I’ve been revisiting anno 2205, infamously the ugly duckling of the Anno series of RTS games. I don’t mind so much the fact that it’s different, lacks customisation and random map generation - I’m bothered because the game is so slow to progress through on challenge settings, and it feels like a game designed just to artificially waste your time; in other anno games, you can always pull tricks to dig yourself out of economic crisis - selling off assets and surplus goods, completing quests for other parties, or taking loans. 2205 is very very confined in terms of what you can do to financially recover in the early game and forces you into a lot of military events.
Played cdda years ago but could never figure it out and wasn’t able to get much done, my instance on not using a tileset and just going with the askii graphics because “that’s how it’s supposed to look” likely didn’t help. Been wanting to give it another shot for a while but never got around to it.
Have you tried the bright nights fork? Never played it personally but remembered it existed while writing this and took a look at it, and it seems like what you are looking for. If you have tried it, how is it?
It’s fun! There are a few mechanical things that are just better in dark days (people talk shit about pockets, but it’s the best thing that’s been added in years) and the mods hadn’t moved over when i played it last, but it’s generally a better experience.
Edit after looking for the newest update to BN: holy shit the mods. The mods have moved over, they are in a better place, they are more extensive, there is no reason to ever go back now.