Dawn of the Delta, the third expansion in the first year of Anno 117: Pax Romana, is available. It opens Aegyptus, a province where fertile floodplains offer a seasonal production bonus but are exposed to the Nile’s floods.
Players can reach the region through a mission in an existing save or choose it as the starting province for a new game, says Ubisoft. The expansion is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as with Ubisoft+. On PC, Ubisoft lists the Ubisoft Store, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Building around the Nile’s seasons
Aegyptus presents a choice between dry land and floodplains. Dry land must be irrigated before it can support crops, while the fertile floodplains are exposed to flooding. Buildings on the plains must be connected by mud roads and, unlike Albion’s marshes, the land cannot be drained.
During Shemu, production buildings on the floodplains provide an extra ton of goods. During Akhet, those buildings operate at 25% of their normal rate and cities suffer a health penalty. Ubisoft says each season lasts around two hours of gameplay.
The fertile land therefore comes with a trade-off: its production bonus is followed by a period of sharply reduced output. Dry land requires irrigation to support crops.
Aegyptian and Greco-Roman paths
Players developing the province choose between Aegyptian and Greco-Roman cultural paths. The decision affects the deities available to worship, production chains, fleet and army composition, and the appearance of cities.
The paths also lead to different population tiers. After the Threshers, the Aegyptian route leads to Potters and then Chanters; the Greco-Roman route leads to Scribes and then Gymnasiarchs. The expansion introduces Sobek, Isis-Bastet and Thoth Trismegistus as deities to worship.
The military additions include Kumatic Archers and Dromedarii, alongside two types of ships specialized in river travel. Cultural choices affect the composition of both the fleet and the army.
Trade, an investigation and the pyramids
Aegyptus is connected to the wider game through its population’s needs: some goods its inhabitants request can only be produced in Latium or Albion. Research conducted in Aegyptus can, in turn, benefit every region. Players bringing the province into an existing save can therefore consider its needs alongside developments elsewhere.
The campaign adds a storyline surrounding the death of Nymphaeus, with clues discovered during his mummification available to investigate. The Sector Project offers another undertaking: restoring the great pyramids in four stages using resources and labor.
The seasonal cycle shapes production in Aegyptus, while the province’s links to Latium and Albion connect its development to the rest of the game. The cultural path players choose also influences its population, production chains and forces.
