international game of 2009. The win in the latter category sometimes caused confusion, as this category was intended for games from other countries. Critics complained that adventure and action games were disadvantaged because they contain scenes of violence.

Sales figures

Within ten days of Anno 1404 going on sale , 100,000 copies of the game were sold. By the end of 2009 this number had increased to over 200,000.

Extension and successor

Anno 1404: Venice

The extension Anno 1404: Venice introduced a multiplayer mode as an essential innovation, which supports games with up to eight players via the Internet or local network . She also added 15 single-player scenarios and a new character, the Venetian Giacomo Garibaldi, to the game.

The gameplay of Anno 1404 has been expanded to include the option of secret diplomacy . Agents are available to players, with whose help they can infiltrate and sabotage foreign cities . Another new element is the city council, which can be used to buy up foreign settlements. In addition, new orders, ships, islands and achievements were added.

Venice was well received by the specialist press. Metacritic calculated an average rating of 78 out of 100 points. Critics praised the possibility of playing games with multiple players. The opportunities to buy or sabotage your competitors' settlements also fit in well with the gaming experience. Other testers complained that the innovations offer little variety apart from the multiplayer mode. Shortly after its market launch, the expansion was one of the five best-selling Windows games in Germany.

Anno 2070

Logo from Anno 2070

→ Main article : Anno 2070

In November 2011, Ubisoft released a successor to Anno 1404 . This received the title Anno 2070 . Like its predecessor, it was developed by Related Designs.

The game builds on the concept of Anno 1404 , but transfers this to a future scenario. When building a settlement, factors such as energy supply and environmental protection now also play a role. Another new feature of the game is the ability to choose between two factions, the Tycoons and the Ecos , at the beginning of a game , which differ noticeably in their way of playing. In addition, the game offers extensive online functions.

2070 performed slightly better than its predecessor in test reports. Metacritic calculated a meta-rating of 83 points, GameRankings , a similar platform, came up with an even higher value. Testers praised the new scenario, the advanced graphics and the challenging game mechanics.

Web links

• Anno 1404 at MobyGames (English)
• Anno 1404 in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Official magazine for the game (PDF)
• Wiki about the game
• Developer diaries

