How to Move an Eco World to a Server

To move an Eco world to a server, copy the world's two save files from Eco\Eco_Data\Server\Storage in your game folder: <World>.eco and <World>.db. Upload both to the server's Storage folder and rename them to Game.eco and Game.db, the save name the server loads by default (or set SaveName in Configs/Storage.eco to your world's name). Copy any Configs files you changed too. The server must run the same Eco version as the game that saved the world.

What you can and cannot move

Before you start

• Exit the world to the main menu so it saves, then close Eco.
• Back up the whole Eco_Data\Server folder.
• Match the version. Check the version on the main menu and make sure the server runs the same one. Strange Loop Games says most updates load older saves, but if you are more than one release behind you must update through the releases in order, as the Eco wiki's updating page explains.
• Have an SLG account ready. Since Update 11, a dedicated server signs in with a Strange Loop Games account to start.

Step 1: Find the world files

Single player Eco runs a small server inside the game, so your world is stored like a server world. In Steam, right click Eco, choose Manage, then Browse local files, and open Eco_Data\Server.

Your world's .eco and .db files carry the name you gave the world. The .eco file and the .db file must have the same name on the server, always.

Step 2: Stop the server and clear its world

Stop the server, because it writes to Storage while running. If it has run before, it generated its own world as Game.eco and Game.db. Download them as a backup, then delete them.

The trap here is the Backup folder. Eco keeps rolling backups of the server's own world in Storage/Backup. Server hosts that document world resets recommend renaming or removing that folder as well, so nothing from the old world gets restored in place of yours. Move it out of Storage rather than deleting it, in case you need it.

Step 3: Upload and rename

Upload your .eco and .db files into Storage, then rename them:

My World.eco  ->  Game.eco
My World.db   ->  Game.db

Names are case sensitive on Linux servers. game.eco is not Game.eco.

If you would rather keep the world's own name, leave the files as they are and set SaveName in Configs/Storage.eco to that name instead. Either way, both files must share one name.

Step 4: Bring the settings that matter

The developers' own advice is to copy both Storage and Configs from the local server and then adapt the configs for a dedicated server. In practice:

• Copy the gameplay configs you changed in single player, such as Disasters.eco for the meteor, or your difficulty and skill settings.
• Do not copy Network.eco over a hosted server's file. It holds the server name, ports, password and public listing, and a hosting panel writes its own values there.
• Check Users.eco and add your account as an admin on the server.

The world's own clock is part of the save, so the countdown carries on from the world's age rather than restarting. If you changed MeteorImpactDays or turned off CreateMeteor in single player, copy Disasters.eco or the server uses its default of 30 days from the world's creation.

Step 5: Start and check

Start the server and watch the console until the world has loaded. Join and check your town, your claims and your skills. Then open the web map (port 3001 by default) to confirm it is the right world.

Common problems

• Server generates a new world: the files are not named Game.eco and Game.db (or whatever SaveName says), or they went into the wrong folder. Both names must match exactly.
• Server loads the old world: an old Game pair or backup is still in Storage. Stop, move the old files and Backup out, and start again.
• "Failed to load" or a crash on startup: the world is from a different Eco version, or one file of the pair is missing or from another save.
• The meteor is coming too soon: the server uses its own Disasters.eco. Copy yours over, or change the meteor settings there.
• Server will not start at all: the SLG username and password are missing or wrong.

Moving it to GamezServers

On an Eco server from GamezServers, click Backup, stop the server, and upload to Storage over the SFTP login in Settings or in the file manager, which also extracts zips and can download a file from a link straight to the server. Fill in your SLG login in the panel, and the world keeps simulating with the meteor counting down without anyone's PC on. Eco's memory use grows with the world's age, so a world a few weeks old wants 8 GB. See how to host an Eco server for the config files.

FAQ

Where are Eco single player worlds saved?

In your Eco game folder under Eco_Data\Server\Storage, as a .eco file and a .db file named after the world.

Do I need both the .eco and the .db file?

Yes. They reference each other, so always move them together and give them the same name.

Will the meteor timer reset if I move my world?

No. It counts from the world's age, which travels with the save. Copy Disasters.eco if you changed the meteor settings in single player.

Can I move a world from an older Eco version?

Usually, if it is one release behind. Further back, update through each release in order so the world migrates.