In Anno 1701, production chains are the backbone of your island's economy and social advancement. Mastering the ratios between raw material harvesters and finished goods factories is essential for maintaining a positive balance and keeping your citizens happy. Core Principles of Production
Production Cycles: Every building has a specific production time (e.g., 0:15 or 0:30) visible in-game when selected.
Ratio Rule: A "perfect" chain uses 1 ton of raw material to produce 1 ton of the finished product. You can find the best ratios by finding the smallest common denominator of the production times in a chain.
Proximity: For maximum efficiency, place processing buildings near their raw material sources to allow for direct transfer, bypassing the need for slow transport wagons. Essential Production Chains and Ratios
Maintaining the correct building counts prevents your warehouses from overflowing with raw materials or your citizens from running out of final products. Final Product Typical Chain Ratio (Raw : Processed) Approx. Population Served Bricks 1 Clay Pit : 2 Brick Works N/A (Construction) Cloth 2 Sheep Farms : 1 Weaver's Hut Alcohol 2 Hops/Sugar : 1 Brewery/Distillery Bread 4 Grain Farms : 2 Mills : 1 Bakery Tobacco 2 Plantations : 1 Processing Plant Tools 1 Mine : 1 Smelter : 2 Tool Makers N/A (Construction) Meat 2 Cattle Farms : 1 Butcher Lamp Oil 1 Whaler : 3 Whale Oil Manufactories Luxury Items Varies (e.g., Jewelry: 1 Gold + 1 Gem + 2 Goldsmiths) Key Strategy Tips 1701 A.D. - Guide and Walkthrough - PC - By F1_2004
The production chains in are the backbone of your island's economy, requiring careful balancing of raw material gathering and final processing to ensure 100% efficiency. Unlike later titles, Anno 1701 features resource depletion
—clay, iron, and marble can run out, requiring you to find "inexhaustible" deposits or expand to new islands.
Below is a breakdown of the core production chains and their optimal building ratios. Building Materials
These chains are essential for expanding your city. A common mistake is overbuilding; remember that only tax-paying citizens generate income, while these buildings only drain it. Orson Scott Card's - Intergalactic Medicine Show : 1 Clay Pit → 2 Brick Factories. anno 1701 production chains
: 1 Ore Mine + 1 Ore Smelter + 1 Lumberjack → 2 Tool Makers. : 1 Marble Quarry → 2 Marble Stonemasons. Essential Consumables & High-Tier Goods
Managing production chains for resources like food, textiles, and luxuries is essential for population growth.
: Cloth (Sheep/Weaver), Meat (Cattle/Butcher), and Bread (Grain/Mill/Bakery) rely on agricultural chains.
: Advanced items like Lamp Oil (Whaler/Manufactory), Chocolate (Apiary/Cocoa/Confectionary), and Jewelry (Gold/Gem/Goldsmith) often require specialized, often external, resources.
: Production of weapons and cannons requires an Ore/Smelter/Lumberjack chain. 1701 A.D. - Guide and Walkthrough - PC - By F1_2004
I will try to go in as much detail as possible, however I will assume you've got a basic knowledge of the game, more specifically, Guide :: Production of Goods - Steam Community
In Anno 1701, production chains are the backbone of a thriving colony. Success depends on maintaining precise ratios between raw material producers and final manufacturing buildings to ensure 100% efficiency without wasting resources or space. Essential Production Chain Ratios
Efficient chains are measured by how many raw material buildings are needed to supply one or more manufacturing buildings. In Anno 1701 , production chains are the
Key production ratios for core goods include 1:2 for Clay to Brick, 1:1:2 for Ore to Smelter to Tools, 2:1 for Sheep to Cloth, and 4:2:1 for Grain to Mill to Bakery. For higher-tier items, 2 Cocoa and 2 Apiaries support 1 Confectionery, while 1 Gold and 1 Gem mine support 2 Goldsmiths. Optimal efficiency is achieved by placing production buildings close to raw materials and using the in-game building time (e.g., 0:15 vs 0:30) to calculate ratios. Finally, utilize Market upgrades to boost transport capacity and research bonuses for increased output.
, creating efficient production chains is essential for sustaining a growing population. Below are the optimized ratios for key production chains based on in-game mechanics and community data. Core Production Chain Ratios (100% Efficiency) Alcohol (Hop): 2 Hop Plantations right arrow 1 Brewery (2 tons/min, supports 400–530 inhabitants). Alcohol (Sugar): 2 Sugar Cane Plantations right arrow 1 Distillery (2 tons/min). Tools/Weapons: 1 Ore Mine right arrow right arrow 2 Tool Makers/Weapon Smiths. 2 Sheep Farms right arrow 1 Weaver's Hut. Food (Bread): 2 Grain Farms right arrow 1 Flour Mill right arrow 1 Bakery (assuming 1t/min base rates). Food (Meat): 2 Cattle Farms right arrow 1 Butcher's Shop. 1 Clay Pit right arrow 2 Brick Factories. 1 Gold Mine + 1 Charcoal Kiln right arrow 1 Goldsmith. Key Consumption Data
1 Fisherman/Hunter supports 125, 1 Butcher 375, 1 Bakery 750 inhabitants. 1 Tobacco Plantation right arrow 1 Tobacco Processing Plant (supports 665). 1 Whale Oil Manufactory (supports 1000). Pro-Tips for Production Use the Time Tool:
You can see how fast a building operates by clicking it (e.g., 0:30 means 2 tons per minute). Check Indicators:
Ensure production buildings are surrounded by green icons in the production menu. Master Classrooms:
Research "Master Craftsman's Diploma" to increase final good production by 10%. Guild House: Guild Houses
to increase productivity of building materials/raw resources by 135%. Tax Control:
Use yellow/green tax levels to manage population growth and prevent overconsumption before your chains are ready. Sheep Chain: 2x Sheep Farm --> 1x Weaver
Paper production in requires two specific buildings working in tandem to process wood into the final product. It is a key commodity used primarily by
and higher social classes to satisfy their need for "Culture." Paper Production Chain The chain is a simple 1:1 ratio: Step 1: Woodcutter's Hut
One Woodcutter's Hut provides enough raw material for one Paper Mill. Step 2: Paper Mill as output.
The Paper Mill must be built within the influence radius of a Woodcutter's Hut or have access to Wood via a Warehouse/Market building. Key Requirements Civilization Level: You must reach the level to unlock the Paper Mill.
Paper is not consumed directly by residents but is required by the Printing House (along with Indigo) to produce , which fulfills the "Culture" requirement.
You have two choices here, and choosing wrong can ruin your island layout.
Verdict: Hemp is better for small islands. Sheep is better for large, grassy mainland islands.
Here’s a concise breakdown of the key production chains in Anno 1701 (including the Sunken Dragon expansion if noted). The game follows a tiered progression: Settlers → Citizens → Merchants → Aristocrats (plus Envoys in the expansion).
Copyright 2012 Joel Nielsen |