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Mercury Core is a self-hostable MMO game creation platform that provides a secure, flexible foundation for building revival web platforms. Whether you’re setting up a development environment or deploying to production, this guide will help you get started.

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System Requirements

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Development Environment

To develop with Mercury Core, you’ll need:
  • Bun - Latest version (expected as bun)
  • Docker - Latest version (optional, expected as docker)
    • Alternative container managers like Podman are supported
  • Terminal - Command line access
  • Modern web browser - Early 2024 onwards for most major browsers
  • Code editor - Visual Studio Code recommended
The Mercury Core development extension pack is recommended for VS Code users, as it includes all necessary extensions plus quality-of-life improvements.

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Production Environment

For hosting Mercury Core in production, you’ll need:
  • Bun - Latest version (expected as bun)
  • Docker - Latest version or another container manager (expected as docker)
  • Caddy - Latest version for reverse proxy (expected as caddy)
  • Terminal - Command line access
  • Server hardware - Physical or virtual server

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Installation Options

Mercury Core can be set up in two primary ways:

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Development Setup

Ideal for local development, testing, and customization. This setup includes:
  • Hot-reload development server
  • Database and economy services via Docker
  • Inspector tools for debugging
  • Fast iteration with Vite
Learn more →

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Production Setup

Optimized for hosting and serving your platform to users. This setup includes:
  • Production-optimized builds
  • Caddy reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS
  • Container orchestration
  • Background process management options
Learn more →

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Technology Stack

Mercury Core is built with modern, performant technologies:
  • Frontend: Svelte & SvelteKit for reactive UI and full-stack capabilities
  • Language: TypeScript throughout for type safety and intellisense
  • Database: SurrealDB for multi-model, relational data storage
  • Build Tool: Vite for fast development and zero-downtime deployments
  • Reverse Proxy: Caddy for automatic HTTPS and URL rewriting
  • Runtime: Bun for fast JavaScript/TypeScript execution

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Data Directory Structure

Mercury Core stores runtime data in a data/ directory that should be kept private:
  • data/assets - Binary files for assets (images, meshes, etc.)
  • data/economy - Transaction ledger and economy data
  • data/icons - Place icons
  • data/surreal - Database files
  • data/thumbnails - Asset thumbnails
The data directory is hidden from source control and should be kept private. Consider mounting to an external volume for easier backups and additional storage space.

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Next Steps

Choose your installation path:

Development Setup

Set up a local development environment

Production Setup

Deploy Mercury Core to production

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