Anno 1404- Venice Eng Language Pack -eng0.rda-
Anno 1404, known as Dawn of Discovery in North America, is a beloved city-building strategy game. The expansion, Venice, adds multiplayer and diplomatic features. However, a common issue among players—especially those who purchased the game from different regions or digital platforms—is the game defaulting to the wrong language (often German or Russian) with no easy way to switch it in the launcher.
The solution almost always involves the English Language Pack, specifically a file named eng0.rda.
Some modders open eng0.rda to rename goods, ships, or NPC factions. Want to rename “Cider” to “Hard Apple Juice” or change “Lord Richard Northburgh” to a local inside joke? eng0.rda is the key.
Sometimes the game needs to be told to use English. Open the Engine.ini file (found in My Documents\Anno 1404\Config\). Look for the line:
<Language> Anno 1404- Venice ENG Language Pack -eng0.rda-
Change it to:
<Language>eng</Language>
Save the file and set it to "Read-Only" (right-click > Properties) to prevent the game from overwriting it.
| Attribute | Detail |
| :--- | :--- |
| Filename | eng0.rda |
| Location | \Anno 1404\maindata\ (or \Anno 1404 Venice\maindata\) |
| File Size | Approx. 10 MB - 50 MB (Varies by patch version; primarily text/XML data). |
| Compression | Proprietary RDA compression (zlib-based in later versions). |
| Dependency | Requires the game engine to parse; acts as a data blob for the Anno runtime. | Anno 1404 , known as Dawn of Discovery
For a player, eng0.rda is a read-only system file. For a modder, it is the primary tool for translation, correction, and customization.
Since many hidden game mechanics are referenced by their text ID in other script files, examining the eng0.rda can reveal what a cryptic variable like 10340 actually means ("The ship is carrying too much weight").
Before diving into the language pack, it is crucial to understand the file format. In Anno 1404 and its Venice expansion, the game stores virtually all its assets in proprietary archive files with the .rda extension (Related Data Archive). Some modders open eng0
Think of an .rda file as a digital suitcase. Inside, you will find textures, 3D models, user interface scripts, music, and crucially for this article—localization files (the text and spoken dialogue for different languages).
The -eng0.rda- suffix in your search query indicates a very specific version: the English Language Pack for the Venice expansion (often denoted by the 0 referring to the base language index).