it is war!
Alfred ran as fast as he could. "The ship is seen on the horizon" his friend told him and after this the whole town was in tumult. "AH! Finally the ship" said the old lady on the market place cause she dearly needed some new fabric from "fabric town" in the south. "Alfred! Here have some money and buy some spices. This is the ship from Fabric Town there must be at least 25 t on the ship". "Dear boy!" said Alfreds neighbor "Pleas look for me if there is any jewellery in the ships cargo, cause I need a birthday surprise for my loved on. This is the ship that takes the route from fiber town to Goldy and back to us. Please be so kind and look for me". "Ah! The ship from Goldy, my brother is a gold worker there. Will you ask the captain if he knows anything about him? Maybe a letter." requested the carrier from Alfred. And Alfred was happy to be of service, he only hoped he could keep all this in his mind. But what was that! The ship was on fire as it seemed and on second look it seem a bit crooked. As the evening came the whole truth was out. It was war! This was the last ship that got through the barricade of the enemy and the last ship that was to be expected from Goldy.
In "Anno1602" (the first of a series with great tradition now) the player has to create a new settlement on a uninhabited island. What starts with a few pioneers, who only need food and a chapel my very likely develop itself to a thriving city full of aristocrats who get their kakao and jewellery from other islands in the north and their spices and fabric from a island in the south. But be the player has to be careful as also other players try to get a fortune out of this new islands.
One of the great aspects of the game is it "playable again?" factor as the island map is newly calculated in every new start of the game which makes the start always interesting. The player has to be fast to explore all islands and make the right decision where to settle and where to expand. And here in the beginning phases of a new game is but the only part where the KI enemy has the ability to really challenge you for example for the run on a much needed islands and this is also often just due to luck. As in the later parts of the game the weakness of the KI gets more obvious in every passing second. The computer controlled players just put up the always same structured settlement at when attacked does not much to save his beloved home. Only some well places towers may cause difficulties for a mediocre human player.
Very different is the tool-money problem (as I call it) in the ends of the beginning phase when your settlers slowly upgrade and you should have the technology to make your own tools. The problem is if you are a fast builder and a quick developer you pretty soon run out off tool. No problem yes? Just buy some tools from the traveling merchant (computer trader) and get your tool with money. But soon after that your money also runs out. So you sit on an island which does not yet make profit of its on, to build up your tool production chain would take tool (yes tools) again that you do not have and you can not buy. So what can you do? Yes! Restart the game. And on the next attempt look that you always have enough tool left to start up your tool production chain. A balancing issue that I think could have been solved better without taking out the included challenge of the tool-money problem.
With explaining the tool-problem a bit of the great designed production coins and resource management aspects were seen. All together there are 3 factors that make this game object great
-the need of different resources for different classes, gives the player a great long time aim in the game
-the fact that some resources have to been produced on other islands with other resources and local materials (like gold or iron), forces the player to expand if possible fast and clever.
-the design of the production chains that make them very comprehensible, but still in a not to complex way.
Thorough out the game there are many cut scenes to inform the player of new events and gives him different messages. The cut scene when a new ship is finished for example will always be carved into my mind. And this grade of beautifully and well placed cuteness are not found in any other Anno (with the slight exclusion of 1503 where there are but to less of them).
In the late game phase another asset stands out for me. The great graphic. You may laugh at me ( like good graphic in a 15 year old game? He is crazy). But yes the graphic is good on the aspect that it creates an authentic imagination of a medieval city or settlement and in the aspect that all graphic parts of the games (bee it the start menu, or the in game menu, or the jut scenes) are designed with the same love for detail and care (a state of commitment I greatly miss in some never games who have the most up to date graphic)
In conclusion (given that we no the future of this series) it is save to say that it is no surprise that there came such a great series out of this game as it is still nearly flawless and stood up in the test of time better then most of the other games.
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