# Project Aegis ## Protect the Cluster. Empower the Admin. | Property | Value | |---|---| | Project | Project Aegis | | Product | Nowhere Nation Command Center | | Document | Project Roadmap | | Version | 0.1.0 | | Status | Active | | Last Updated | July 11, 2026 | | Owner | Archangel | --- # Nowhere Nation Command Center **Product Name:** Nowhere Nation Command Center **Project Codename:** Project Aegis **Tagline:** Cluster Operations Console ## Mission Statement Project Aegis exists to centralize the management, auditing, and publishing of ARK: Survival Ascended cluster administration while eliminating manual processes, providing complete accountability, and becoming the single source of truth for all administrative operations. --- # Project Objectives Project Aegis is being developed to achieve the following goals: - Eliminate manual editing of ARK administration files. - Maintain a single authoritative source of truth. - Provide complete accountability for every administrative action. - Simplify administration for trusted staff. - Produce reliable, repeatable, and recoverable publishing workflows. - Build a scalable operations platform capable of supporting future cluster-management modules. --- # Current Sprint ## Sprint 2 - Operation Gatekeeper **Status:** Complete ### Mission Brief Secure Project Aegis so only active, authorized operators can enter the Command Center and temporary credentials cannot bypass account-hardening requirements. ### Completed Deliverables - [x] Username-based Operator ID login - [x] Public registration disabled - [x] Mandatory password change support - [x] Temporary-password account state - [x] Active and disabled account enforcement - [x] Owner and user role foundation - [x] Initial owner migration - [x] Five-attempt login throttling - [x] Password confirmation for sensitive settings - [x] Successful login timestamp and IP tracking - [x] Immediate session termination for disabled operators ### After Action Review #### Objective Replace email-first starter authentication with a controlled operator-access system suitable for Project Aegis. #### Outcome Mission successful. Project Aegis now authenticates by Operator ID, enforces active account status throughout each session, and prevents temporary-password users from entering protected modules. #### Completed Work - Added unique, case-insensitive usernames and account-state fields. - Migrated the initial Archangel account to owner role. - Preserved email addresses for password recovery. - Added a dedicated forced password-change workflow. - Recorded successful login time and IP address. - Terminated sessions when an operator is disabled after login. - Confirmed public registration remains unavailable. - Verified five-attempt-per-minute login throttling. - Expanded authentication and session-security test coverage. #### Lessons Learned - Authentication behavior must be explicit across different database collations. - Active-account enforcement belongs on every protected request, not only at login. - Temporary-password enforcement is clearer as a dedicated workflow than as a normal settings page. - Direct limiter-policy assertions are more deterministic than repeated simulated session failures. #### Issues Encountered - SQLite and MySQL differ in default username case sensitivity. - Routed Livewire components require a single root with their layout declared separately. - Session regeneration was unnecessary inside the password-change Livewire action. #### Recommendations - Use the Gatekeeper account fields as the foundation for administrator-managed user creation. - Set new and reset accounts to require a password change by default. - Centralize role checks before exposing Website User Management actions. - Add audit events for account changes during Operation Identity and Operation Lincoln. #### Next Operation Sprint 3 - Operation Identity --- # Design Principles Every feature developed for Project Aegis must follow these principles. ## 1. One Source of Truth The MySQL database is the authoritative source for all application data. Generated files such as `AllowedCheaters.txt` and `BanList.txt` are outputs—not editable data sources. --- ## 2. Every Action Is Accountable Every meaningful action must generate an audit record that captures: - Who performed the action - What was changed - When it occurred - The previous value - The new value - Whether the action succeeded or failed Nothing important happens silently. --- ## 3. Automate the Repetitive If the software can safely perform a task automatically, the administrator should not have to. Examples include: - Publishing `AllowedCheaters.txt` - Sending Discord notifications - Polling Atlas server health and recording operational transitions - Creating version-history records - Verifying published-file synchronization --- ## 4. Recovery Before Regret Every published file must support version history and rollback. Mistakes should never require manual reconstruction. --- ## 5. Manage the Cluster, Not the Files Administrators manage: - People - Permissions - Bans - Website users - Operational settings Project Aegis manages the underlying files and technical processes behind the scenes. --- ## 6. Professional Over Flashy Every animation, color, and interaction must improve usability. The interface should feel like a professional operations console rather than a game UI. --- # Visual Identity ## Theme Genesis-inspired operations console. ## Style - Dark - Modern - Minimal - Hexagonal design language - Clean typography - Subtle animations - Professional dashboard - Restrained ARK-inspired visual cues without copying game assets ## Primary Colors - Nowhere Nation Red - Tek Cyan - Charcoal