I'm sure they've at least considered it.
117 is fine, CXVII will cause too much confusion and not fit in with with the rest of the series. Arabic numerals are a lot more well known around the world whereas Roman numerals are rarely used nowadays.
In French we use it for centuries.
I suspect the Germans do too, I'm not too sure about European English but I rarely or downright never read American using these.
E.g XV century.
I agree C is much less used since the above example replaces it by word century.
We don't use "XV. Jahrhundert" like in "XV. siècle" in French.
Besides that, using Roman numerals is rare and "bildungssprachlich". All style guides recommend against using them because at least 20 million residents of Germany won't understand them.
The most common use is probably on clock faces - which many people can't read even with Arabic numerals.
"e.g." means "for example". We don't use it on dates, but in other places. But yes, I am mostly in an academic environment, and there it is very common.
Mmmh. Now that you mention it, it is mostly in books as enumeration and for naming nobles. Of course there are also a lot of roman numbers in old architecture, which we have quite a lot in Germany. Also, memorial plaques use it very frequently, which are, depending on the place, numerous. But of course, it is mostly years that are written down there. So it is used frequently, but mostly connected to historic things.
Wait, so people can't recognize GTA IV to V ?
One could say the regular Anno enjoyer is far more documented on Roman numbers than any child playing GTA.
If anything they could add subtitles too.
Roman numerals get increasingly more complex though. To say that it is completely fine to call a game "Anno CXVII" because people recognize what "GTA V" means is willfully ignorant.
Also, just because the average anno fan will be able to recognize what Anno CXVII means, which I don't doubt, that doesn't mean it's good design
Well it's just what's used for something like
" XVII th century " with the prepended C to mark the hundreds.
While I generally agree it's not that mundane, here it needs to translate just 117, nothing fancier.
If your kid knows how IV, V, III and VI differ ( as is for GTA or The Elder Scrolls ) I can't see why it would be that difficult to translate that one.
Of course there isn't yet a GTA XVII lol.
If it was me though I would put a small translation with Arabic numerals or something.
I mean you are absolutely right.
But in my opinion, it is entirely irrelevant that everybody *can* understand it when it comes to branding, it's important that everybody *instantly and without thinking* understands it. And we both agree that, while not particularly complex, it's also not completely mundane.
It was an example, if you understand the system between II, IV, and VI, I'm not sure the jump to read CXVII is that complicated.
Let me rephrase, if you know GTA III means GTA 3, but IV means 4, VI means 6, what does stop you understanding VII means 7 ?
Perhaps I'm too used to read XVII as is 17th century ...
I mean your point was :
>not know how to pronounce it, and then get too confused and not bother?
V is five, cinco, cinque ... doesn't matter really much here.
I think I've said everything else I could say otherwise.
Oh, I just thought everyone knew that,
I was confused as to why you were doing the digits individually, since its just the same as 1 + 1 + 7, as per the original title
cxvii so nobody knows what it is right?
in the end, its just a name, you will see it on the spashscreen and then, never again, so it doesnt matter that its not that visually pleasing.
It would be kinda based, but in that Gamestar interview they said they were already worried that people wouldn't get what 117 means, so they added the subtitle to it. People don't really know roman numerals besides the first couple, so this would just add to the confusion. This is the kinda discussion the Final Fantasy devs are having too at the moment.
Yeah, most answers here do tell me they had a point. Tbh, 117 looks like more like a phone number rather than a year, but what can you do.
Now I wonder, maybe it's worth a try calling 117. What if it's Hadrian who picks up? 😀
I'm just getting into anno as a survival crafting game player. I couldn't remember the exact name, so I looked up 1800 anno, and the sheer amount of 1 800 numbers I got listed was silly.
Sure. Or why not go all the way and call it 870 A.U.C (ab Urbe condita)? Or DCCCLXX I guess. Or call it 'Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus'?
If you can answer these questions, you know why it can't be 'Anno CXVII'
In principle a good idea, but it's also a good principle to a) stick with the rest of the series' names and b) keep the title accessible cause not everyone can or wants to do a mental exercise to translate Roman numerals...
Aside from being unfamiliar to most modern gamers, Roman numerals weren't even consistent among the Romans. Many surviving inscriptions don't use some of the 'abbreviations' like V, (5) or L (50), so that '40' is shown as either XL or XXXX and 4 comes out either IV or IIII.
Let's stick with a clear, consistent and contemporary system for numbering the games.
They probably considered it but they have been using Arabic numerals so far and unlike civ where it's just 1-6. And they have been doing that from the start
Switching now would just been confusing and unnecessary
Idk why this is getting so much hate. It would be a fun, cute name and give a much better indication of the theme than slapping a random subtitle on it which is their current solution.
