Pirate Island Playthrough

This is a guide for a very unconventional way of playing an Anno 2070 continuous game . Your way of playing the game will be very similar to the role Hector plays in the game; plunder and destruction.

NOTE: This is not the way the game is meant to be played. As such, your gameplay experience will be very different.

Playthrough Description

• Instead of gradually expanding your territory on the map, you will settle and stay put on one or more heavily fortified island(s).
• You will constantly be at war with other factions. Your fleet size decides your diplomatic leverage.
• Your population will be very small to non-existent. In the end, your income will be 100% based on the shares you own in your own island. In order to increase your income, you will need to obtain as many Items as humanly possible (Unit Items, Island Items and miscellaneous Items dropped by enemy Units). The more items you store in your island's Warehouse, the higher your income. In essence, the more enemy Ships you sink, the higher your income.
• Having Hostile Takeovers toggled on is a must. Otherwise, it's not possible to make a profit through owning Island Shares.
• To unlock new buildings, you will need to have a population. To unlock everything, you will need to settle and supply large population groups. Since you will constantly be at war, this can prove to be very challenging.
• The more enemies on the map, the more factions you'll be able to harrass. Be sure not to destroy enemy factions (even Keto). You will likely exceed the Unit Cap very quickly as you will largely depend on captured ships.
• Every Ship you acquire is an asset. Protect them to the best of your abilities through fighting NPC's strategicly and equipping them with repair and shield Items.
• Depending on the number of other NPC's on the map, this playthrough can be either fairly easy or very challenging.

In short, your goals are as follows;

1. Become the dominant military power on the map as quickly as possible.
2. Unlock whatever buildings you need as swiftly as possible. When everything is unlocked, remove your population areas to get rid of supply lines and conserve space.
3. Increase your income as swiftly as possible by storing as many Items as possible in your Warehouse(s)
4. Enjoy the pirate life through devastation and plunder!

Getting Started

• Start a continuous game on a map size to your liking. Pick as many enemy factions and expanding factions as possible. Picking Rufus Thorne is recommended as he potentially sells the Items you'll need for this playthrough (such as Hijackers, Shields and repair/gun upgrade Items). Keep in mind that Tycoon NPC's cause heavy pollution and tornadoes will appear every now and then, potentially causing much damage to your island.
• Be sure to toggle Hostile Takeovers on!
• Upon settling an Island, you will need to expand as quickly as possible to cover your costs. Your primary goal is to reach enough Engineers for the Island Shares to unlock.
• Be sure to purchase your Island's shares as quickly as possible. NPC's may purchase your island's shares every now and then so be sure to check your shares regularly. The higher the value of your shares, the less frequent NPC's will buy your shares.

Tips and Tricks

• If you're planning a playthrough in a sector with Hector, it's recommended that you pin him down as quickly as possible. Upon starting the playthrough, outfit your Ships with shield Items or repair Items and attack Hector's Raiders. Be sure to keep out of range of his base defenses. Pinning Hector down grants a lot of time for you to focus on building your base.
• If Keto attacks your sector, be sure to build your fleet beforehand. Upon Keto's arrival she will immediately attack your fleet. The bigger your fleet, the easier it will be to rout and scatter Keto's Sharks. A good way to defeat her initial attack is to detonate an EMP between her ships. When the Sharks scatter, destroy and capture as many of them as possible. Sharks are extremely useful Ships for your pirate operation.
• Upon engaging regular expanding NPC's, keep in mind that NPC's may not rebuild their Warehouses if they consider your military superior to theirs.
• Captured Trade Ships can be very useful for gathering dropped Items after a military engagement.
• It's possible to get Aircrafts. However, this can prove to be pretty difficult. You will have to build the Aircraft yourself and you will most likely have exceeded the Unit Cap. To be able to build Aircraft, you will need to shrink your fleet by removing ships. This will leave you extremely vulnerable to attack so be sure to bolster your harbour defenses so you can turtle up for a while. When you're ready, you'll need at least one Warship outfitted with Hijackers to start rebuilding your fleet.
• The same method applies to other Units that can only be built by players, such as the Orca , Erebos and Atlas .
• Be sure to stock up on Hijackers. They can frequently be purchased from Rufus Thorne , or from Hector during peacetime.
• Similarly, stock up on shields and unit-repair Items. These items allow your Units to maintain themselves and make it easier for you to avoid losing them to enemy fire.
• Eco energy Buildings offer renewable energy and conserve your island's resources.