The research tree in Anno 117: Pax Romana is spread across branches that improve your economy, civic services, and more. The best early returns come from upgrades that touch almost every building rather than narrow output boosts. That means aiming your first meaningful research toward the economic branch for paved roads, and covering yourself with a simple civic pick to reduce fire losses.
Anno 117 research tree priorities (early game)
Two early research decisions stand out because they deliver island-wide impact quickly:
- Economic branch: unlock Paved Roads as soon as you can produce concrete.
- Civic branch: unlock Wells to steady fire safety while your city density rises.
This pairing increases throughput across production lines and reduces the risk of cascading fires during expansion—both common bottlenecks in the first hours.
Economic research: Rush Paved Roads
Once you reach population tier three, concrete becomes available. Spin up concrete production quickly and stockpile at least five stacks. With that on hand, open the research tree and move along the economic branch: Paved Roads is the second node after “Warehouse Organization.” Research it and use the upgrade button to convert dirt roads across your network.
Why prioritize it first:
- Paved roads extend building ranges, so service and collection radii cover more ground without relocating structures.
- They also speed up production by improving the flow of goods between buildings. Almost every workshop, farm, and service benefits from faster logistics.
In practice, this reduces idle time along production chains and smooths delivery to marketplaces and warehouses. The effect compounds as your city grows, which is why getting roads early pays off more than later, niche unlocks.
Civic research: Wells for fire safety
Fire risk climbs quickly as you densify districts and expand industry. In the early game, you’ll often see repeated incidents if you don’t intervene. Place city watch towers in central spots and add the civic research for “Wells” to bolster your prevention and response options.
If a blaze does start, pause and use the relocation tool to shift adjacent intact buildings out of the danger zone before the fire spreads. Expect to lose a few structures, but you can rebuild without the event spiraling through entire neighborhoods.
How to reach Paved Roads faster (tiering strategy)
Paved Roads requires concrete, and concrete unlocks at population tier three. You don’t need to fulfill every single need to progress tiers, so focus on the essentials to reach tier three earlier, then circle back for bonuses later.
- Tier progression is unlocked by meeting a subset of needs. For example, for Liberti you can use sardines and tunics with a market to advance, rather than building every possible good immediately.
- Rushing a tier unlocks more valuable goods, more advanced tech, and crucially, the road upgrade sooner.
Avoid common pitfalls while rushing research
Don’t upgrade every residential block at once. Each production building draws from a specific workforce tier. Woodcutters, warehouses, and other Liberti-tier operations will stall if you convert all Liberti housing to Plebeians. Before confirming mass upgrades, check the workforce panel next to your player icon to ensure you maintain a surplus at each tier.
Also, keep an eye on production line processing times. The product tooltips show how long each step takes; match buildings to those timings so nothing overproduces or starves the next link in the chain. When you later pave roads, revisit these ratios if you notice delivery cadence improving and buffers filling.
Recommended first research order (quick reference)
| Pick | Branch | When to prioritize | Key benefit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Organization | Economic | Before roads, en route to Paved Roads | Opens the path toward Paved Roads | Second step is Paved Roads; keep moving down this path |
| Paved Roads | Economic | Immediately after reaching tier 3 and stockpiling concrete | Wider ranges and faster production across the city | Have at least five stacks of concrete ready; use the upgrade button to convert roads |
| Wells | Civic | Early, once fires start appearing regularly | Improves fire safety as density increases | Pair with city watch towers; relocate nearby buildings when a fire breaks out |
Focus your early research on Paved Roads, using Wells to keep disasters in check while you scale. Rush to tier three to unlock concrete, pave as soon as you can, and maintain a balanced workforce so your logistics never stall. This sequence delivers the largest city-wide efficiency boost with the least detour.
