as was the case in "anno 1701", the game world is divided into two culturally distinct zones. in anno 1404, these zones are inspired by, though not intended to be historically accurate to, northwestern renaissance europe and the medieval near east, referred to as the occident and the orient respectively. one of the major differences between previous entries in the series and anno 1404 is that players are required to build both occidental and oriental settlements simultaneously in order for the inhabitants of their settlements and available buildings to advance. despite the addition of player-managed oriental settlements, the occident remains the primary focus of the game. the orient acts more of a trading partner in order for occidental people to advance in class. in order for this to occur, oriental goods such as spice, indigo and quartz must be produced and shipped from oriental colonies.