Background - Gunmetal Panels - Green for healthy status - Amber for warnings - Red for failures or destructive actions ## Logo Outlined hexagon with: ```text NWN ``` centered inside. ## Application Name ```text NOWHERE NATION COMMAND CENTER ``` ## Product Tagline ```text Cluster Operations Console ``` ## Internal Build Signature ```text Project Aegis Protect the Cluster. Empower the Admin. ``` --- # Version Roadmap ## Version 0.1 — Foundation **Status:** Completed - [x] Laravel installed - [x] Livewire installed - [x] MySQL connected - [x] Storage linked - [x] Git repository created - [x] GitHub connected - [x] Initial commit created - [x] Project roadmap established - [x] Project codename selected --- ## Sprint 1 — Operation Genesis ### Project Identity ### Mission Brief Establish the visual and structural identity of Project Aegis. ### Goal Replace Laravel's default interface with the Nowhere Nation Command Center identity. ### Deliverables - NWN branding - NWN hexagon logo - Login screen - Dashboard shell - Sidebar - Navigation - Dark theme - Responsive layout - Dashboard cards - Header - Footer - Placeholder pages for future modules --- ## Sprint 2 — Operation Gatekeeper ### Authentication ### Mission Brief Secure access to Project Aegis and ensure only authorized users can enter the Command Center. ### Deliverables - Username-based login - Public registration removed - Mandatory password change on first login - Administrator-assigned temporary passwords - Active and disabled account states - Website roles - Initial Owner account - Login throttling - Password confirmation for sensitive actions --- ## Sprint 3 — Operation Identity ### Website User Management ### Mission Brief Create the identity-management capabilities required to control who can access Project Aegis and what actions they are authorized to perform. ### Deliverables - Website user CRUD - Administrator and User roles - User creation by Administrators only - Temporary password issuance - Password reset workflow - Account activation and deactivation - Role assignment - User activity visibility - Audit logging --- ## Sprint 4 — Operation Aegis ### Admin Management ### Mission Brief Establish the core administrative registry of Project Aegis by centralizing all Nowhere Nation ARK administrators, EOS identities, operational status, and historical records. ### Deliverables - Admin profiles - Multiple EOS IDs per admin - Unique EOS-ID validation - Active and archived admins - Individual EOS-ID activation and deactivation - Discord information - Platform information - Rank and notes - Search - Filters - Admin timeline - Manual-detail entry --- ## Sprint 5 — Operation Synchronize ### AllowedCheaters Publishing ### Mission Brief Create a reliable publishing engine that synchronizes active administrator EOS IDs from MySQL to the public `AllowedCheaters.txt` file used by the Nowhere Nation ARK cluster. ### Deliverables - Publish engine - Automatic file regeneration - Atomic file replacement - Synchronization status - Version history - Rollback - Download - View current file - Publish history - File checksum - Entry-count verification - Manual republish for Administrators - Public URL health check --- ## Sprint 6 — Operation Awareness ### Discord Integration ### Mission Brief Provide real-time operational awareness by reporting meaningful Project Aegis actions to the designated Nowhere Nation Discord channel. ### Deliverables - Discord webhook configuration - Admin-added notifications - Admin-updated notifications - Admin-removed or deactivated notifications - EOS-ID activation and deactivation notifications - Publish-success notifications - Publish-failure notifications - Website-user management notifications - Delivery history - Failure logging --- ## Sprint 7 — Operation Atlas ### Cluster Management and Native RCON ### Mission Brief Establish a MySQL-backed cluster and server registry, coverage responsibilities, secure native RCON foundations, and module-driven cluster health for Nowhere Nation operations. ### Deliverables - Cluster and game-server registry - Production, test, admin, and event environments - Server coverage assignments - Database-encrypted RCON credentials - Owner and Head Admin credential management - Role-aware RCON authorization - Native RCON execution with allowlisted commands - Server health polling and operational transitions - Lincoln audit history and Awareness notifications - APP_KEY deployment and recovery safeguards --- ## Sprint 8 — Operation Lincoln ### Audit and History System ### Mission Brief Preserve the complete operational history of Project Aegis and the Nowhere Nation admin registry, honoring the principle that trustworthy administration requires a permanent, searchable historical record. Operation Lincoln is named in recognition of Abraham Lincoln's defining place in United States history and the importance of preserving an accurate record of actions and change. ### Deliverables - Complete activity history - Old-value and new-value recording - User attribution - Success and failure status - IP-address logging - Browser and user-agent logging - Request identifiers - Record timelines - Search - Filtering - Date-range filtering - Export - Administrator-only system-log access - User-visible history on relevant admin records - Sensitive-value redaction --- # Version 1.0 — Production Release ## Mission Deploy Project Aegis as the operational command center for the Nowhere Nation ARK cluster. ## Release Criteria - All Version 1.0 operations are complete. - Authentication and authorization have been tested. - Admin Management has been validated with real EOS IDs. - `AllowedCheaters.txt` publishing and rollback have