The "Epic" rules are modifications to the standard ruleset that add some techs, Wonders, and units. The core idea was to extend the tech tree to near-future technologies and to add gameplay elements that I felt were lacking. In particular, certain Wonders that get obsoleted never get their functionality reintroduced, such as Sun Tzu's War Academy. New Wonders have been added, especially minor Wonders, such as Zhukov's Military Academy, that provide the same benefits after the old ones expire.
Additionally, some "programmer art" has been provided for the Wonders and units. I hope you enjoy these changes. And if you like some bits and not so much others, it's pretty easy to tweak: https://freeciv.fandom.com/wiki/Editing_rulesets
Enjoy!
Clone the repo to a handy directory.
% cd handy-directory
% git clone git@github.com:Willtor/epic.git
% cd epic
Find your FreeCiv installation. Typically, on Linux, this is the /usr/share/games/freeciv/ directory. Copy all of the epic files into it.
% cp -r epic* /usr/share/games/freeciv/
The ruleset and tiles should now be available when you start a new game. Be sure to load the tiles if you use the ruleset or you'll get reused graphics for new units.
You can contact me at wml AT alum DOT rpi DOT edu with questions, comments, suggestions, or alterations.