Module
A module groups related application logic around a focused responsibility. It keeps coupling low by exposing functionality to other modules through interfaces (IOP, interface-oriented programming). A logging module is one example.
Plugin
A plugin groups modules that serve a broader area of functionality, such as game rules or navigation.
Application
An application is an independent process that provides a complete set of functionality. It can contain many plugins; a game server is one example.
Data node
A data node stores an individual entity property, such as a player’s HP or MP. Values can be booleans, integers (including 64-bit integers), single- or double-precision floating-point numbers, strings or GUIDs.
Data table
A data table represents two-dimensional data attached to an entity, such as a player’s item inventory. Like a Microsoft Excel sheet, it contains rows and columns, and its schema can be supplied from Excel. Each cell supports the same value types as a data node.
Entity
An entity is an object created dynamically in a game. It typically contains multiple data nodes and data tables. Players, monsters and NPCs are examples.
Application launcher
The application launcher loads plugin shared libraries to form an application.
GUID
A GUID is a game identifier that is unique across all regions and servers. It can be used for entity identifiers and other values that require this scope of uniqueness.
Event
Application logic emits and subscribes to events to reduce coupling between its components.
Google Protocol Buffers
Google’s open-source data serialization library supports multiple platforms and languages. See Protocol Buffers.