Remarks

1. ↑ Rated according to the German school grading system

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Dawn of Discovery for Wii, PC, and Nintendo DS Now Available in Stores. In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , June 25, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Andreas Link: Anno 1404: All ten developer diaries at PC Games Hardware. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , June 26, 2006, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} Marcel Kleffmann: Test: Anno 1404. In: 4Players . May 26, 2009, accessed March 9, 2020 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Christian Schlütter: Anno 1404 test. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , June 25, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
5. ^ ^{A b c d e} Carolyn Petit: Dawn of Discovery Review. In: GameSpot . CBS Corporation , July 15, 2009, accessed April 12, 2014 . 
6. ↑ Thomas Wilke: Anno 1404 Easter Eggs. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , January 13, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Heiko Klinge: construction hit from Ubisoft. In: GameStar . International Data Group , June 25, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Josh Clark: Dawn of Discovery Review. In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , July 15, 2009, accessed April 12, 2014 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Michael Obermeier: Anno 1404 - announcement, preview and video. In: GameStar . International Data Group , August 22, 2008, accessed March 10, 2015 . 
10. ↑ Cedric Borsche: Anno 1404 - Splendid graphics on new screenshots. In: GameStar . International Data Group , October 24, 2008, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
11. ↑ Sebastian Thöing: Anno 1404 comes in March 2009. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , February 20, 2008, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
12. ^ Thomas Wilke: Anno 1404. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , October 24, 2008, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
13. ↑ ^{a b} Christian Schmidt: Anno 1404 - “The checksum is 9”. In: GameStar . International Data Group , August 20, 2008, accessed June 23, 2015 . 
14. ↑ Andreas Link: Anno 1404: Tutorial video shows the civilization levels and rights of advancement. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , May 8, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
15. ^ Dan Adams: 1701 AD Review. In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , October 30, 2006, accessed June 23, 2015 . 
16. ↑ Brett Todd: 1701 AD Review. In: GameSpot . CBS Corporation , November 8, 2006, accessed June 23, 2015 . 
17. ^ Frank Maier: Anno 1404 - Registration for beta test started. In: GameStar . International Data Group , November 19, 2008, accessed March 10, 2015 . 
18. ↑ Andre Linken: Anno 1404 - Big fan event in Hamburg announced. In: GameStar . International Data Group , March 10, 2009, accessed March 11, 2015 . 
19. ↑ Christian Merkel: Anno 1404 - publication date announced. In: GameStar . International Data Group, April 27, 2009, accessed March 11, 2015 . 
20. ↑ ^{a b} Andre Linken: Anno 1404 - Gold status achieved. In: GameStar . International Data Group , June 4, 2009, accessed March 11, 2015 . 
21. ↑ Tilman Sillescu: choral production of the orchestral score. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , June 26, 2009, accessed March 19, 2015 . 
22. ↑ Axel Rohrbach: Anno 1404 - On Site Integration of SFX and Music. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , June 26, 2009, accessed March 19, 2015 . 
23. ↑ Michael Obermeier: Evolution instead of revolution. In: GameStar . International Data Group , August 22, 2008, accessed March 10, 2015 . 
24. ↑ Burkhard Ratheiser, Frank Hoffmann: multicore processors in Anno 1404. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , June 26, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
25. ↑ Heiko Klinge: Anno 1404 copy protection - Official statement from Ubisoft. In: GameStar . International Data Group , June 18, 2009, accessed March 11, 2015 . 
26. ↑ Andre Linken: Anno 1404 - Limited Edition announced. In: GameStar . International Data Group , April 30, 2009, accessed March 23, 2015 . 
27. ↑ Frank Moers: Anno 1404 - Anno 1404: Patch and World Editor published. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , October 7, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
28. ↑ Patch 1.1 for ANNO 1404. In: 4Players . October 7, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
29. ↑ Michael Obermeier, Peter Smits: Anno 1404: The facts - answers from the Anno producer and from the manual. In: GameStar . International Data Group , May 11, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
30. ↑ Daniel Raumer: Anno 1404: Venice - Launch trailer for the strategy game addon. In: GameStar . International Data Group , February 25, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
31. ^ ^{A b c} Nic Stransky: Dawn of Discovery: Venice Review. In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , April 26, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
32. ↑ Florian Schmidt: Anno 1404: Ubisoft asks for help with the save bug. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , September 1, 2010, accessed March 30, 2011 . 
