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🌍 Epoch Nations

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Epoch Nations is a persistent civilization simulation game where players build nations from the earliest stages of human development to advanced global civilizations.

Players manage:

  • Resources
  • Population
  • Cities
  • Global Trade
  • Diplomacy
  • Research
  • Economic Systems
  • Military Strategy

Unlike traditional strategy games, Epoch Nations runs as a living world simulation where nations evolve continuously and the global economy changes over time.

Technology Stack

  • Base44
  • JavaScript
  • React
  • Node.js

πŸ“– Table of Contents

πŸ“– About Epoch Nations

Epoch Nations is a persistent civilization simulation game where players guide the development of nations across the major eras of human history. From primitive survival technologies to advanced industrial and digital civilizations, the game allows players to shape the trajectory of entire societies through strategic decisions, technological innovation, and economic planning.

Unlike traditional strategy games, Epoch Nations operates as a living world simulation. Nations evolve continuously through player activity, resource production, trade networks, and scientific discovery. The world economy adapts dynamically as industries emerge, technologies advance, and civilizations specialize in different sectors.

Civilizations are not scripted β€” they evolve through the decisions of players.


🌍 A Living Civilization Simulator

At its core, Epoch Nations models how civilizations grow and interact through interconnected systems of research, production, trade, and discovery.

Players influence the world by:

  • Developing industries and infrastructure
  • Researching new technologies
  • Producing resources and manufactured goods
  • Building complex industrial supply chains
  • Participating in global trade markets

Every action contributes to a broader simulation where the decisions of one nation can influence the development of others.


βš™ Civilization Through Technological Epochs

Progress in Epoch Nations is organized into major technological eras known as Epochs. Each epoch introduces new tools, industries, and capabilities that expand the scale of civilization.

Examples include:

  • Stone Age β€” primitive tools, pottery, and early crafting
  • Bronze Age β€” metallurgy and improved resource production
  • Iron Age β€” stronger tools, weapons, and infrastructure
  • Classical & Medieval Ages β€” knowledge expansion and early engineering
  • Industrial Age β€” factories, mass production, and chemistry
  • Modern & Digital Ages β€” electronics, vehicles, and automation
  • Information & Space Ages β€” advanced science, computing, and aerospace technologies

As civilizations progress through these epochs, the complexity of the world increases and new opportunities for growth emerge.


βš’ A Massive Crafting and Production Ecosystem

Epoch Nations features a deep industrial crafting system with over 1,100 unique items and dozens of production stations.

Players build production networks that transform raw materials into increasingly complex technologies. These chains may include:

  • Mining natural resources
  • Refining raw materials
  • Producing industrial components
  • Assembling advanced technologies

Industries become interconnected as supply chains expand, encouraging nations to specialize and collaborate through trade.


πŸ”¬ Research Drives Progress

Technological discovery is one of the most important drivers of civilization development.

Epoch Nations includes a branching research system where players unlock new capabilities by investing in scientific advancement.

Research fields include:

  • Materials science
  • Metallurgy
  • Engineering
  • Medicine
  • Military technology
  • Advanced manufacturing

Each discovery unlocks new crafting stations, industries, and production possibilities.


πŸ’° A Player-Driven Global Economy

The global economy in Epoch Nations is shaped by player activity.

Through the Crafting Marketplace, nations can trade goods, specialize in production, and establish supply chains that support large-scale industries. Economic specialization naturally emerges as players focus on different sectors of production.

Players may become:

  • Industrial manufacturers
  • Technological innovators
  • Trade specialists
  • Resource suppliers

This player-driven system transforms production capabilities into economic influence within the global marketplace.


πŸ“š Knowledge and Strategy

To support its complex simulation systems, Epoch Nations includes powerful tools that help players understand and plan within the world.

These include:

  • Item Encyclopedia for exploring crafting recipes
  • Inventory Manager for tracking resources and materials
  • Crafting Tree Visualizer for understanding production chains

These systems allow players to plan long-term industrial strategies and manage large-scale economic operations.


🧠 Built for Community Creativity

Epoch Nations is designed as an expandable platform where the community can help shape the world.

