Ubisoft Mainz has released a new DLC for Anno 117: Pax Romana, introducing the Hippodrome monument and a set of powerful Heroic specialists that aim to inject much-needed purpose into the game's late stages. Historically, middle-of-season DLC in the Anno series has often been less impactful than initial or final expansions, leading to measured expectations for this latest addition.
The Hippodrome DLC unlocks a new research branch enabling the construction of the Hippodrome, a building with significant historical political and social importance in Roman and Byzantine societies, primarily for chariot races and imperial ceremonies. While the Anno 117 version omits executions, it captures the pomp and spectacle surrounding the event.
Construction of Anno's monument-class buildings is a resource-intensive process, typically requiring vast quantities of materials across multiple phases. The Hippodrome is no exception, demanding substantial amounts of timber, concrete, marble, mosaics, cloth, and granite from specific regions like Albion. This can necessitate the development of new production chains and the acquisition of additional islands, especially for players who may have overlooked certain resource locations or production possibilities earlier in the game.
The construction also requires hundreds of workers, which can further strain an island's infrastructure and influence building placement. The addition of the Hippodrome, and the society required to support it, offers a structured objective that the game has been noted to lack in its mid-game.
Once completed, the Hippodrome offers a "splendor" level that provides production buffs to the entire island, with higher splendor levels yielding more potent effects. This interconnectedness between a monument and other island buildings is a novel feature for Anno 117, unlike previous monuments that offered more isolated benefits like prestige. Developers are hopeful this interdependency will be expanded upon in future updates.
Prestige, a resource often underutilized in Anno 117 primarily for attracting specialists, gains new importance with the free 2.0 update that launched alongside the DLC. This update introduced Heroic specialists, a new class that is easier to attract with high splendor and prestige levels. These specialists offer powerful, game-altering abilities. One Heroic specialist can eliminate the need for pigment production chains, freeing up valuable mountain slots. Others can enhance marble and mosaic production near mines, or allow bronze to be exchanged for gold. Another specialist can substitute wood for chassis production, a valuable option for players not focused on chariot manufacturing.
While these additions are largely end-game content, they provide a compelling reason to continue developing and expanding a single world rather than starting anew. The approach taken by Anno 117's DLC, with its more limited and piecemeal integration of production boosts, is seen as more balanced than some of the more game-altering additions in Anno 1800, which could make entire production modes too easy. The new features help make a world as large and prosperous as possible a more satisfying endeavor.
With recent additions like the Prophecies of Ash expansion and now the Hippodrome DLC, Anno 117: Pax Romana is steadily smoothing out its rougher edges and introducing engaging new mechanics, increasing anticipation for future content from Ubisoft Mainz.