33. ↑ Anno 1404 Venice: Patch 2.1 fixes a memory bug. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , November 30, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
34. ↑ Matthias Dammes: Complete package with Anno 1701 and Anno 2070 announced. In: GameStar . Computec Media Group , July 1, 2014, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
35. ↑ Anno 1404 - Preview. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , September 30, 2008, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
36. ↑ Heiko Klinge: Preview: More variety, more challenges. In: GameStar . International Data Group , February 19, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
37. ↑ Computer Bild Spiele 07/2009.
38. ^ André Linken: Anno 1404. In: GamesWelt . July 1, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
39. ↑ Nefdzad Hurabasic: Anno 1404 - Test: Better than ever: the new Anno. In: Gamona . June 26, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
40. ^ Meta-evaluation “Dawn of Discovery” (Windows). In: GameRankings . CBS Corporation , accessed June 28, 2015 . 
41. ↑ ^{a b} meta-evaluation “Dawn of Discovery” (Windows). In: Metacritic . CBS Corporation , accessed June 28, 2015 . 
42. ↑ PC Format UK, 09/2009, p. 99.
43. ↑ Armin Umlauf: Anno 1404. (No longer available online.) In: GamingXP . GamingXP Verlag , July 5, 2009, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; Retrieved June 28, 2015 . 
44. ↑ Kimberley Ellis: Anno 1404 Review. (No longer available online.) In: PALGN . PAL Gaming Network , September 19, 2009, archived from the original on April 11, 2014 ; accessed on June 28, 2015 (English). 
45. ↑ ^{a b c} Chris Buxton: Review: Anno 1404. (No longer available online.) In: Computer and Video Games . Future Publishing , July 2, 2009, archived from the original on April 13, 2014 ; accessed on June 28, 2015 (English). 
46. ↑ PC Zone, 09/09, p. 70.
47. ↑ Daniel Frick: 1404 - the best Anno of all time? In: Game Tips . June 26, 2009, accessed June 30, 2016 . 
48. ↑ Mario Riemann: Anno 1404: From copy protection, TAGES, limited activations and Ubisoft support. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , July 2, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
49. ↑ Michael Dees: Spieletest: Anno 1404. (No longer available online.) In: Netzwelt . July 21, 2009, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; accessed on March 24, 2015 . 
50. ↑ Peter Steinlechner: Anno 1404: Main winner at the German Developer Award 2009. In: Golem . Klaß & Ihlenfeld Verlag , December 9, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
51. ↑ Anno 1404 is picking up speed in award week! In: PresseBox . United News Network GmbH , December 14, 2009, accessed on June 28, 2015 . 
52. ↑ Sebastian Thöing: Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software - BIU Sales Award. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , February 22, 2010, accessed June 18, 2015 . 
53. ^ Peter Steinlechner: German Computer Game Award: Anno 1404 wins the double. In: Golem . Klaß & Ihlenfeld Verlag , April 29, 2010, accessed on June 28, 2015 . 
54. ^ Thomas Lindemann: A robber pistol. In: The world . April 28, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
55. ^ Paul Kautz: Poor German game price ... In: 4Players . April 30, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
56. ^ Anne Haeming: Computer Game Award : Germany celebrates children's games. In: Der Spiegel . April 30, 2010, accessed July 2, 2015 . 
57. ↑ Andre Linken: Anno 1404 - Great sales success for the strategy game. In: GameStar . International Data Group , July 13, 2009, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
58. ↑ Games bestseller 2009: the best-selling PC games with The Sims 3, Anno 1404 and Modern Warfare 2 - Update: Console numbers released. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , January 5, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
59. ↑ Marcel Kleffmann: Test: Anno 1404: Venice. In: 4Players . March 4, 2010, accessed March 23, 2015 . 
60. ^ Christian Schlütter: Anno 1404: Venice - Test - Review. In: PC Games . Computec Media Group , March 1, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
61. ^ Meta-evaluation “Dawn of Discovery: Venice”. In: Metacritic . CBS Corporation , accessed March 23, 2015 . 
62. ↑ Martin Deppe: Great build-up add-on (with multiplayer!). In: GameStar . International Data Group , February 24, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
63. ↑ Carolyn Petit: Dawn of Discovery: Venice Review. In: GameSpot . CBS Corporation , March 9, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
64. ^ Frank Maier: German game sales charts - Anno add-on among the top 5. In: GameStar . International Data Group , January 3, 2010, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
65. ^ ^{A b} Nathan Meunier: Anno 2070 Review. In: IGN Entertainment . Ziff Davis , December 2, 2011, accessed June 28, 2015 . 
66. ↑ Meta-evaluation “Anno 2070”. In: Metacritic . CBS Corporation , accessed June 28, 2015 . 
67. ↑ Meta-evaluation “Anno 2070”. In: GameRankings . CBS Corporation , accessed June 28, 2015 . 
68. ↑ Martin Deppe: Anno dazubald. In: GameStar . International Data Group , November 16, 2011, accessed June 28, 2015 . 

This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on July 12, 2015 .