Glossary
Technical terms used in Xindeler's codebase and documentation.
A
Asset ID
Identifier for a game asset, formed from the RON file's path relative to assets/, with / replaced by . and no extension. Example: common.items.weapons.sword.iron_sword.
AURORA
NPC AI system. Every NPC has a mind (Mind) with values, fears, episodic memory, and social relationships. Runs inside the server as an extension of rtsim. See AURORA.
B
Body
ECS component that defines an entity's physical appearance: species (Human, Orc, Dwarf...), body type, and parts that determine its 3D voxel model.
Buff
Temporary effect applied to an entity that modifies its stats. Can be positive (buff) or negative (debuff). Defined in common/src/comp/buff.rs.
C
Cargo workspace
Rust project with multiple crates coordinated from a root Cargo.toml. Xindeler is a workspace — cargo build at the root compiles everything.
Chronicle
JSONL file in chronicle/ where the server logs world events (battles, deaths, faction changes). Rotated automatically by size.
Component (ECS Component)
Data struct attached to an entity. Has no logic — only data. Example: Health { current: 80.0, maximum: 100.0 }.
Chunk Terrain unit of 32×32×16 blocks. The world is divided into chunks that load/unload dynamically based on player position.
E
ECS (Entity Component System)
Game architecture paradigm. Entities are numeric IDs; data is stored in components; logic lives in systems that operate on sets of components. Xindeler uses the specs crate.
Entity Unique numeric ID representing any game object: player, NPC, item on the ground, projectile. Has no data of its own — the data lives in its components.
F
Faction
Political/social group in the game world. NPCs belong to factions that have relationships with one another (allied, rival, neutral). Faction state persists in rtsim.
L
LOD (Level of Detail) Rendering technique that uses lower-resolution models/textures for distant objects. Xindeler's client applies LOD to terrain chunks and entity models.
LootSpec
RON type that defines which item(s) an entity drops on death. It can be a specific item, a weighted table, or nothing (Nothing).
O
ORACLE
World narrative direction system. Generates events, manages creature ecosystems, and controls weather and long-term story arcs. Runs inside the server as an extension of rtsim. See ORACLE.
P
Poise
Stat that determines resistance to being staggered. If an entity's poise reaches zero, it enters the Stunned state briefly. It recovers over time.
Protocol (Xindeler Protocol) Proprietary binary protocol used for client-server communication. Runs over QUIC (Quinn). Not REST, not WebSocket.
Q
QUIC Modern transport protocol (RFC 9000) over UDP. Xindeler uses it for game communication via the Quinn crate. Offers stream multiplexing and lower latency than TCP on lossy networks.
R
RON (Rusty Object Notation)
Text format for defining game assets (items, abilities, creatures, recipes). Similar to JSON but with native support for Rust types. Extension: .ron.
rtsim
Real-time world simulation module. Maintains the persistent state of NPCs, sites, and factions between sessions. Serializes to rtsim/data.dat in MessagePack format.
S
Site Point of interest generated in the world: city, village, dungeon, ruins. Sites have plots (buildings, structures) and can host persistent NPCs in rtsim.
SkillSet Set of skills and levels for an entity. Determines which abilities it can use in combat. Referenced by asset ID in RON entity definitions.
System (ECS System)
Logic that operates on a set of components every tick. Systems are registered with the specs dispatcher and can run in parallel when they have no data conflicts.
V
Voxygen
Xindeler's graphical client. Binary: cargo run --bin voxygen.
W
WorldFact Data type that ORACLE writes and AURORA can read. Represents a verified fact about the world's state (a faction conquered a site, a mythical creature was sighted, etc.). It's the communication contract between the two systems.