Anno 1404 | Map Seeds
In Anno 1404 (and its expansion, Venice), map seeds are the DNA of your session, determining the layout, resource density, and fertility of your world. While the game's generator is robust, choosing a specific seed is the difference between a constant struggle for wheat and a sprawling, efficient metropolis. Popular Community Seeds
For players seeking specific advantages, certain seeds have become legendary in the community:
Seed 39950: Widely considered one of the best for large-scale building, it features its largest island almost directly in the center of the map, ideal for a central hub.
Seed 18030: A classic recommendation from the Anno 1404 Wiki for balanced play.
Seed 59766: Another high-tier seed noted for its favorable island distribution in continuous games.
Seed 8882: Known for a "Production Island" start and a great main island that facilitates a quick advance to Tier 4 (Patricians/Nobles).
Seed 69420: On "Easy" settings without AI, this seed is famous for hosting a massive "round" island with nearly perfect clay and oil placement, offering the largest unrestricted building area. How Seeds Actually Work
The seed is a five-digit number that acts as a blueprint, but it doesn't work in isolation. Your final map is a result of the seed combined with your game settings.
Variables that change the map: Settings like map size, island size, and the presence of Volcanoes (in Venice) will completely alter how a seed manifests.
Island Rotation: Elements like NPCs or Pirates can cause islands to rotate by 90 or 180 degrees, even on the same seed.
Fertility and Resources: While the physical island shapes are picked from a finite pool of pre-made designs, their specific resources (like Cider or Hemp) can vary based on your difficulty settings. Pro Tips for Managing Seeds
In Anno 1404 (also known as Dawn of Discovery), map seeds are five-digit numbers that act as a blueprint for the game world's generation. While the individual islands themselves are not procedurally generated—they are chosen from a fixed pool of pre-designed assets—the seed determines their placement, the distribution of resources, and the types of fertilities available across the map. Core Mechanics of Seeds
To replicate a specific map, entering the seed number alone is often not enough. The final layout depends on a combination of factors:
Expansion/Version: Seeds generated in the base game may not produce the same results in the Venice expansion. anno 1404 map seeds
Game Settings: You must match the exact settings for island size, island difficulty, raw materials, and volcanoes (on or off) for the seed to work correctly.
Finding Your Seed: If you are currently playing a map and want to know its seed, you can open your save file with Notepad and search for the term "Seed" to find the five-digit ID. Highly Recommended Map Seeds
The following seeds are popular in the community for providing large building spaces or abundant resources: Seed Number Notable Features 59766
A massive map with large islands; features two "giant" isles near the main NPC ports (Kingsport and Al-Zahir). 61376
Renowned for having 35 brine deposits, with 12 located on large islands, ideal for massive salt and meat production. 12421
A popular choice for players seeking a "huge map" with the largest possible island sizes. 39950
Frequently cited on the Anno 1404 Wiki as a top-tier seed for continuous play. 14885 (Venice HE)
Features a small central island that serves as a perfect distribution hub for mineables and resources. Tips for Perfect Map Generation
Fertility Customization: Don't restart a map just because one island lacks a specific resource like Roses or Dates. You can purchase "Seeds" items from Lord Northburgh or Grand Vizier Al Zahir and "socket" them into your warehouse to permanently add that fertility to an island.
Resetting: Some players suggest resetting the map generation a few times with the same seed to fine-tune the starting position, though the islands themselves will remain the same if the settings are identical.
Volcanoes: In the Venice expansion, turning volcanoes On significantly changes the island pool, as it introduces volcanic islands with specialized mineral configurations. Anno 1404 Map seeds : r/anno
According to a Reddit user on r/anno, there are some tips for Anno 1404 map seeds: * **Check the patch version and game settings** Fertilities - Anno 1404 Wiki
You're looking for Anno 1404 map seeds. Anno 1404, also known as Anno 1404: Venice, is a city-building and real-time strategy game developed by Ubisoft. Map seeds are used to generate random maps for the game. In Anno 1404 (and its expansion, Venice ),
Here are some resources where you can find Anno 1404 map seeds:
- Anno 1404 Wiki: The Anno 1404 Wiki has a section dedicated to map seeds, where you can find a list of known seeds and their corresponding map configurations.
