It’s a glitch. But it’s also history. 🏛️💧 We investigate the "Ghost Column Hack" in Anno 117: Pax Romana. We break down the strategy where players place aqueduct blueprints to create "ghost pillars," allowing them to connect roads and extend influence zones without paying for the full structure. Is this an error, or accidental genius?

1. The "Ghost Column" Hack: We analyze the exploit. In the game, you can project an aqueduct's influence by placing just the starting pillars (the "ghosts") and canceling the rest. We explain how this saves massive resources while tricking the game engine into thinking the infrastructure is complete, allowing for optimized city layouts that shouldn't legally exist.

2. The Concrete Reality: The Romans did it first. We expose the history. We discuss "Opus Caementicium" (Roman Concrete). Just like the game hack, real Romans didn't build solid marble structures; they built cheap, standardized concrete cores and "skinned" them with expensive materials. The game's cost-saving glitch is actually a perfect metaphor for Roman logistical efficiency.

3. Empire of Errors: When bugs become features. We explore the design. We discuss the developer's reaction to "emergent gameplay." We ask: should this exploit be patched out, or does it represent the true spirit of a Roman governor cutting corners to meet a deadline?.

The full list of sources used to create this episode can be found on our Patreon under https://www.patreon.com/c/Morgrain