There are two main game modes in Anno 1701: continuous play, representing an open-ended session,[1] and ten scenarios with certain tasks, which gradually increase in level of difficulty.

At some point, she will demand the tributes, giving an offer to pay gold coins, or being attacked by her royal fleet.

It is crucial for a player to develop quickly, as not much profit is attained until reaching the merchant stage.

Poxacoatl and his Aztecs live on islands in the southern zone, are few in number and believe in the infinite power of the gods.

Ramirez and his Pirates take refuge in expertly concealed hideouts in the southern zone of the island world.

The Free Trader, a neutral merchant who sails his fleet around the world to trade, can offer players opportunities to assist him in matters.

Guests of honor come at random times during each social stage of the game, and can also be called to visit once the senate is unlocked.

Some of the very powerful activities available to players include the deployment of the poisoner (who introduces the plague to an opponent's settlement) or the demagogue (who can rally workers to walk away from their jobs).

Diseases are also rampant in the 1701 AD world, specifically the plague, which can wipe out hundreds, or even thousands, of people.

Unlike previous entries in the series, it was developed by Mainz-based Related Designs, and the idea was to make the game more combat based.

[6] During the development, Anno's creator and one of the Max Design's founders, Wilfried Reiter, joined the team in an advisory capacity.

The focus of the presentation was on the new 3D graphics, partly based on an earlier title of Related Designs, No Man's Land, with which the game separated itself from its predecessors.

[7] Sunflowers instructed all developers to play previous Anno games, and commissioned an "annolysis"; a survey spanning more than 5,000 players.

The results were used to develop the game with the players and their wishes in mind, which prompted the return of the tax system, and introduced camera align and a look behind the buildings.

In addition, numerous shaders were built into the game in order to achieve a better performance on as many hardware configurations as possible.

Retailers purchased 450,000 units in Germany in preparation for the game's launch; worldwide pre-orders from stores reached roughly 1 million copies.

[21] Upon release, Anno 1701 broke sales records to become the fastest-selling German computer game ever, with more than 200,000 units sold in German-speaking countries during its debut two weeks.