Focus for the next several months:

Get all the post-its from the left column to the right column. Team members are assigned via printout of the least-flattering head-shot picture we could find on the internet.

Here’s the list of features we’ve got for beta:

• Underwater Ecosystem
• Criminal Justice System
• Late Game Tech Tree
• World Generation improvements
• Blending Landscapes
• Area Buffs and Player Housing
• Contracts
• Regional Laws
• Dynamite Mining, Physical Rubble
• Animal Behaviors
• Pets
• Biomes Species Complete
• Durability on Items
• Wires and Logical Objects
• Sewage and Water
• Boats
• Reputation System
• Player Credit
• Loans
• Deforestation
• Animals Vs Plants
• Prospecting
• Improved Leader and Server Goal Coordination
• Ladders
• CO2 and Sea Levels Rising
• Fix River Canyons
• Garbage
• Multiple Materials on Blocks

Each feature has a design doc associated with it and it would be great to get your feedback on them. You can check out the master list, with priorities and time estimates and each feature document linked, where you can add comments.

We’ll be highlighting each of these features as we work on it as well.  The Eco Forumsare a great place to start discussions.

Here’s a look at a few of the features we’re working on:

Reputation System

Players can give out 10 ‘Reputation Points’ per day, and these will give an indicator of the most collaborative players on the server.  This feature is part of the uber-task of increasing the need and benefit to collaboration and specialization in the game.

World Objectives

Each player can set their ‘objective’, and the leader can set the world objective.  This list will make it clear what players are working on and how to contribute, and give the elected leader the ability to guide the high-level goals of the world.  The status messages are marked up with rich-text, so you can advertise store locations, contracts, specific skills or items, etc.

Programmable Contracts

Programmable Laws

On the government side, we’re building a similar programming system for laws, where you can add interacting restrictions, in a scratch-like interface where you’re inserting modules into different slots.  The laws created this way are put up for a vote, and if they pass the server will enforce them.  Programming + civics for the win.

Deforestation

Cutting down trees will have stronger consequences on the ecosystem.  Cutting down a tree will kill nearby plants and spawn debris.  Debris prevents plants from reclaiming the area, but costs a lot of calories to remove.  Furthermore, some species like Elk will be unable to live without forest around them.

Underwater Ecosystem

Despite covering a large percentage of the world, Eco’s oceans are rather barren; after beta this will no longer be the case!