Dawn of Discovery

Dawn of Discovery (known as Anno 1404 in Europe) is a city-building and economic simulation game with real-time strategy elements. Released in 2009, it was developed by Related Designs, produced by Blue Byte, and published by Ubisoft. While the story follows fictional events, its core ideas draw on real aspects of medieval and Renaissance history, including the Crusades, Gothic architecture and cathedral building, and Hanseatic trade tied to the rise of patrician merchants and early capitalism.

The campaign begins when the player is sent to administer a fief in the Occident, granted by the Emperor. The Emperor is unwell, and his cousin and treasurer, Lord Richard Northburgh, is building a grand Cathedral to pray for the Emperor’s recovery. At the same time, Cardinal Lucius is preparing a Crusade against the Saracens of the Orient, with help from Guy Forcas. In the early chapters, the story doubles as an economy and gameplay tutorial. The player supports Northburgh and Forcas with supply and construction tasks while meeting other key characters. As the Crusader ships leave the harbour, Northburgh begins to piece together evidence of a mysterious plot. He and the player travel to the Orient and befriend Al Zahir, the Grand Vizier of the Sultan. With Al Zahir’s help, the player defeats a band of Corsairs and breaks up a child trafficking scheme. Further clues point to a sinister conspiracy involving a major character and a plan to overthrow the Emperor. After Northburgh gets too close to the truth, he is captured, and the player must unravel what is happening. Across the following chapters, the player must gain new allies, persuade the Crusade’s leaders that they are being manipulated under false pretenses, and survive increasingly dangerous situations to defeat the villains and restore the Emperor to his rightful place. The campaign is split into eight chapters, each playable on three difficulty settings: easy, medium, and hard. Beyond the story, it functions as a tutorial designed to prepare the player for tougher scenarios and continuous game modes. The main characters introduced in the campaign also appear in scenario mode and can be chosen as computer opponents in continuous games. Their actions in those modes are not connected to their campaign roles, aside from sharing similar personalities. In other modes, Lord Northburgh and Al Zahir continue to serve as mentors and trade partners, much as they do during the campaign.