ANNO 2070: Back to the Future

[luckton]

http://anno.uk.ubi.com/anno-2070/index.php

I for one can't wait to start trading in future cider 

[Murgos]

Crap my nobles are out of Tunics.

It looks good, it's just hard to tell if it's really offering a different experience than 1404.

[luckton]

Crap my nobles are out of Tunics.

It looks good, it's just hard to tell if it's really offering a different experience than 1404.

Agreed...it really does look like just a re-skin job at this point.  Surprised they didn't show up at E3.

Still....FUTURE CIDER 

[Malakili]

Still....FUTURE CIDER 

Blue Milk.

[Lantyssa]

It looks really pretty.  If it plays the same as 1404, which some of you have raved about, it seems like it'd be a good starting point into the series for some of us.

[Sky]

I've played every game and love them. This looks very similar to 1404, with the addition of controlling pollution and other hippy concerns. As long as it's not too activist/hippy/message-oriented, it should be a fun twist. It does look like future units glommed onto a 1404 map, though, which is a bit odd.

[Tarami]

1404 is... complicated. The first couple hours are pretty neat - the production engine is interesting enough to optimize, but you mercilessly run into a brick wall where "getting 200 more Nobles" means placing 600 new buildings. Of course, there isn't space enough on your main island, so you have to remove all the industry from it and move it to another, setting up trade routes and juggling even more logistics... ad nauseum.

And the combat. Oh GOD, the combat. I would rather offer my ass to every frisky sailor passing through my port than deal with that again.

[Paelos]

Looks good. Loved ANNO 1404.

I'm worried they will cock it up with DRM.

[jakonovski]

I'm impressed. Especially if there's going to be a choice between sustainability and consumerism. A topical dilemma in an economic sci-fi strategy game.

Edit: and by the looks of it, your choice will make the world will look either like a utopia or a Blade Runner cityscape. Awesome!

[bhodi]

Aww, I was hoping there was more info out other than that one trailer.



WANT.


Also, you can completely ignore combat with the expansion. You can simply buy islands with enough time and money, thanks Giacomo Garibaldi!

[lac]

Winter 2011, apparently. Should be good fun again.

[luckton]

I started this, guess I should keep it update 

A third race has been announced, and for the first time in the series, you'll be able to have your civ deploy and evolve underwater.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.pcgames.de/PC-Games-Brands-19921/News/PC-Games-8-11-Brandneue-Details-zu-Anno-2070-Rennspiel-Naild-als-Vollversion-Gamescom-Guide-835297/

"For the first time in the Anno series you access to the world below sea level. PC Games explains the peculiarities of the underwater world, introduces the third Anno Group, explains the interface and shows you step by step how a settlement occurs. The PC-Games title story contains lots of previously unpublished information, spectacular screenshots and a detailed video on the DVD booklet - a must for fans of Anno!"

[luckton]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa4LTYmpkzU

There, underwater trailer.  Other than that, no date yet.

[Malakili]

Looks neat.  Enjoyed the last one quite a bit, especially with the expansion pack.  Not sure I'd buy it at full price though.

[Vaiti]

Will most likely pick this up on the first Steam sale it goes on. Anno 1440 was pretty, but didn't really add anything. This seems to be taking on new elements. As well as being pretty.

[luckton]

Demo is out!

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/62825/The-Anno-2070-Demo-Is-Out-Go-Grab-It

[Ratman_tf]

Played the demo. Seems fun. Too short to tell anything besides that it's Anno with a near future skin so far.

[luckton]

Played the demo. Seems fun. Too short to tell anything besides that it's Anno with a near future skin so far.

I played through the first mission right before work.  I agree with this assessment.  The fact that we still have fucking fishermen in 2070 as a primary source of food is 

The near-future skin is really shiny and pretty though 

[Ragnoros]

Yeah, re-skin it is. Which I might not mind, if they put in some new features and streamlined things. But I'm not seeing a lot.

Example: I just want some way to see at what rate coal is being produced vs. how much my smelter is using, or when my my future peasants are consuming future cider at a greater rate than it is being produced. That way I know whether I need more coal mines/apples rice, or if I will just be wasting the resources.

Nevertheless, if it makes it to a Steam sale, which seems unlikely as the last one was pulled from Steam, I will purchase it for a bargain price.

[Ratman_tf]

The near-future skin is really shiny and pretty though  

I wish they had a first person walkabout mode.

[bhodi]

I played through the first mission right before work.  I agree with this assessment.  The fact that we still have fucking fishermen in 2070 as a primary source of food is 

The near-future skin is really shiny and pretty though 

Total reskin. Still want.

I assumed the fisheries were giant spawn tanks, like they do with farm-raised X Y or Z fish.

[Paelos]

It still has Ubi-Aids though.

[Murgos]

If the combat isn't a total waste of time I'd be more interested.  Making a self sustaining set of cities was far too trivial in the last one to be entertaining for very long.

[bhodi]

It still has Ubi-Aids though.

Yeah, not looking forward to Ubi-Aids. I'm seriously torn.

[luckton]

For those that noticed such features on the main menu of the demo, here's a video that goes into detail of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lCncPyAoxco

tl;dr - There's a meta-game in this ANNO, in which player voting on a global level impacts everyone's gameplay.

[luckton]

Game's out, bitches.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/48240/

[bhodi]

3rd-party DRM: Solidshield Tages SAS
3 machine activation limit

Sweet!

[luckton]

3rd-party DRM: Solidshield Tages SAS
3 machine activation limit

Sweet!

In defense of this, I refer to the meta-game stuff above.  You really miss out on a bit of stuff by just doing the single-player stuffs.

That said, I'm sure it's not going to change anyone's mind about Ubi and their draconian DRM issues.  Since this isn't some bad-ass AAA title, I doubt there will be enough angst to get things changed, a la how protesting got DRM removed from some other Ubi games.

[Paelos]

TAGES is a step below their UBIaids shit they still have on Settlers 7 for some reason, despite a 300 reply Steam thread petition stating they would buy the game when it was removed.

[Ingmar]

If developers did something any time there was a 300 page thread with people claiming they want it, we'd be in for all KINDS of retarded shit.

[Paelos]

If developers did something any time there was a 300 page thread with people claiming they want it, we'd be in for all KINDS of retarded shit.

You're just being contrarian. It's not like you are in favor of the Ubi DRM.

[Teleku]

But he's right.  I'm against that horrible DRM system, but I don't think a 300 reply thread is valid in any way as proof it should be changed (there are many better reasons you can list).  Games in development get giant threads requesting some of the dumbest shit ever.  I'm fine with them being ignored.

[Paelos]

I'm not going to defend threads as a means of social change. We all disagree it's a stupid DRM policy and that the people were using a means of voicing their displeasure. It's certainly not the only time they have heard it, either.

[bhodi]

Well, I'd have bought it already if not for that. Hard to say if they care or not. Probably not.

[luckton]

Maybe they'll chop some bones off it for the Holiday Steam sale