Developers and modders can contribute through systems such as the Community Item Registry, allowing new items, technologies, and production chains to be introduced into the ecosystem.

This collaborative model enables the game world to evolve continuously as players and developers contribute new ideas.


πŸš€ The Long-Term Vision

The long-term goal of Epoch Nations is to create a persistent simulation where civilizations continuously evolve through the creativity and decisions of its community.

Future expansions aim to introduce systems such as:

  • AI-driven nations
  • Global diplomacy and alliances
  • Strategic conflict and defense systems
  • Dynamic economic simulations
  • Persistent shared worlds

Each new system expands the depth and scale of the simulation.


🌟 A World Shaped by Innovation

Epoch Nations is not just about reaching the next technological era β€” it is about exploring how civilizations grow through creativity, discovery, and collaboration.

Whether you are a strategist, builder, economist, developer, or explorer, Epoch Nations offers a world where your decisions can shape the future of civilization.

🌍 Why Play Epoch Nations

Epoch Nations is more than a game β€” it is a living civilization simulation where players shape the rise of technology, industry, and global economies across human history.

From primitive tools in the Stone Age to advanced manufacturing in the Space Age, every discovery, resource, and decision contributes to the evolution of a persistent world driven by players.


πŸ› Build Civilizations Across the Ages

Progress through multiple historical epochs as your nation develops new technologies, industries, and infrastructure.

Unlock powerful advancements including:

  • Stone Age crafting and survival tools
  • Bronze and Iron Age metallurgy
  • Industrial factories and chemical production
  • Modern electronics and vehicles
  • Digital and Information Age technologies
  • Space Age manufacturing and exploration

Each era introduces new systems, materials, and opportunities for growth.


βš’ Deep Crafting Economy

Epoch Nations features an expansive industrial crafting system with 1,161+ unique items and growing.

Players can:

  • Construct specialized crafting stations
  • Produce raw materials and refined goods
  • Build complex production chains
  • Manufacture advanced technology
  • Trade resources across nations

From simple pottery to high-tech electronics, every item has a place in the evolving economy.


🌳 Visual Crafting Tree System

Understanding complex production chains is easy thanks to the Crafting Tree Visualizer.

Players can instantly see:

  • Required materials
  • Production dependencies
  • Crafting station requirements
  • Technology prerequisites

This layered dependency graph helps players plan efficient production networks and industrial strategies.


πŸ”¬ Research and Technological Progress

Technology drives civilization forward.

Epoch Nations includes a growing research system spanning multiple branches such as:

  • Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Military Technology
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Advanced Manufacturing

Discoveries unlock new crafting stations, industries, and capabilities that reshape the world economy.


πŸ“¦ Powerful Inventory & Knowledge Systems

The built-in Encyclopedia and Inventory Manager make it easy to explore the world of Epoch Nations.

Players can:

  • Search thousands of items instantly
  • Track owned resources and materials
  • Calculate inventory value in Credits
  • Discover crafting recipes and research requirements

Knowledge is power β€” and mastering the information systems gives players a strategic advantage.


βš’ Player-Driven Marketplace

The global Crafting Market allows nations to buy and sell crafted goods using Credits.

Players can:

  • Trade manufactured items
  • Specialize in industries
  • Supply other nations with critical resources
  • Build economic empires

The marketplace transforms production into opportunity.


🧠 Community-Driven Expansion

Epoch Nations encourages community creativity through its Developer Registry.

Developers and modders can:

  • Submit custom items using JSON recipe formats
  • Propose new production chains
  • Expand the crafting ecosystem
  • Participate in community voting

Approved contributions can become part of the evolving game world.


πŸš€ A World That Continues to Evolve

Epoch Nations is designed as a continuously expanding simulation.

Future development will introduce:

  • AI nations and diplomacy
  • dynamic supply and demand economics
  • trade routes and industrial logistics
  • territorial control and strategic conflict
  • massive player-driven worlds

Every system is built to support a living universe shaped by innovation and community creativity.


🌟 Join the Evolution

Whether you are a strategist, builder, economist, developer, or modder, Epoch Nations offers a unique sandbox where ideas become civilizations.

