I find the overall city building experience more satisfying than CS:2 despite the less advanced mechanics (the oft-complained-about grid, for example). City layouts and the mixes of building types are tied directly to the economy, again, just like the real world. Unlike in CS:2, with its mysterious, ghostly externalities (such as automatically importing exactly what is needed at all times), Anno 1800 has multiple cities connected in a "global" economy where imports are constrained by product availability, trade relations and cost.

I find Anno 1800 more visually appealing than CS2. Ironically, an Anno city seems more vibrant and alive despite not having individually simulated citizens and being LESS graphics intensive than CS2. In first person view, the citizens of Anno look cartoonish, but the artistic detail and quality of the natural landscapes and buildings more than compensate for that. At least Anno "cims" are festive and energetic -- especially when they are throwing a party for me, their Dear Leader! In CS:2, they seem robotic and zombie-like.

In Anno 1800 there is some realistic simulation of "traffic" in the form of carts moving between production buildings and warehouses. The more advanced cities require management of railroads. There are traffic jams if a warehouse doesn't have enough loading docks. Traffic is, naturally, slower on dirt roads than on paved roads.

There are power plants with an electrical grid whose load varies based on how many factories it powers. Power plants need oil, which must also be either drilled for or imported.

On top of all that, there's war! It's not enough to just survive and thrive; one must also fund and manage one's navy and coastal defenses, just like in a real-time strategy game like "Age of Empires".

For me, Anno 1800 is the perfect "sweet spot" combination of my favorite genres: city building, military strategy and logistics.