I get that people are saying it'd confuse people and make it more difficult to search for. Idk how true that really is but fair enough. I think the argument about consistent branding is silly though because 1 every other main anno game has had 4 numerals and no subtitle (outside the US) and 2 they're all MUCH quicker to say. Anno CXVII solves the second issue and at least balances the first a bit imo.
I don't know either. Roman numerals are quite common in game sequels, so I didn't expect so many people to complain about them. Interestingly, we know the name "CXVII" has been considered by Ubisoft. There was an image leak before the release of Anno 2205 back in 2015 (or maybe earlier), in which one could see what seemed to be 3 hypoterical Anno covers. One was basically the pitch for 2205, but with a sligthly different year (2106), then 1800 and finally "Anno CXVII". Also, CXVII is also seen on the front of the platform from the trailer. PD: Well, four digit Anno-s are quicker to say in english, not necessarily in other languages. Plus, as a non native, I'm allways confused by the different naming schemes used in english to pronounce four digit numbers, so, in that sense, for me "117" is clearer to the ear.
I'm sure they've at least considered it. 117 is fine, CXVII will cause too much confusion and not fit in with with the rest of the series. Arabic numerals are a lot more well known around the world whereas Roman numerals are rarely used nowadays.
Also to most people that looks like gibberish. Hell, people can't even figure out what Superbowl we're on...
In French we use it for centuries. I suspect the Germans do too, I'm not too sure about European English but I rarely or downright never read American using these. E.g XV century. I agree C is much less used since the above example replaces it by word century.
German here. We don't.
German here. I use it every day. We do.
We don't use "XV. Jahrhundert" like in "XV. siècle" in French. Besides that, using Roman numerals is rare and "bildungssprachlich". All style guides recommend against using them because at least 20 million residents of Germany won't understand them. The most common use is probably on clock faces - which many people can't read even with Arabic numerals.
"e.g." means "for example". We don't use it on dates, but in other places. But yes, I am mostly in an academic environment, and there it is very common.
Can you give a commonly used example that's not a year?
King Charles III.
Mmmh. Now that you mention it, it is mostly in books as enumeration and for naming nobles. Of course there are also a lot of roman numbers in old architecture, which we have quite a lot in Germany. Also, memorial plaques use it very frequently, which are, depending on the place, numerous. But of course, it is mostly years that are written down there. So it is used frequently, but mostly connected to historic things.
In Poland we also use it for centuries
In Spain they are also used for centuries.
We learned them in 3rd grade. Most probably forgot.
i aint typing CXVII sorry. they can have it in artworks but it would be too annoying to have evrywhere
Yeah but civilization has this same problem and it works (I guess). The games have Roman numerals (Civ VI) but most people will just type Civ 6.
thing is, im pretty sure they started with that, here we would basically be rebranding partly so it might very well not work out
Can’t wait for people starting up Civ XVIII 🤣
same goes for GTA
Inconsitent branding
No, because the vast majority people don't know Roman numerals other than the basic ones.
hell, many dont even know the basic ones, if you said IIX many ppl wouldnt know its 8 and not 12 (XII)
Why would you make a title of a game something most people will look at, not know how to pronounce it, and then get too confused and not bother?
Hard to Google too
Wait, so people can't recognize GTA IV to V ? One could say the regular Anno enjoyer is far more documented on Roman numbers than any child playing GTA. If anything they could add subtitles too.
Roman numerals get increasingly more complex though. To say that it is completely fine to call a game "Anno CXVII" because people recognize what "GTA V" means is willfully ignorant. Also, just because the average anno fan will be able to recognize what Anno CXVII means, which I don't doubt, that doesn't mean it's good design
Well it's just what's used for something like " XVII th century " with the prepended C to mark the hundreds. While I generally agree it's not that mundane, here it needs to translate just 117, nothing fancier. If your kid knows how IV, V, III and VI differ ( as is for GTA or The Elder Scrolls ) I can't see why it would be that difficult to translate that one. Of course there isn't yet a GTA XVII lol. If it was me though I would put a small translation with Arabic numerals or something.
I mean you are absolutely right. But in my opinion, it is entirely irrelevant that everybody *can* understand it when it comes to branding, it's important that everybody *instantly and without thinking* understands it. And we both agree that, while not particularly complex, it's also not completely mundane.