Build industries.
Invent technologies.
Shape the future of a persistent world.

The next great civilization could be yours.

✨ Features

Epoch Nations combines deep simulation mechanics, technological progression, and a player-driven economy to create a dynamic world where civilizations evolve through innovation, industry, and strategic decision-making.

The game is designed as both a civilization simulator and a living economic ecosystem, where every item, resource, and technological breakthrough contributes to the development of a global world.


πŸ› Multi-Epoch Civilization Progression

Civilizations in Epoch Nations advance through multiple technological eras, known as Epochs, each introducing new tools, industries, and capabilities.

Examples of major epochs include:

  • Stone Age – primitive tools and early crafting
  • Bronze Age – early metallurgy and improved production
  • Iron Age – stronger tools, weapons, and infrastructure
  • Classical Age – engineering advancements and organized societies
  • Medieval Age – expanding industries and knowledge systems
  • Industrial Age – factories, chemicals, and mass production
  • Modern Age – electronics, transportation, and automation
  • Digital Age – advanced computing and communication technologies
  • Information Age – high-tech manufacturing and data systems
  • Space Age – aerospace engineering and futuristic industries

Each epoch expands the scale and complexity of civilization.


βš’ Extensive Crafting and Production Systems

Epoch Nations includes a massive crafting ecosystem with over 1,100 unique items and growing.

Players can build production chains that transform raw resources into complex technologies through multiple stages of manufacturing.

Production processes may include:

  • extracting natural resources
  • refining raw materials
  • producing intermediate components
  • manufacturing advanced technologies

These interconnected systems create a living industrial economy where planning and logistics play a critical role.


🏭 Specialized Crafting Stations

As civilizations advance, players gain access to specialized crafting buildings that unlock new production capabilities.

Examples include:

  • Kiln
  • Forge / Smelter
  • Sawmill
  • Loom
  • Workshop
  • Laboratory
  • Factory
  • Chemical Plant
  • Electronics Lab
  • Vehicle Plant
  • Research Lab
  • Space Foundry

Each station represents a technological milestone and expands what civilizations can produce.


🌳 Crafting Tree Visualizer

The Crafting Tree Visualizer provides an interactive layered graph that helps players understand complex production dependencies.

Players can easily view:

  • required crafting materials
  • upstream production dependencies
  • crafting station requirements
  • technology prerequisites

This system makes large-scale industrial planning easier and more intuitive.


πŸ”¬ Research and Technology System

Scientific discovery drives the progress of civilization.

Epoch Nations includes a growing research system with multiple technology branches such as:

  • Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Metallurgy
  • Military Technology
  • Industrial Chemistry
  • Electronics Manufacturing
  • Advanced Robotics

Each research breakthrough unlocks new crafting stations, industries, and technologies.


πŸ’° Player-Driven Marketplace

The global Crafting Marketplace allows civilizations to trade goods and resources using Credits.

Players can:

  • sell manufactured goods
  • buy resources from other nations
  • specialize in specific industries
  • build trade networks

The marketplace creates a dynamic economy shaped by player decisions.


πŸ“¦ Advanced Inventory Management

The Inventory Manager allows players to efficiently manage large collections of resources and materials.

Features include:

  • real-time inventory tracking
  • advanced filtering and sorting
  • material lookup tools
  • estimated credit value calculations

These tools help players manage production chains and plan future industries.


πŸ“š Interactive Item Encyclopedia

The built-in Item Encyclopedia acts as a knowledge hub for the entire world of Epoch Nations.

Players can explore:

  • item descriptions
  • crafting recipes
  • research requirements
  • production dependencies

With powerful search and filtering tools, players can quickly discover how items fit into the global economy.


πŸ’» Community Item Registry

Epoch Nations encourages community participation through a Developer Registry that allows developers and modders to contribute new content.

Developers can:

  • submit new items using JSON recipes
  • propose new crafting chains
  • expand production industries
  • introduce new technological ideas

Community-approved contributions can become part of the evolving ecosystem.


🌐 Designed for Expansion

Epoch Nations is built as a long-term simulation platform capable of expanding with new systems and features.

