I originally named this thread Titles/Jobs/Businesses and Stocks, so let me start there. Currently, Titles in Eco have very limited functionality. They were introduced to support group play and allow for creative business management, but they lack flexibility and useful options. For example, paying wages to players isn't ideal for most business models. Personally, I’ve been using the rent system to pay people for their work—setting negative values per minute or per item. It works, but I wish this kind of payment system were integrated directly into the Titles or Business UI. Another useful addition would be a way to distribute profits automatically—such as paying out earnings above a certain threshold or sharing a percentage of each sale. This kind of system would make me much more likely to invest in other players’ businesses, knowing I could get a return on investment without having to rely on manual agreements or use workarounds like loans or bonds. That line of thinking led me to take a step back and ask: what’s the first mechanic we’d need to build a more robust system like this? I landed on separating “Homes” and “Businesses” (what many players already refer to as “workplaces”). This idea is also related to the current issue with industry + outdoor housing bonuses conflict, which has been frustrating for many. My proposal is to introduce a new plot type called a “Business.” Business plots would be distinct from residential plots: stores and industrial machines would not function on unclaimed land or residential plots, and housing bonuses would not apply to Business plots. I've gone back and forth on whether players should start with an extra claim stake for this purpose, but ultimately I think starting with only one stake is better. This forces players to make a meaningful choice early on: either run a business and rent housing, or keep a home and work in someone else's business—at least until they can afford to expand with a town claim stake. This also gives people a reason to actually use the renting system especially in the early game - most people correctly don't even think about renting. With this separation in place, businesses can operate more like independent entities. Instead of being tied directly to a player, a Title could be assigned to the deed of the business itself. This creates a strong foundation for more advanced systems like employment, automatic payment, investments, and potentially even stocks and shares down the line. There is obviously a lot of issues here, my suggestion would be to add the business plot and then slowly start separating responsibilities over time.