- Anno 1404 Forums: The official Anno 1404 forums have a section for map seeds, where players share and discuss their favorite seeds.
- GameFAQs: GameFAQs has a section for Anno 1404, including a list of map seeds and their effects on gameplay.
Some popular map seeds for Anno 1404 include:
- Default: A standard map with a balanced layout.
- Island: A map with several islands, ideal for players who enjoy coastal cities.
- Tropical: A map with a tropical climate, featuring lush forests and exotic resources.
Keep in mind that map seeds can affect the game's difficulty and resource availability, so choose one that suits your playstyle.
Notable Community-Discovered Seeds (with settings)
These are “seeds” in the sense of reproducible maps when you match all settings exactly.
| Seed Name / ID | Map Type | Size | Difficulty | Notes | |----------------|----------|------|------------|-------| | "The Golden Seed" | Archipelago | Huge | Hard | Very large continental islands in the south; good for massive cities. North islands have many date plantations. | | "Continent 8" | Continent | Large | Medium | One large southern island with 4 large rivers and excellent fertility (spices, wine, indigo). | | "No River South" | Archipelago | Medium | Easy | Southern main island has no rivers – ideal for efficient farms without river crossing penalties. | | "Double Large North" | Atoll | Huge | Hard | Two exceptionally large northern islands side-by-side; great for co-op or competitive multiplayer. |
⚠️ These are based on community posts from 2009–2015. Without a fixed pseudorandom generator tied to a visible seed number, results may vary slightly between game versions (e.g., Gold Edition vs. History Edition).
Part 5: Advanced Techniques – Reading the Tea Leaves
You don’t always need a list. You can analyze a seed within the first 10 minutes of gameplay.
The "Herbs" Test: In the Occident, look at your starting island’s fertility. If you have Wheat + Herbs on the same island, keep the seed. This allows you to build a Monastery (for beer and books) without a trade route. If you have Wheat but no Herbs, the seed is average at best.
The "Quartz" Proximity: Glass is essential for Noblemen. If the nearest Quartz deposit is on your starting island or directly adjacent, the seed is high-tier.
The "Silk" Lottery: Oriental Envoys require Silk. Silk only grows on specific islands in the South. If your starting Oriental island has Silk (usually it requires Dates and Indigo first), you have found a legendary seed. Bookmark it immediately.
Part 7: Modding & Custom Seeds
If the standard 65,535 seeds feel limiting, the modding community has solutions.
- I.A.M. (Ich.Iss.Mod): This total conversion mod not only adds hundreds of new production chains but also allows for custom map templates. You can force the generation to prefer "Giant Islands" or "No Corsairs" by entering specific seed ranges (e.g., seeds 20000-21000 are designated "Peaceful Economy" maps in I.A.M. v3.0).
- Random Map Script (RMS): Advanced users can edit the
mapgeneration.cfgfile to change probability weights. By using a specific seed (like99999), you can trigger a "debug" map that reveals all resources instantly.
Recommendation for Today’s Player
If you just want a good map without modding/tools:
- Select Continental map type, Large size, Medium difficulty.
- Restart 2–3 times – you will quickly find a usable southern island with at least 2 large rivers and spices + sugar cane.
If you want exact reproducibility:
- Use the History Edition (still no seed UI, but community savegames work).
- Download a “perfect start” save from the Anno 1404 History Edition Steam Guides section.
Would you like step-by-step instructions for using the third-party Map Generator tool, or a link to known community savegame repositories?
In the bustling harbors of Anno 1404, every successful empire begins not with a hammer strike or a ship’s horn, but with a number. To the novice, the "map seed" screen is just a formality—a box pre-filled with the default 12345. But to the weathered Viceroy, that number is a promise of prosperity or a curse of scarcity.
The story of map seeds begins with the game’s procedural generation system. When you start a new game on Continuous mode, the engine doesn't randomly scatter islands each time you play. Instead, it uses a mathematical formula: the seed number. Plug in 42, and the algorithm draws a specific arrangement of islands, mineral deposits, and river placements. Plug in 12345, and you get a completely different world. The same seed on the same difficulty settings will always produce the exact same map.
This leads to the first lesson every trader learns: Not all seeds are born equal.