Planned future systems include:

  • AI-driven civilizations
  • global diplomacy and alliances
  • dynamic supply and demand economics
  • strategic conflict and defense systems
  • persistent shared multiplayer worlds

Every update expands the depth of the simulation.


πŸš€ Endless Strategic Possibilities

With its layered crafting systems, technological progression, and player-driven economy, Epoch Nations offers a sandbox where strategy, innovation, and collaboration determine the future of civilization.

Every item crafted, technology discovered, and trade completed contributes to the evolution of a living world.

βš™οΈ System Requirements

Epoch Nations is designed to run efficiently on most modern systems while still supporting large-scale simulations and complex production networks. The game is built with modern web technologies and requires Node.js v18 or higher for development and server environments.

Below are the recommended system specifications for running the game locally or hosting a server instance.


πŸ’» Minimum Requirements

These specifications are sufficient for running the game locally for development, testing, or small-scale simulations.

Component Requirement
CPU Dual Core Processor
Memory (RAM) 4 GB
Storage 5 GB available space
Node.js Version 18 or higher
Package Manager npm
Operating System Windows, macOS, or Linux
Browser Modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)

These requirements are suitable for:

  • local development
  • testing game mechanics
  • running small simulation environments

πŸš€ Recommended Requirements

For larger simulations, multiplayer environments, or hosting persistent game servers, the following configuration is recommended.

Component Recommended
CPU 4+ Core Processor
Memory (RAM) 8–16 GB
Storage SSD Storage
Node.js Version 18 or higher
Package Manager npm
Operating System Linux Server (Ubuntu recommended)
Network Stable broadband connection

These specifications provide better performance when:

  • running large industrial simulations
  • hosting persistent worlds
  • supporting multiple players
  • managing complex crafting economies

🌐 Hosting Epoch Nations on a VPS

If you plan to host Epoch Nations on a VPS or dedicated server, the following platforms are commonly used for Node.js applications:

  • AWS
  • DigitalOcean
  • Linode
  • Hetzner
  • Vultr

A Linux-based server environment with Node.js and npm installed is recommended for stability and performance.


🧰 Required Software

To develop or run Epoch Nations locally, the following tools must be installed:

  • Node.js v18+
  • npm (Node Package Manager)
  • Git for cloning the repository
  • A modern web browser for accessing the game interface

Optional developer tools:

  • Visual Studio Code
  • Docker (for containerized environments)
  • PM2 for managing production Node.js processes

⚑ Performance Notes

Epoch Nations includes complex simulation systems such as:

  • crafting production chains
  • dynamic economies
  • research progression
  • inventory and marketplace systems

While the game can run on modest hardware, systems with additional CPU cores and memory will provide smoother performance when managing large industrial networks or persistent worlds.

πŸ’» Running the Game Locally

This section explains how to set up and run Epoch Nations on your local machine for development or testing. The project uses modern JavaScript tooling and requires Node.js v18 or higher.

Running the game locally allows developers to experiment with features, test gameplay systems, and contribute improvements to the project.


πŸ“¦ Prerequisites

Before running the project, ensure the following software is installed:

  • Node.js v18+
  • npm (Node Package Manager)
  • Git
  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari)

You can verify your Node installation with:

node -v
npm -v

πŸ“₯ Clone the Repository

First, clone the Epoch Nations repository to your local machine.

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_REPO/epoch-nations.git
cd epoch-nations

Replace YOUR_REPO with the actual repository owner if needed.

πŸ“¦ Install Project Dependencies

Install all required Node.js packages using npm.

npm install

This command installs the dependencies listed in the project's package.json file.

βš™ Configure Environment Variables

Epoch Nations uses environment variables to connect the frontend to backend services.

Create a new file in the root of the project called:

.env.local

Add the following configuration variables:

VITE_BASE44_APP_ID=your_app_id
VITE_BASE44_APP_BASE_URL=your_backend_url

Example configuration:

VITE_BASE44_APP_ID=cbef744a8545c389ef439ea6
VITE_BASE44_APP_BASE_URL=https://example.base44.app

These values connect your local development environment to the backend API.

β–Ά Start the Development Server

Once dependencies are installed and environment variables are configured, start the development server.

npm run dev

This will start the local development environment and compile the frontend application.

