Framework Plugin

Plugins are for framework extensions: data/profile services, ECS bridges, shared component registration, analytics, anti-cheat, or project-wide infrastructure.

-- ServerScriptService/Plugins/ProfilePlugin.lua
--!strict

local ProfilePlugin = {}

type ProfileAPI = {
  GetCoins: (player: Player) -> number,
  SetCoins: (player: Player, coins: number) -> (),
}

local profiles: { [Player]: { coins: number } } = {}

ProfilePlugin.Descriptor = {
  Name = "ProfilePlugin",
  Version = "0.1.0",
  Side = "Server",
  StartTimeout = 5,
  PublicAPI = nil :: ProfileAPI?,
}

ProfilePlugin.Descriptor.PublicAPI = {
  GetCoins = function(player: Player): number
    local profile = profiles[player]
    return if profile then profile.coins else 0
  end,

  SetCoins = function(player: Player, coins: number)
    local profile = profiles[player]
    if profile then
      profile.coins = coins
    end
  end,
}

ProfilePlugin.Hooks = {
  Init = function(_self, sandbox)
    sandbox:Log("Profile API is available")
  end,

  Start = function(_self, sandbox)
    -- Do bounded setup that must be ready before modules start.
    sandbox:Log("Profile storage is ready")
  end,

  OnPlayerAdded = function(_self, _sandbox, player: Player)
    profiles[player] = { coins = 100 }
  end,

  OnPlayerRemoving = function(_self, _sandbox, player: Player)
    profiles[player] = nil
  end,
}

return ProfilePlugin

Launch with plugins before game modules:

local Riptide = require(ReplicatedStorage.Packages.Riptide).Server

Riptide.Launch({
  PluginsFolder = ServerScriptService.Plugins,
  ModulesFolder = ServerScriptService.Services,
})

Consume the plugin from a service:

function EconomyService:Init(Riptide)
  local entry = Riptide.Plugins:GetPlugin("ProfilePlugin")
  local api = if entry then entry.descriptor.PublicAPI else nil
  assert(api, "ProfilePlugin is required")

  self.Profile = api
end

Plugin Start is a readiness gate. If a plugin needs a forever loop, spawn it inside Start:

function Plugin.Hooks:Start(sandbox)
  task.spawn(function()
    while true do
      task.wait(60)
      sandbox:Log("Background tick")
    end
  end)
end