ECO Economy Management Guide 2025
Building a functional ECO economy is crucial for civilization growth. This guide covers currency systems, markets, taxation, and trade management for your server.
💰 Economy Overview
- Currency: Server-based or barter system
- Market: Player-to-player trading platform
- Taxation: Government-collected fees
- Trade: Essential for resource distribution
Currency Configuration
Enabling Currency
Access web interface at http://your-server:3001 and configure:
{
"CurrencyEnabled": true,
"CurrencyName": "EcoCoins",
"CurrencySymbol": "🌱",
"StartingBalance": 100,
"MaxBalance": 1000000
}Currency Settings
| Setting | Description | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Balance | Initial coins for new players | 50-200 |
| Currency Name | Display name in UI | Custom server theme |
| Max Balance | Maximum player holdings | Unlimited or very high |
| Decimal Places | Fractional coins allowed | 0-2 (2 recommended) |
Market System
Global Market
The global market allows players to trade resources, crafted goods, and services:
- Listing Items: Players sell items to global market
- Buying Items: Purchase from other players
- Auctions: Competitive bidding system
- Fees: Small transaction fees to prevent spam
Market Configuration
{
"MarketEnabled": true,
"ListingFee": 1.0,
"AuctionFee": 2.0,
"MaxListings": 20,
"MinPrice": 0.01
}Local Markets
Players can create local markets within their claims:
- Permission: Set by claim owner
- Access: Public or restricted to whitelisted players
- Fees: Optional local transaction fees
- Currency: Can use local barter if currency disabled
Taxation System
Government Taxes
Configurable tax rates for various transactions:
{
"TaxationEnabled": true,
"IncomeTaxRate": 0.05,
"SalesTaxRate": 0.03,
"PropertyTaxRate": 0.01,
"TaxCollectionInterval": 86400
}Tax Types
| Tax Type | Rate | Applied To |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 5% (recommended) | Wages and salaries |
| Sales Tax | 3% (recommended) | Market transactions |
| Property Tax | 1% (recommended) | Claim ownership |
| Resource Tax | Variable | High-tier resource extraction |
Tax Fund Management
- Public Treasury: Visible to all players
- Use of Funds: Community projects, infrastructure, or distribution
- Voting Required: Players vote on tax usage
- Refunds: Not possible - taxes are spent
Banking System
Player Banking
Players can store currency in personal vaults:
- Interest Rates: Optional savings interest
- Loans: Bank-provided loans to players
- Withdrawal Limits: Prevent spam transactions
- Account Types: Checking, savings, investment
Bank Configuration
{
"BankingEnabled": true,
"InterestRate": 0.01,
"LoanInterestRate": 0.05,
"MaxLoanAmount": 1000,
"LoanTermDays": 30
}Trade & Barter
Barter Mode
For servers without currency, barter systems enable direct trading:
- Direct Trade: Player-to-player resource exchange
- Weight System: Resources assigned relative values
- Trade Hubs: Central locations for barter
- No Currency Needed: Pure resource economy
Currency Economy
| Aspect | Barter | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity | High (requires value knowledge) | Low (clear prices) |
| Learning Curve | High (new players struggle) | Low (intuitive) |
| Taxation | Impossible | Easy (can implement) |
| Scalability | Difficult (complex trades) | Easy (math works well) |
Economy Balance
Inflation Control
- Currency Sinks: Ways to remove money from economy
- Tax Rates: Adjust based on player count
- Resource Scarcity: Limit high-tier spawns
- Skill Requirements: Make advanced crafting costly
Currency Sinks
| Mechanic | Effectiveness | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes | High | Income, sales, property taxes |
| Transaction Fees | Medium | Market listing fees, bank fees |
| Fines | Variable | Eco violations, pollution taxes |
| Luxury Items | Low | Expensive cosmetics, decorations |
Early Game Balance
Generous Start
Higher starting balance for faster progression.
Abundant Resources
Increased early-game resource spawn rates.
Low Taxes
Reduced early-game tax burden.
Community Focus
Encourage cooperation over competition.
Advanced Features
Stock Market
Enable simulated stock market for economic depth:
- Commodities: Resources as tradable stocks
- Companies: Player-run businesses as stocks
- Dividends: Profit sharing to shareholders
- Crashes: Market volatility simulation
Cryptocurrency (Optional)
Add mining mechanics to economy:
- Currency Mining: Computer-based coin generation
- Energy Costs: Electricity required for mining
- Difficulty Scaling: More players = harder mining
- Environmental Impact: Mining affects server ecology
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use currency or barter?
Currency is easier to manage and tax. Barter provides more challenge and immersion. Use currency for large servers.
What's the ideal tax rate?
Start with 5% income tax, 3% sales tax. Adjust based on server economy health. Higher taxes slow progression.
How do I fix inflation?
Increase currency sinks (taxes, fees, fines). Reduce money spawning. Make high-level skills expensive.
Can players create their own currency?
No, economy is server-wide. Players can use market to trade, but cannot mint currency.
What if economy collapses?
Reset server economy (wipes only currency, not progress) or implement currency reforms. Communicate changes to community first.
Next Steps
- Set up government and laws
- Balance economy with ecology
- Configure all economy settings
- Adapt economy for educational use
Economy Expert Help: Supercraft provides optimized ECO servers with flexible economy configuration for your community's needs.