🌐 Open the Game in Your Browser

After the development server starts successfully, open the following URL in your browser:

http://localhost:5173

You should now see the Epoch Nations interface running locally.

The development server supports hot-reloading, meaning any code changes you make will automatically refresh the application.

πŸ§ͺ Development Workflow

While running locally, developers can:

  • modify game mechanics

  • add crafting items

  • expand research systems

  • test economic simulation changes

  • experiment with UI improvements

Changes to the code will automatically reload in the browser during development.

πŸ›  Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues running the project, try the following:

Reinstall dependencies

rm -rf node_modules
npm install

Ensure Node version is correct

node -v

Node.js v18 or higher is required.

Clear npm cache

npm cache clean --force

πŸš€ Next Steps

Once you have the game running locally, you may want to:

  • host your own server instance

  • develop Forge SDK plugins

  • contribute new crafting items

  • expand the research system

  • improve economic simulation mechanics

  • See the following sections for more information:

  • Hosting Epoch Nations on a VPS

  • Forge SDK (Plugin System)

  • Contributing

🌐 Optional: Configure a Domain with Nginx

To host Epoch Nations under a domain name, install Nginx.

sudo apt install nginx -y

Example Nginx configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5173;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
    }
}

Restart Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Your game will now be accessible at:

http://yourdomain.com

πŸ”’ Optional: Enable HTTPS with Let's Encrypt

Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Run the SSL setup:

sudo certbot --nginx

Follow the prompts to enable HTTPS.

After setup, your game will be available securely at:

https://yourdomain.com

πŸ“ˆ Monitoring the Server

Useful PM2 commands:

pm2 list
pm2 logs
pm2 restart epoch-nations
pm2 stop epoch-nations

These commands help monitor and manage the game server.

πŸ”§ Forge SDK (Plugin System)

The Forge SDK is the official plugin framework for Epoch Nations, designed to transform the game from a single experience into a fully extensible platform for innovation.

Rather than limiting the world to the content shipped with the base game, the Forge SDK allows developers, modders, and creators to extend the systems of civilization itself. Through plugins, the community can introduce new technologies, industries, mechanics, and gameplay systems that integrate directly into the core simulation.

The mission of the Forge SDK is simple: empower creators to expand the universe of Epoch Nations.


🧩 Modular Plugin Architecture

The Forge SDK is built on a modular architecture that allows external plugins to integrate safely with the game engine.

Plugins interact with defined APIs and structured data schemas, ensuring compatibility with the core systems while still allowing creators significant flexibility.

Plugins can extend systems such as:

  • crafting and manufacturing
  • research and technology trees
  • resource production
  • buildings and infrastructure
  • economic systems and trade mechanics
  • data visualization tools
  • user interface components
  • automation and management utilities

This modular design allows the ecosystem of Epoch Nations to grow organically as new ideas are introduced by the community.


βš’ Expanding the Crafting Ecosystem

Epoch Nations features a massive crafting system with thousands of possible production chains. The Forge SDK allows creators to expand this ecosystem even further.

Plugins can introduce:

  • new resources and raw materials
  • refined industrial materials
  • advanced manufacturing components
  • high-technology products
  • entirely new crafting stations
  • complex multi-stage production chains

These additions can interact directly with existing crafting systems, allowing creators to design entirely new industries.

Example industries a plugin might introduce:

  • renewable energy infrastructure
  • aerospace manufacturing
  • advanced robotics
  • quantum computing technologies
  • planetary exploration equipment

Each new production chain can integrate into the global economy.


πŸ”¬ Extending the Research System

Technological progress is a core pillar of Epoch Nations, and the Forge SDK allows developers to expand the research tree with new discoveries.

Plugins can introduce:

  • new research branches
  • advanced technologies
  • industrial breakthroughs
  • efficiency upgrades
  • military innovations
  • experimental scientific discoveries

These technologies integrate with the core research system and unlock new crafting capabilities, industries, and buildings.


🏭 Custom Buildings and Infrastructure

Civilizations grow through infrastructure, and Forge SDK plugins can introduce entirely new structures.

