How to Join Your Eco Server

Eco does not have a classic direct connect field in the main menu. Instead you add your server in the server browser using the plus button – or you look for it in the public server list. To connect you always use the Game Port of your server.

Find connection details

Important

To connect you need the IP address and the Game Port of your server. You can find both in the dashboard of your server. Do not use the web server port – it only gives you access to the web client, not to the game.

Add the server via IP

Adding the server by IP address is the most reliable way onto your server. Once added, it stays in your list permanently.

1. Start Eco
   Launch Eco on your PC and sign in with your account.

2. Open the server browser
   Select New Game in the main menu. You end up in the Your Worlds overview showing the servers you have already visited.

3. Add the server
   Click the green plus button.

4. Enter the server address
   Enter the IP address and the Game Port of your server, separated by a colon:

   <IP address>:<Game Port>

   Note

   Both values are listed in your dashboard. The address consists of the IP address, a colon and the Game Port – without any spaces in between.

5. Join
   Confirm your input and click Join.

6. Create your character
   The first time you join you create your character and choose your starting point in the world. Your progress is stored on the server from then on.

Tip

Servers you have visited afterwards appear permanently under Your Worlds. So you only have to enter the IP address once.

Via the public server list

1. Open New Game
   Select New Game in the main menu.

2. Show all servers
   Click Browse All in the top right corner to open the public server list.

3. Search for your server
   Click the magnifier icon and enter the name of your server.

4. Join
   Select your server and click Join.

Account for Eco

Note

Playing Eco requires a free Strange Loop Games account. Sign in with it inside the game before joining a server.

Server does not show up in the list

For your server to appear in the public server list, it has to be published there. This is controlled in the file /Configs/Network.eco:

Setting	Meaning
Public Server	Defines whether the server is posted to the public server listings of Strange Loop Games
Server Category	Category your server is listed under: Beginner, Established, BeginnerHard or Strange

Mind the capitalisation

Network.eco is a JSON file. The category values are written exactly as shown above – BeginnerHard without a space and with a capital B and H. A differently spelled value is not recognised.

Warning

Changes to the configuration files only take effect after a restart of the server. A server that has a password set usually does not show up in the public listing either.

Your server is still reachable

Even if your server is not in the public list you can add it at any time via the plus button using the IP address and Game Port. Simply pass both on to your fellow players.

Which ports does Eco use?

Note

An Eco server uses several ports. In the file /Configs/Network.eco they are named:

Configuration value	Protocol	Purpose
GameServerPort	UDP	Game Port – players connect through this one
WebServerPort	TCP	Web server of the game, used for the web client among other things
RconServerPort	TCP	RCON

Which values apply to your server is shown in the dashboard. Always enter the Game Port in the game.