ADK Terminology
ADK uses a few recurring names for different parts of the framework. The distinctions matter: Brain makes framework decisions, while Pinky stays close to the game engine and performs only its narrow integration work.
This page is generated from the public part of the canonical project terminology registry.
ADK- The project and framework as a whole. The initials are the stable public name and should normally be used without expansion.Brain- The external .NET logic kernel that owns authoritative framework reasoning, scheduling, validation, and state decisions.Pinky- The thin in-process host shim that observes engine facts, translates approved data, and applies accepted host operations.Pinky Companion- The isolated local .NET process paired with one Pinky and host instance. It handles host-specific transport mediation, decoding, batching, compatibility projection, and diagnostics outside the host process.Host- The game engine or server runtime integrated through Pinky.Plugin- Isolated third-party or first-party logic that declares needs and submits intents through approved ADK capabilities.Intent- A structured request for an outcome. It is not permission to mutate authoritative state directly.Warehouse- Brain-owned authoritative live component storage. Persistence is not the live source of truth.Data plane- The bounded high-frequency paths that move runtime facts and accepted operations without carrying control-plane work.Control plane- Lower-frequency configuration, administration, coordination, and lifecycle work.ADC- The Agnostic Domain Controller for approved central, cross-server, identity, distribution, and coordination services.Kestrel- The administrator- or player-facing web environment, whether local, ADC-central, or hybrid.Capability- A declared framework service or approved operation that a plugin may request under policy.Attribute package- A versioned reusable group of data fields and semantics that can be applied to eligible entities or objects.Handle- A stable logical identity token that resolves through current generation and location tables without exposing raw memory addresses.Standing query- A derived result maintained incrementally because repeated equivalent searches justify continuous availability.