Examples include:

  • specialized crafting stations
  • industrial processing facilities
  • energy generation systems
  • advanced laboratories
  • logistics hubs
  • automated production complexes

Each building can define its own input materials, crafting rules, and output products.

This allows plugin developers to create entirely new industrial sectors.


πŸ“¦ JSON-Driven Content Creation

To make development accessible to both programmers and modders, many Forge SDK systems support JSON-based content definitions.

This allows creators to add new items, recipes, and technologies without modifying the core game engine.

Example item definition:

{
  "name": "Advanced Alloy",
  "epoch": "Digital Age",
  "craftingStation": "Advanced Factory",
  "materials": [
    { "item": "Titanium Ingot", "quantity": 2 },
    { "item": "Carbon Composite", "quantity": 1 }
  ],
  "description": "A high-strength alloy used in advanced aerospace and industrial manufacturing."
}

πŸ’° Economic Simulation Engine

At the heart of Epoch Nations lies a powerful Economic Simulation Engine designed to model the growth of civilizations through production, trade, and technological progress.

Rather than relying on static systems or artificial limits, Epoch Nations simulates a living economy where resources, industries, and markets evolve naturally through player activity and technological advancement.

The result is a dynamic world where economic decisions shape the development of entire civilizations.


🌍 A Living Global Economy

The economic model in Epoch Nations is built around a simple principle:

Every item has a purpose, every resource has value, and every production chain contributes to the global economy.

Raw materials, crafted goods, industrial components, and advanced technologies all flow through interconnected supply chains.

Players participate in this ecosystem by:

  • producing resources
  • manufacturing goods
  • researching technologies
  • trading with other nations

As industries expand, markets evolve and the world economy grows increasingly complex.


βš’ Industrial Production Chains

The crafting and manufacturing systems form the backbone of the economic simulation.

Goods are produced through multi-stage production chains that transform raw materials into advanced technologies.

Example production flow:

Raw Resources β†’ Refined Materials β†’ Industrial Components β†’ Advanced Products

Players must carefully manage supply chains, production capacity, and technological advancement to maintain efficient industries.

Complex production networks create opportunities for specialization and trade.


πŸ“ˆ Supply, Demand, and Market Dynamics

The economic engine models supply and demand across the global marketplace.

When resources are scarce, their value increases. When production expands, markets become more competitive.

These dynamics encourage players to:

  • specialize in profitable industries
  • respond to changing market conditions
  • optimize production efficiency
  • explore new technologies and resources

The marketplace becomes a constantly evolving environment shaped by player decisions.


🏭 Industrial Specialization

Nations are encouraged to specialize in different sectors of the economy.

Some civilizations may focus on:

  • raw resource extraction
  • metallurgy and materials
  • chemical production
  • electronics manufacturing
  • advanced research and innovation

Specialization naturally creates trade dependencies between nations, forming a complex economic network.


πŸ’³ Credit-Based Trade System

All economic transactions within Epoch Nations are conducted using Credits, the primary currency of the global marketplace.

Through the Crafting Marketplace, players can:

  • list crafted goods for sale
  • purchase industrial components
  • import resources from other nations
  • establish trade relationships

This system transforms manufacturing capability into economic power.


πŸ“Š Industrial Planning and Economic Strategy

Successful civilizations must balance multiple economic factors:

  • resource availability
  • production efficiency
  • technological progress
  • market demand
  • trade opportunities

Strategic planning becomes essential for maintaining stable supply chains and profitable industries.

The most successful nations will combine innovation, logistics, and economic foresight.


πŸ”¬ Technology as an Economic Multiplier

Research breakthroughs dramatically reshape the economic landscape.

New technologies can:

  • unlock new industries
  • increase production efficiency
  • introduce advanced materials
  • enable entirely new manufacturing capabilities

Technological innovation acts as a multiplier for economic growth, allowing civilizations to rapidly expand their industrial potential.


🌐 Designed for a Persistent World

The economic systems of Epoch Nations are built with persistence and scalability in mind.

Future expansions aim to introduce:

  • dynamic supply and demand simulations
  • automated trade networks
  • logistics and transportation systems
  • global industrial competition
  • economic influence between civilizations

These systems will allow the world economy to evolve continuously as players and civilizations grow.


