1701 A.D. Gold Edition takes players to an 18th-century land under the Queen's orders to develop settlements and grow a massive empire. Players must keep their citizenry happy by developing and acquiring goods to satisfy their ever-growing needs while working to gain the upper hand on opponents. Gamers will challenge wily AI antagonists, each with unique personalities and traits, or take on human opposition online and interact with them through diplomacy, trade, sabotage, espionage and even military might in order to reign supreme in the New World.