Eco is a very complicated game that takes some time to learn. Basically, anything that you do, affects the environment in many different ways. If you chop down too many trees, then the land starts to get cluttered with dead branches.
If you throw trash on the ground, the grass around it starts to die and the animals start dying. Everything you do affects the planet and how it all survives. You could kill off an entire species of an animal if you are not careful.
When I played with some friends, corn started to go extinct because we weren’t replanting the seeds and we were also harvesting too much. Here are some tips for new players that will help get you started.
Find a flat area to make your base
One of the hardest things to do is to find a place to build your base. The best possible place to do this is in an area that is very flat and has a lot of resources.
Also, if the area has a lot of trees, then get into the habit of replanting them after you chop one down because you can make everything harder on yourself if you don’t. If you don’t replant the trees, then you are going to have to go farther to chop wood and it will take a lot longer to fill your Stockpiles again.
The key to the game is to find a great area to settle down, and build a great city whilst also keeping the environment clean.
Also, finding the perfect place to make your base is key because that determines how long it is going to take you to build everything up.
You are going to want to do it as quick and easily as possible without destroying the environment too much. If you made your base in a bad spot, it does not take too long to move. Just make sure you clean up everything after you are done.
Pick the right Specialty
Another main thing is to figure out what your Specialty is going to be because once you choose one, it is gonna be a long time until you can get another one. Each one of the Specialties makes it easier to do everything it entails. If you choose baking, baking food will be easier.
If you choose to mine, then it will be very easy to me. It is actually best to play with a ton of people and all have different Specialties. You can then work together to achieve the main goal. Here are all the Specialties:
- Advanced Baking – Advanced baking mostly improves recipes that involve a leavening agent. Level by crafting advanced baking recipes.
- Advanced Campfire Cooking – Advanced techniques for producing food over a campfire with a little less burned and a little more golden brown. Level by crafting advanced campfire recipes.
- Advanced Cooking – Advanced cooking techniques for producing more complex foods. Level by crafting advanced cooking recipes.
- Advanced Smelting – Advanced smelting aids in the production of steel – a key ingredient in the progress of any group. Level by crafting advanced smelting recipes.
- Baking – An introduction to cooking with an oven. Level by crafting related unleavened recipes.
- Basic Engineering – Basic Engineering allows for the easier construction of roads and early forms of mechanical power. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Bricklaying – Bricklaying is an advancement in masonry and can provide excellent building material for communities. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Butchery – Butchery allows for more useful products to be harvested from hunted animals and fish. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Cement – Cement grants improvements to concrete which, in conjunction with steel rebar, makes for excellent building material. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Cooking – The basics of cooking in a more civilized environment give bonuses to a variety of food recipes. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Cutting Edge Cooking – Cutting edge cooking works with ingredients that don’t quite sound like food but can potentially provide high calorie and nutrition. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Electronics – Electronics improve the recipes for many advanced materials needed for advanced technology. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Farming – The art of planting and cultivating flora. Level by crafting related recipes and using the hoe.
- Fertilizers – Adding additional nutrients to the soil can improve farming yield or, if overdone, ruin it. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Gathering – Gathering covers harvesting materials both from the natural environment and human-created farms. Level by gathering plants – farmed or natural.
- Glassworking – Glassworkers have improved the ability to create glass which can be used as a clear building material or framed in steel to create a more industrial look. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Hewing – Cutting logs into usable crafting and building materials is an important skill for budding communities. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Hunting – Hunt animals for skin and meat. Level by successfully hunting.
- Industry – Advanced industrialization to produce larger machines and advanced technology. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Logging – Wood is a useful resource and cutting down trees is a skill anyone can appreciate. Level by felling trees and clearing debris.
- Lumber – Forming trees into more structurally sound and sturdy lumber for use in construction or production. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Mechanics – Mechanics for more advanced creations. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Milling – Milling various products can create important materials for baking and other uses. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Mining – Hitting rocks with a pickaxe can be surprisingly difficult. Level by breaking rocks.