πŸš€ A Civilization Built on Industry

In Epoch Nations, economic power is not simply measured in currency β€” it is built through innovation, industry, and the mastery of complex production systems.

Every factory constructed, every technology discovered, and every trade completed contributes to the rise of a civilization within a living global economy.

πŸ›’ Plugin Marketplace Roadmap

The Plugin Marketplace is a long-term initiative designed to transform Epoch Nations into a thriving ecosystem where developers, modders, and creators can share, distribute, and collaborate on extensions built with the Forge SDK.

While the base game provides a powerful foundation of systems β€” crafting, research, economy, and industry β€” the Plugin Marketplace will enable the community to expand the universe of Epoch Nations far beyond what any single development team could build alone.

The vision is to create a sustainable platform where innovation, creativity, and collaboration drive the future of the game.

Epoch Nations is not just a game β€” it is a platform for building new civilizations, systems, and experiences.


🌍 A Marketplace for Innovation

The Plugin Marketplace will act as the central hub for discovering, publishing, and managing community-created extensions.

Developers will be able to distribute plugins that expand the capabilities of the game while players can easily browse and install new content.

Plugins may include:

  • New crafting industries
  • Expanded research trees
  • Industrial infrastructure packs
  • Economic simulation enhancements
  • Custom UI tools and dashboards
  • Gameplay mechanics and automation systems
  • Total conversion expansions

This ecosystem allows Epoch Nations to evolve continuously through the creativity of its community.


πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» Empowering Developers and Modders

The Plugin Marketplace is designed to make it easy for developers to contribute meaningful additions to the game.

Through the Forge SDK, creators will be able to build extensions that integrate seamlessly with the core simulation systems.

Plugin developers will be able to:

  • Publish new gameplay features
  • Expand crafting systems and production chains
  • Introduce new research technologies
  • Build advanced industrial infrastructure
  • Develop economic simulation modules
  • Create custom management interfaces

The marketplace provides visibility for creators while enabling the community to discover new experiences.


πŸ“¦ Seamless Plugin Installation

A key goal of the marketplace is to make installing and managing plugins simple and reliable.

Players will be able to:

  • Browse available plugins
  • Install extensions with a single click
  • Enable or disable plugins for their worlds
  • Automatically receive compatible updates
  • Manage dependencies between plugins

This streamlined system allows players to customize their experience while maintaining stability within the game engine.


πŸ”— Dependency and Compatibility Management

As the ecosystem grows, managing compatibility between plugins becomes essential.

The Plugin Marketplace roadmap includes robust tools for maintaining a healthy ecosystem:

  • Version compatibility checks
  • Dependency resolution between plugins
  • Conflict detection
  • Automated update notifications
  • Plugin stability ratings

These systems help ensure that community extensions remain stable across game updates.


πŸ§ͺ Developer Testing and Sandbox Environments

To support high-quality plugins, the marketplace will integrate tools that allow developers to safely test their work before release.

Planned features include:

  • Local plugin sandbox environments
  • automated validation for plugin definitions
  • compatibility testing against engine updates
  • debugging tools for Forge SDK extensions

These tools allow developers to build sophisticated systems while maintaining reliability.


🌐 Community Discovery and Ratings

The Plugin Marketplace will encourage collaboration and discovery through community feedback.

Players will be able to:

  • review plugins
  • rate extensions
  • recommend popular expansions
  • showcase innovative creations
  • follow plugin developers

These systems help highlight the most creative and impactful contributions from the community.


πŸ’‘ A Platform for Experimental Ideas

Because the marketplace operates independently from the core game engine, it becomes a safe space for experimentation.

Developers can explore ideas such as:

  • alternative economic models
  • new technological eras
  • advanced logistics systems
  • environmental simulations
  • political and diplomatic systems
  • planetary or space-based expansion

Many experimental plugins may eventually inspire new official features for the base game.


πŸ›’ Plugin Marketplace Roadmap

The Plugin Marketplace will evolve in several stages as the Forge SDK ecosystem grows.

