The Empire Engine: the technology behind Anno 117: Pax Romana
The Empire Engine represents the fundamental technological foundation developed specifically by Ubisoft Mainz to power the ambitious imperial construction experience in Anno 117: Pax Romana. This proprietary engine is meticulously optimized to handle the visual complexity and simulation systems that characterize large-scale city-building games, allowing the visualization of massive metropolises with an extraordinary level of detail spanning from individual structures to extensive and dynamic landscapes 🏛️.
Advanced simulation and vibrant environments
The Empire Engine's ability to generate GPU-based terrain creates realistic topographic variety, while handling instanced crowd simulations that bring authentic life to cities with thousands of citizens moving credibly. This sophisticated technology ensures that every component, from buildings to the entire environment, contributes to an immersive and coherent experience.
Main simulation features:- Procedural terrain generation via GPU processing for maximum variety and realism
- Instanced crowd system with thousands of citizens behaving autonomously
- Full integration between structural and environmental elements for visual coherence
Building a Roman empire has never been so accessible, at least in the virtual realm, where the main concerns focus on frames per second and not on barbarian invasions.
Lighting technology and development pipeline
The ray-traced lighting system combined with global illumination produces extraordinarily realistic lighting effects that evolve naturally throughout the full 24-hour cycle, visually transforming the city's atmosphere as time progresses. To create these visual assets, the development team employs a professional pipeline that includes Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max for 3D modeling, ZBrush for high-precision detail sculpting, and Substance Painter along with Designer for PBR textures that simulate historical materials like authentic stone and wood.
Implemented development tools:- Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max for 3D modeling of structures and urban elements
- ZBrush for digital sculpting of architectural and ornamental details
- Substance Painter and Designer for creating historically accurate PBR textures
Optimization and final experience
The combination of these advanced technologies with Ubisoft's internal tools for urban design and economic management results in a fluid gaming experience where players can focus on imperial construction strategy without compromising visual performance. The Empire Engine demonstrates how specialized technology can elevate the city-building genre to new levels of immersion and historical detail 🎮.