Take the legendary seed 8723. For years, it was whispered about in forums and trading posts. Why? Because it gave the player a massive southern starting island with three fertile wheat fields and an iron ore deposit—a rarity that allows for early parchment and book production without colonial expansion. In the north, your main island had peat bogs arranged in a perfect cross, ideal for efficient hemp farms. Veterans called it the "Beginner’s Dream."
Then there is the infamous seed 666. It starts you on a tiny, cramped northern island with no stone. Your southern counterpart is split into three fragments, forcing you to build five separate trade routes just to supply your rising population. The only large southern island, rich in spices and quartz, is occupied by the aggressive Lord Northburgh from the start. Players who accidentally pick 666 often abandon their save by the second hour, muttering about pirates and poor planning.
But the real treasure hunt is for Occidental-Arctic-Balancing seeds. In Anno 1404, you need both northern (Occidental) and southern (Oriental) islands. A great seed provides:
- A large northern home island with at least two stone deposits and a river for watermills.
- A southern island close by with dates and milk (for the Nomads) and a patch of land for indigo or spices.
- Most critically: a small, unoccupied southern island with gold ore. Gold is essential for late-game jewelry and monocles, and if the only gold island belongs to the AI, you’ll face a trade war.
One seed, 2711, became famous in speedrunning communities. It places a medium southern island with gold, quartz, and spices directly across a narrow strait from your northern capital. You can build a market chain with just two cargo ships. The record for reaching the Large Cathedral foundation was broken on this seed.
The community has since catalogued hundreds of seeds. Websites and spreadsheets list them like rare artifacts:
1488– Best for huge metropolises (lots of room, but no rivers).9000– Most balanced for hard AI (enemies are spread out, giving you time).007– The “Island Hopper” – dozens of tiny atolls, perfect for a decentralized trading empire.
Yet, the story doesn't end with simply having a good seed. The true master knows that the seed only defines potential. A perfect map can be ruined by poor harbor placement or ignoring the winds (yes, winds are also tied to the seed). And a "bad" seed like 9999, which starts you on a rocky, ore-less island, can become a thrilling challenge for the veteran who enjoys squeezing efficiency from every last tile.
So, the next time you boot up Anno 1404, don't hit "Start" blindly. Spend a moment in the seed box. Type in 5723 or 3108—names that carry the weight of thousands of hours of collective experience. Because in the world of the High Middle Ages, your destiny isn't just written in the stars. It's encoded in a number. Choose wisely, and your cities will rise to the heavens. Choose poorly, and you’ll spend the night chasing spice routes while your nobles freeze without coats.
That is the power of the map seed.
Anno 1404: A Timeless City-Building Classic - A Review of its Map Seeds Anno 1404 Wiki : The Anno 1404 Wiki
Anno 1404, released in 2009 by Ubisoft, is a city-building game set in the Renaissance era. The game allows players to build and manage their own medieval town, balance economic, social, and environmental aspects, and interact with other nations. One of the key features that enhances replayability in Anno 1404 is the use of map seeds. These seeds generate specific maps with unique characteristics, offering players a different experience each time they start a new game.
For the "Mega-City" (10,000+ Noblemen)
You cannot build a metropolis on a standard island. You need Seed 10101. This produces a "Ring" archipelago. Your start island is surrounded by tiny, useless rocks, but the second ring contains three enormous northern islands within 2 tiles of each other. You can connect them with a single market building via harbours.
Troubleshooting Your Seed
- "I entered the seed, but the map looks different!" – Make sure your game difficulty settings (Island Size, Fertility frequency) match the seed's intended settings. Most "best seeds" assume Large Islands and Normal Fertility.
- "The History Edition broke my favorite seed." – The History Edition fixed a bug where watermill efficiency didn't work on slopes. Try adding "0" to the end of your old seed (e.g., 71408 becomes 714080). This often restores the layout.
Most Reliable Method to Use a Specific Seed
- Find a savegame file from a trusted source (e.g., Anno1404-Wiki.de, Reddit user uploads).
- Place the save in:
Documents\Anno 1404\Savegames
- Load the save at beginning of game (Continuous game, lowest difficulty, no changes).
- Play from there, or use it as a template.

