A Roman pirate ship flying a flag with... flintlock pistols? 🏴‍☠️🔫 We investigate the massive, self-inflicted credibility crisis rocking Ubisoft's Anno 117: Pax Romana. It wasn't a promotional image; it was an in-game asset that shattered the immersion for history buffs.

1. The Anachronism: We break down the scandal. Players zoomed in on a pirate ship sailing the Roman seas only to find the Jolly Roger depicted not with swords, but with crossed firearms—technology that wouldn't be invented for another 1,000 years. We explain why this "visual crime scene" became a viral symbol of neglect, violating the game's second-century technological rules.

2. The "Asset Flip" Theory: Why did it happen? We analyze the forensic evidence suggesting this wasn't a creative choice, but a "Copy-Paste" error. The pistol asset appears suspiciously identical to the pirate faction assets from the previous game, Anno 1800. We discuss the "laziness" accusation: that studios are recycling entire folder structures across millennia to cut costs, introducing "asset integrity debt".

3. The Intentionality Gap: We explore the fallout. Players forgave historical inaccuracies like female Roman governors because they were intentional design choices for gameplay. But they refused to forgive the pistol because it was an accidental oversight that added zero value. We discuss how this "crystallizing error" confirmed player fears about rushed development and a lack of quality control.