Fairly early on in Anno 117: Pax Romana, players will unlock the ability to research new tech, known as Discoveries. By building more of the Grammaticus building, further Knowledge will be accrued, speeding up the rate at which these are researched. Discoveries may unlock new buildings, upgrades, military units, or provide passive buffs. Naturally, players will want to aim to research the best Discoveries in Anno 117 first, although many of these are locked at first.

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Anno 117 Pax Romana: All Deity Buffs (Religion Guide)

In Anno 117: Pax Romana, deities provide different buffs and effects that can greatly improve city production and stats.

Some Discoveries are also locked behind Inspirations, which require the city to achieve a certain goal, such as having built a Shipyard and generating 500 Knowledge.

Best Economic Discoveries To Research First In Anno 117: Pax Romana

Anno 117 Pax Romana - Economic Discoveries

Economic Discoveries in Anno 117: Pax Romana help to make civilizations more prosperous via the ability to produce material goods at an increased rate.

Trading Post Improvements

  • Upgraded Trading Posts have more ramps to avoid congestion and increase the island's storage capacity.

Increasing the island's storage capacity prevents a bottleneck, and with Trading Posts being key to the economy, avoiding congestion in their vicinity is essential.

Depots

  • Unlocks the Depot building, which increases the island's maximum storage capacity.

While there are other buildings to prioritize in Anno 117, players will want to build a Depot as soon as they unlock this Discovery, as a limited storage capacity can bottleneck a city.

Sewing Circles

  • Buildings near your Spinners will produce Knowledge.

Sewing Circles is easily one of the best Discoveries to research first in Anno 117, as access to more Knowledge will increase the rate at which other new tech is researched. Make sure to build more Spinners and surround them.

Paved Roads

  • Paved Roads allow for faster transportation of goods, which in turn extends the reach of buildings.

While players will need to amass plenty of Concrete to unlock and make use of this Discovery, it is well worth the effort, as the entire city will prosper with every building benefiting.

Duct Irrigation

  • Allows all farms to benefit from cistern irrigation, increasing their productivity.

By unlocking Aqueduct Boost: Farms, Aqueducts will become even more important, and farms will soon start producing even more food.

Best Civic Discoveries To Research First In Anno 117: Pax Romana

Anno 117 Pax Romana - Civic Discoveries

Civic research unlocks new ways to improve the health, safety, and happiness of the city, with some boosts to efficiency too.

Wells

  • Unlocks the Well buildings to help prevent fires.

Fires are a huge concern as large outbreaks can set cities back drastically. Vigiles are important, but are best supported by Wells.

Market Focus

  • +25% Effect Range of Markets.

If Liberti aren't in range of a market, their needs won't be met, meaning they will be less happy and cannot be upgraded to Plebeians. Increasing the range of Markets is therefore a priority.

Hospitality

  • Unlocks the Officia building to accommodate Specialists, and allows one more Officium per island.

Specialists vastly improve certain aspects of a city, so having access to more is a great goal to work toward. As only a few of these need to be built, it is also a cheap Discovery to make full use of.

Latrines

  • Increases Health nearby.

Building public Latrines will increase the sanitation of a city, helping to prevent disease from spreading.

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How to Get Free Items in Anno 117 Pax Romana (Launch Twitch Drops)

Players can hop onto Anno 117: Pax Romana on launch day and start off the game with some freebies.

Best Military Discoveries To Research First In Anno 117: Pax Romana

Anno 117 Pax Romana - Military Discoveries

Players may be able to avoid war in their playthroughs, meaning Military Discoveries may be of the least concern. However, it's also good to be prepared, so make sure to dip into this war-centred tech tree from time to time.

Repair Cranes

  • Unlocks the Repair Crane building, which heals nearby ships.

If players have a navy and are at war, unlocking this building is essential for keeping ships afloat and not having to build new ones all the time.

Rammed Earth

  • -30% Wall Upkeep.

Having defensive walls is one of the easiest ways to stay safe, but it can be a burden on the economy. Consider this Discovery to lower the upkeep.

Stone Walls

  • Unlocks Stone Walls, Gates, and Towers.

While lots of Concrete will be required, these walls vastly improve a city's defenses, and the gate can be closed to prevent access in the event of an attack.

Armorsmithing

  • Unlocks Armor Chain

Raising troops is costly, both in terms of coin and manpower. Therefore, giving them a better chance at survival is of the utmost importance with improved armor, especially for players who plan on waging war.

Tacking

  • +5% Movement Speed & -20% Unfavorable Wind Impact for ships.

This buff to ships not only helps in times of war, but will also benefit trading galleys.

Legionaries

  • Unlocks Legionaries.

These soldiers are a staple of the Roman army.

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City Builder
Simulation
Strategy
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
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Released
November 13, 2025
ESRB
Teen / Alcohol Reference, Language, Mild Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Ubisoft
Publisher(s)
Ubisoft
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
City Builder, Simulation, Strategy