been tested. - Discord notifications have been verified. - Atlas registry, encrypted RCON credentials, health monitoring, and approved command workflows have been tested. - Audit history is complete and searchable. - Mobile and desktop layouts have been validated. - Production deployment documentation is complete. - Backup and recovery procedures have been demonstrated. - Security review is complete. - Final After Action Review is approved. --- # Version 2.0 — Expansion ## Objective Expand Project Aegis from an administrator-management platform into a broader ARK Cluster Operations Platform. ## Planned Modules ### Ban Management - Active bans - Archived bans - `BanList.txt` publishing - Version history - Rollback - Ban reasons - Evidence and notes - Discord notifications ### Server Health - Server monitoring - Availability checks - Public endpoint checks - Health history - Operational alerts ### Player Lookup - Cluster-wide player search - EOS-ID search - Platform identity search - Native RCON player and server-state correlation ### Tribe Lookup - Tribe records - Member information - Tribe history - Notes and administrative flags ### Cluster Analytics - Operational statistics - Administrator activity - Publishing history - Trend reporting ### Ticket Integration - Administrative workflow integration - Ticket references in admin actions - Required justification for privileged actions - Historical ticket linkage --- # Navigation Model ## Version 1.0 Navigation - Dashboard - Admin Management - Website Users - Audit Log - Settings Publishing, version history, and `AllowedCheaters.txt` health are owned by Admin Management rather than exposed as a separate technical module. ## Future Navigation - Dashboard - Admin Management - Ban Management - Player Lookup - Tribe Lookup - Server Health - Cluster Analytics - Website Users - Audit Log - Settings --- # Authorization Model ## Administrator Administrators can: - Manage ARK administrator profiles and EOS IDs - Manage website users - Assign roles - Reset passwords - Configure Discord - Configure Atlas clusters, servers, and protected RCON credentials - Configure publishing settings - View complete audit logs - Republish files - Restore previous file versions - Access system health and delivery logs ## User Users can: - View active and archived ARK administrators - Add administrator profiles - Update administrator profiles - Add and update EOS IDs - Activate and deactivate administrator records - Execute approved Atlas RCON operations - View relevant record history Users cannot: - Manage website accounts - Assign website roles - Change application settings - View complete system logs - Restore file versions - Permanently purge records --- # Operation Lifecycle Every operation follows the same command structure: ```text Mission Brief ↓ Planning ↓ Design ↓ Development ↓ Testing ↓ Verification ↓ Documentation ↓ Deployment ↓ After Action Review ``` --- # Development Workflow Every feature follows this lifecycle: ```text Plan ↓ Explain ↓ Create a Git save point ↓ Develop ↓ Test ↓ Verify ↓ Document ↓ Commit ↓ Push ``` Development will proceed one deliberate action and one verification at a time. --- # Git Commit Standard Meaningful commits should follow this structure: ```text Project Aegis | Operation Name | Phase or Feature | Description ``` Examples: ```text Project Aegis | Operation Genesis | Initial Branding Project Aegis | Operation Gatekeeper | Username Login Project Aegis | Operation Synchronize | Publish Engine Complete Project Aegis | Operation Lincoln | Audit Search and Filtering ``` --- # After Action Reviews Every completed operation must include an After Action Review. ## Required Sections ### Objective What the operation was intended to accomplish. ### Outcome Whether the mission was successful, partially successful, or unsuccessful. ### Completed Work What was delivered. ### Lessons Learned What the project team learned during development. ### Issues Encountered Any technical, process, or design problems discovered. ### Recommendations Improvements or decisions that should carry into the next operation. ### Next Operation The operation that follows. --- # Project Standards Every feature developed under Project Aegis must satisfy the following standards. ## Purpose Driven Every feature solves a real operational problem. ## Recoverable Destructive or publishing actions must have a defined recovery path. ## Auditable Every significant action must be logged. ## Expandable New modules should integrate without requiring the platform to be redesigned. ## Consistent Every page should follow the same visual language and interaction patterns. ## Secure Authentication, authorization, sensitive settings, and audit records must follow secure development practices. ## Responsive Core functions must remain usable on desktop and mobile devices. ## Maintainable Business logic should remain separated from presentation logic and documented clearly enough for future development. --- # Project Philosophy Project Aegis is not merely a website. Project Aegis is an operations platform built by administrators, for administrators. Every decision should reduce manual work, improve accountability, simplify cluster management, and protect the integrity of Nowhere Nation. --- # Legacy Project Aegis began as a request for a secure Laravel page that could manage a public `AllowedCheaters.txt` file without requiring administrators to edit text files manually. It evolved into a complete operations platform designed to simplify administration, improve accountability, preserve history, and centralize the management of the Nowhere Nation ARK cluster. **Protect the Cluster.** **Empower the Admin.**