Phase 1 β€” Foundation

  • Forge SDK release
  • plugin content schemas
  • manual plugin installation
  • community plugin repository

Phase 2 β€” Plugin Registry

  • official plugin directory
  • searchable plugin catalog
  • metadata and version tracking
  • plugin documentation standards

Phase 3 β€” Marketplace Infrastructure

  • in-game plugin browser
  • automated installation
  • dependency management
  • update notifications

Phase 4 β€” Community Ecosystem

  • plugin ratings and reviews
  • developer profiles
  • community discovery tools
  • plugin collections and curated packs

Phase 5 β€” Advanced Platform Features

  • sandbox testing environments
  • automated plugin validation
  • compatibility certification
  • large-scale ecosystem management tools

πŸš€ A Living Ecosystem

The long-term goal of the Plugin Marketplace is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where creators continuously expand the possibilities of Epoch Nations.

As new plugins introduce industries, technologies, and gameplay systems, the world of Epoch Nations will grow into an increasingly rich simulation environment powered by the imagination of its community.

With the Forge SDK and Plugin Marketplace working together, Epoch Nations can evolve into a platform where innovation never stops and new eras of civilization are constantly being built.


🌟 Build the Future Together

The Plugin Marketplace represents a new chapter in the evolution of Epoch Nations.

Developers can experiment, modders can expand the world, and players can experience new civilizations and technologies that emerge from the creativity of the community.

Together, we can build a universe of systems, industries, and ideas that continues to evolve for years to come.


🀝 Contributing

Contributions to Epoch Nations are welcome and encouraged. The project is designed to grow through collaboration from developers, designers, modders, and creative thinkers who want to expand the world of the simulation.

Whether you are fixing bugs, improving documentation, creating new gameplay systems, or contributing ideas for future features, your help is greatly appreciated.


🌍 Ways You Can Contribute

There are many ways to participate in the development of Epoch Nations:

  • Fix bugs or improve existing systems
  • Expand crafting recipes and production chains
  • Add new technologies to the research system
  • Improve the user interface or gameplay experience
  • Develop plugins using the Forge SDK
  • Improve documentation and tutorials
  • Suggest new gameplay mechanics or systems

Every contribution helps make the project stronger.


πŸ›  Development Setup

To contribute to the project, you will first need to run the game locally.

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Clone your fork to your local machine
  3. Install dependencies
  4. Start the development server

Example setup:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/epoch-nations.git
cd epoch-nations
npm install
npm run dev

πŸ“„ License

Epoch Nations is distributed under a Source-Available, Royalty-Based License designed to encourage community innovation while protecting the long-term development of the project.

The source code is available for viewing, learning, and contributing, but certain uses β€” particularly commercial distribution or hosted services β€” may require permission from the project owner.


πŸ“œ License Summary

Under this license you may:

  • View and study the source code
  • Run the software for personal or educational use
  • Modify the code for experimentation
  • Submit improvements or contributions to the project

However, you may not:

  • Redistribute the software commercially without permission
  • Sell modified versions of the software
  • Operate a commercial hosted service using the software without a licensing agreement
  • Remove copyright or attribution notices

πŸ’Ό Commercial Use

Organizations or individuals interested in using Epoch Nations in commercial environments β€” such as hosting public servers, integrating the technology into other products, or distributing modified versions β€” may require a commercial license agreement.

Commercial licensing options may include:

  • hosted server deployments
  • enterprise simulation environments
  • educational or research programs
  • custom integrations

For licensing inquiries, please contact the project owner.


🀝 Open Source Contributions

Contributions to Epoch Nations are welcome and encouraged.

By submitting code, documentation, or other improvements to the repository, you agree that your contribution may become part of the project and distributed under the project's licensing terms.

See the Contributing section for guidelines on submitting pull requests.


βš–οΈ Disclaimer

This software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied. The authors and contributors are not liable for any damages or losses arising from the use of this software.

Use of the software is at your own risk.


πŸ“‚ Full License Text

The complete license terms can be found in the LICENSE file located in the root of this repository.

Please review the full license before using the software in production or commercial environments.


Epoch Nations β€” Build civilizations. Shape history. Create the future.