- Mortaring – Rocks and mortar can provide a suitable building material alternative to wood. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Oil Drilling – While it takes some advanced tools and constructions, harvesting and refining oil can be an important step. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Paper Milling – Paper to carry the written word. Or used to stuff in bookshelves. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Self Improvement – How can you save the world if you can’t save yourself?
- Smelting – Metal is an important part of progress and smelting is the first step into a new age. Level by crafting related recipes.
- Tailoring – Creating new clothes and setting trends. Level by crafting related recipes.
Don’t play as you do in Minecraft
If you play the game the same as you play Minecraft, then you are going to literally destroy the planet. When you go into the game, try to have a clean mindset to where you want to keep the ecosystem alive.
The more you play the more destroyed the environment is gonna get so you have to get into the habit of cleaning up your messes and replanting everything you cut down. Also, you can’t just make a mine in the ground, the dirt actually needs to go somewhere so keep that in mind.
It is a long process to make a mine because of how much work you are going to need to do. Just get into a different mindset when playing this game.
Keep the area clean
Keeping your area clean is the main goal of the game and it is crucial if you want to be able to harvest anything in the game.
If your area is not clean, then everything around you will start dying and you won’t be very happy. always keep the area clear of any sticks or clutter because anything can destroy the environment around you. Even throwing one bag of trash on the ground is bad because it starts to make everything decay around it. Always be wary of what you are doing.
Plant gardens for food
Gardens are an important aspect of the game because that is one of the best ways to get food. As you are building and cleaning everything up around you, have some food be planted in a garden near you so when you get hungry, you can just go over and get some food and then replant it again.
There is nothing more satisfying than having all the food and not having to worry about it at all. If you have friends playing with you, have one of them be a farmer so that it grows quicker. Also, the bigger the garden, the more food you get so if you have someone working in a huge garden, food won’t be an issue.
Research as much as you can
Each time you research something, you get 5 papers that allow you to expand your land. Also, you unlock crafting for specific items like engineering and tools. There are all sorts of things to unlock so it is just up to you what you want to get first.
I do have to say that it is a grind to get some of them because of everything you need to get it and they also take real-time to craft so you could be waiting up to 60 minutes for just one book. Make sure you keep everything in mind when researching because it only takes one book per server and everyone can get 5 land plots and also learn the skill.
Find a mountain or hill to use for mining
The best possible way to mine is to start with a mountain or hill because you have to put the dirt somewhere. The only downside to that is you can’t find metal and gold in the upper areas of the world.
When I played, I actually mined a huge square from under my house so there is a huge hole below my house for mining. I also made a winding staircase around the wall so that I can easily get back up. Mining is not difficult once you know how to do it and it is not easy to find rare materials.
Have other people help you mine if you are having trouble and make sure to use a cart to haul more stuff.
Keep your Stockpiles filled
The bigger your Stockpile is, the more you can fit in it. Stockpiles are basically your storage and it is important to have everything organized. Try to fill all your storage with the necessary materials because you will need it in the future.
Try to keep them full when you use some of it because eventually, all will be gone from it and you will have to grind for material again. If you can, make the large stockpiles and place them in a spot near your workbenches so you don’t need to take the materials out to craft something. Always keep them filled.
Play with other people
Playing with other people will help in almost every way if you have roles set for everyone. If everyone has a job to do, then everything will be all fine and dandy. If everyone is confused and working for themselves, then that is another issue.
The world will start to decay and everything will be in chaos. The best way to be united is to all have different roles and help each other or else everyone will have a bad time. Establish trades and be kind to everyone or else you are a bad sport. If you are playing by yourself, then consider joining a server with a bunch of people already in it.
Don’t throw trash everywhere
Trash destroys the environment because depending on what it is, it can be devastating to the world you live in. The best thing to do is to get a trash bin or a place to put all trash so you don’t have to worry about cleaning it up later on. Just trust me, you don’t want to mess up your world with garbage.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Eco is a very advanced game and takes a lot of time to get used to. If you have not played it and want to get into a survival game with a lot of newly added ways to play, then this is the game for you. It is more realistic and takes longer to actually understand but it is really fun if you know what you are doing. I would highly recommend this game to anyone who likes these types of games.