Services vs Controllers

In the Knight Framework, the architecture is centered around Services. These are modules that encapsulate your game’s business logic, game state, and communication between the client and server.

While other frameworks often refer to client-side modules as Controllers for readability and clarity, under the hood, everything is just a Service.

---

What is a Service?

A Service in Knight is any module placed in:

• src/ServerStorage/Knight/Services (server-side)

• src/StarterPlayer/StarterPlayerScripts/Knight/Services (client-side)

• src/ReplicatedStorage/Knight/Shared/Services (shared)

Services are automatically loaded and managed by the framework, and can depend on other Services via self.Services.

Examples:

-- Server-side Service
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerService= {}
PlayerService.__index = PlayerService;

function PlayerService:Start()
	Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player)
		print("Player joined:", player.Name)
	end)
end

return PlayerService

-- Client-side "Controller" (Still a Service under the hood)

local CameraController = {}
CameraController.__index = CameraController;

function CameraController:Start()
	print("Camera controller started")
end

return CameraController

---

Why Call Them "Controllers" on the Client?

While technically still Services, developers often call client-side services Controllers because:

• They manage input, UI, camera, audio, and other player-facing systems

• It helps mentally separate game logic (server) from player experience (client)

• It mirrors common frontend/backend naming conventions

This naming convention is optional and purely for developer ergonomics.

---

Best Practices

1. Keep Logic Scoped to the Right Context

• Server Services should never assume presence of GUI elements or player input.

• Client Services (aka Controllers) should never mutate global game state or kick players.

2. Name Clearly and Consistently

Use suffixes if it helps readability:

-- Server
PlayerService
InventoryService

-- Client
CameraController
HUDController
InputController

3. Shared Services Are Powerful

If you have logic that both client and server need (like data validation, math utilities, enum definitions), place them in Knight/Shared/Services.

Avoid placing business logic here — shared services should be deterministic and stateless when possible.

---

Summary

Concept	Definition
Service	A module that runs logic in the Knight Framework
Controller	A naming convention for client-side services
Shared Service	A deterministic module usable by both client and server

Ultimately, whether you call them Services or Controllers — they all follow the same lifecycle and are powered by the same Service system behind the scenes.

Stick to what makes sense for your team and stay consistent.