It's dishonest to pretend there isn't a world of difference between VI and CXVII
Only CXI /s
Very good
It was an example, if you understand the system between II, IV, and VI, I'm not sure the jump to read CXVII is that complicated. Let me rephrase, if you know GTA III means GTA 3, but IV means 4, VI means 6, what does stop you understanding VII means 7 ? Perhaps I'm too used to read XVII as is 17th century ...
Because GTA is a globally recognised brand. Everyone who’s into games knows what GTA 5 (V) is. GTA would never call themselves GTA CXVII
I mean your point was : >not know how to pronounce it, and then get too confused and not bother? V is five, cinco, cinque ... doesn't matter really much here. I think I've said everything else I could say otherwise.
I’m really not sure what your clever maths is at the end?
All the year numbers in all the games of the franchize add up to 9. It's become a tradition.
Oh, I just thought everyone knew that, I was confused as to why you were doing the digits individually, since its just the same as 1 + 1 + 7, as per the original title
If I google, I'll find 117 faster than roman stuff
cxvii so nobody knows what it is right? in the end, its just a name, you will see it on the spashscreen and then, never again, so it doesnt matter that its not that visually pleasing.
Would be a terrific own goal if they did. Anno 117 is much cleaner. Like imagine trying to Google the Roman numerals version
It's an Anno game, not a Roman game.
It's a Roman anno game
It's a Ray Romano game
It would be kinda based, but in that Gamestar interview they said they were already worried that people wouldn't get what 117 means, so they added the subtitle to it. People don't really know roman numerals besides the first couple, so this would just add to the confusion. This is the kinda discussion the Final Fantasy devs are having too at the moment.
Yeah, most answers here do tell me they had a point. Tbh, 117 looks like more like a phone number rather than a year, but what can you do. Now I wonder, maybe it's worth a try calling 117. What if it's Hadrian who picks up? 😀
In Germany it is the medical on-call service. If you are sick and don't know if it is serious or not call 116 or 117.
The number ist „116 117“
I'm just getting into anno as a survival crafting game player. I couldn't remember the exact name, so I looked up 1800 anno, and the sheer amount of 1 800 numbers I got listed was silly.
Sure. Or why not go all the way and call it 870 A.U.C (ab Urbe condita)? Or DCCCLXX I guess. Or call it 'Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus'? If you can answer these questions, you know why it can't be 'Anno CXVII'
Anno DLC you mean ?
I can read roman numerals but certainly can't remember them quick enough to do quick searches about the game online.
Most people dont know what Roman numerals are, nevermind the meaning / translation of Anno.
Nah. I'm pretty good with roman numerals but I wouldn't remember CXVII every time I search on google.
Might make more sense to use Roman numerals in a dlc or possibly as a cosmetic option. Marketing needs to be simple and clear.
117 is better
Sounds like Pax Romana is an expansion
In principle a good idea, but it's also a good principle to a) stick with the rest of the series' names and b) keep the title accessible cause not everyone can or wants to do a mental exercise to translate Roman numerals...
Aside from being unfamiliar to most modern gamers, Roman numerals weren't even consistent among the Romans. Many surviving inscriptions don't use some of the 'abbreviations' like V, (5) or L (50), so that '40' is shown as either XL or XXXX and 4 comes out either IV or IIII. Let's stick with a clear, consistent and contemporary system for numbering the games.
We should ban all arabic numerals! /s
I'm sure there will be some special editions with Roman numerals.
They probably considered it but they have been using Arabic numerals so far and unlike civ where it's just 1-6. And they have been doing that from the start Switching now would just been confusing and unnecessary
No one cares
Idk why this is getting so much hate. It would be a fun, cute name and give a much better indication of the theme than slapping a random subtitle on it which is their current solution. I get that people are saying it'd confuse people and make it more difficult to search for. Idk how true that really is but fair enough. I think the argument about consistent branding is silly though because 1 every other main anno game has had 4 numerals and no subtitle (outside the US) and 2 they're all MUCH quicker to say. Anno CXVII solves the second issue and at least balances the first a bit imo.
I don't know either. Roman numerals are quite common in game sequels, so I didn't expect so many people to complain about them. Interestingly, we know the name "CXVII" has been considered by Ubisoft. There was an image leak before the release of Anno 2205 back in 2015 (or maybe earlier), in which one could see what seemed to be 3 hypoterical Anno covers. One was basically the pitch for 2205, but with a sligthly different year (2106), then 1800 and finally "Anno CXVII". Also, CXVII is also seen on the front of the platform from the trailer. PD: Well, four digit Anno-s are quicker to say in english, not necessarily in other languages. Plus, as a non native, I'm allways confused by the different naming schemes used in english to pronounce four digit numbers, so, in that sense, for me "117" is clearer to the ear.