Continuum of Eco: Resource access

I observed several players of the game Eco using words such as communism or capitalism. On my very first experience with this odd terminology, I witnessed denunciation of a "communist" player because he started a craft on the table of another player for free... But what really happened here is a matter of resource access, not political theories.

Communism, capitalism, free market and related political and economical terms refer to well known and documented concepts. Their usage is often misleading in Eco, especially within small communities. For instance, giving access to stockpiles is not communism: it is sharing. Owning a store is not a certified sign of capitalism. What is clear however is that both examples refer to how resources are shared between players.

To illustrate resources sharing and access, figure 1 is meant to illustrate a continuum (like a slider for volume on your TV) which shows two extremes and a whole lot of gray between them.

Fig 1. Continuum of resource access.

Continuum description

At one end of this continuum, players give open access to deeds, crafting tables and stockpile. A player at this position on the continuum will let his partners use his crafting tables and start projects on theirs. He will pool his resources in team containers (ex.: common food reserve). This can be seen in close teams where trust is high. For workshop and factories, the Fab Lab contraption does this without the trust requirement.

The other logic extreme of this continuum is preventing others to get access to resources. Have you ever consider keeping the scrolls after working hard to make a research book? Have you ever claimed strategic lands so you would be the only one getting resources from them? A team of players may also intentionally or inadvertently use laws to prevent other players to get resources (ex.: smelting or district protection laws). I must say here these laws are also useful in preventing bad behaviors and resources waste.

Fig 2. Example of the popular smelting law used prior to Eco 9.0 to prevent waste and limit ground pollution

Sliding on the continuum

Most players are found somewhere between these two extremes of the continuum. They make resources available, but in a controlled fashion. They use stores, contracts or add fees to use their workstations. Of course, free or cheap items brings you to the open sharing end while higher price or bad store setup prevent other players from getting them.

Eco is a cooperative game. Generally speaking, the more resources are available, the more objectives players can complete. This doesn't mean you have to go all-in public stockpile with everyone, but rather find ways to let others benefit from your unique skills. Greed and individualism tend to bring short-term benefits for one player at the expense of the whole server's progress and survival in the long run.

Also, you don't stick to a specific point in the continuum all the time. The way you share resources may vary according to your relationship status with other players or the difficulty to get access to a given resource. So, you can share a common food chest with one player while selling cement for a high price at your store.

How can you share resources more openly in Eco?

• Run a store efficiently, providing strategically and timely useful resources
• Early in the game, give a small number of items related to your own specialization that are useful in someone else's recipes. It is a good way to make friends early in the game and state your intents about how you plan to contribute to their projects.
• Create an automatic production station (or DIY station) where anyone can put basic resources and get back manufactured products. This will give you skill points without spending time and calories to get the resources.
• Create a public/team research center or Fab Lab.
• Make a public/team stockpile or chest filled with items you can easily depart with.
• Add items to the distribution station (please avoid leaving your old tools and garbage)
• Make your workstations available to other players. This is especially true for stations who benefits multiple skills, like the carpentry table.

What could go wrong with sharing?

• Some players may think your actions are unfair or personally directed against them because they sell for profits the things you share freely. You may be targeted as the evil player who ruins their precious trading game. There are perfectly good games out there if running a store is your thing: leave the cooperative games to real team players.
• Some players may feel excluded because you did not share with them. Best practice in this case is to offer your help through public channel (ex.: General chat, Discord), create contracts or aim for community projects that helps everyone.

And above all

Eco is a cooperative game, so you should generally seek the open end of this continuum. If you ever find yourself filled with distrust for other players or seeking ways to control resources at all cost (such as scrolls), you are not in a good place.