I have just spent way too much of the last three days trying to install the 1701 A.D. Gold Edition (or ANNO 1701, if you prefer,) on my new Windows 8 laptop. I had similar problems installing it on 7, but all that took was a couple patches. More on that later.
The first step I took was to install it. (Duh.) After it completed, I couldn't do anything with it. So I tried running it as an administrator; in compatibility mode for XP, XP with Service Pack 2, XP SP3, Windows Vista, Vista with Service Pack 1, Vista SP 2, and Windows 7; and as administrator in compatibility mode for all listed above. Still nothing. I sent Ubisoft an inquiry, but never heard back.
After some browsing, I found Patch 1.04 on Aspyr's (the original ANNO franchise owner) website and installed it. Next start-up I received a popup about a bad driver: Error 1275. Not success, but at least its progress. I think.
I opened up the disc files to see if they held any useful information. That's when I found this:
I Googled "Tages 1701 AD" and, on the most useful site I had visited yet, learned that Tages was a copy protection program that has not worked correctly since XP. (Copy protection? Don't they trust the internet to obey copyright laws?) To get it working on 7, a driver update from the Tages website was required. I downloaded it, reinstalled the game and patch 1.04, and ran it as an administrator, just to cover all grounds.
The little loading mouse pointer appeared. It's working, I said to myself, foolishly. After a second or two, the normal pointer reappeared, and nothing else happened. I pointlessly tried running it as administrator in every service pack, with the same result each time.
Frustrated, I uninstalled 1701 and ages, opened up Amazon, and purchased ANNO 1404 (or Dawn of Discovery, if you prefer. What is it with this series and names?) Gold Edition.
While I was waiting for it to arrive, I did some last Googling. As far as I can tell, no one yet has figured out how to run 1701 on Windows 8. So, long story short, if anyone out there has any tips, I'd be happy to hear them. And if anyone wants to give it a shot, I hope this post works as a jumping off point. I am fairly certain 1.04 and the Tages update will be required no matter what.
Anyways, 1701 A.D. Awesome real-time-strategy game. Think Civilization meets Age of Empires. (Of course, if you read this far, you have probably played it.) I have wasted way too much time on it already; maybe it was time for an upgrade. I just prefer the colonial time period rather than the 1400's setting of 1404. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That is hardly the motto of gamemakers. Theirs is, "If it ain't broke, sequels sequels sequels, $$$."