When I need to add a new feature to my game I need to code it in (Duh). But it isn’t always as simple as that makes it sound. Each scene is it’s own world and what I do in one scene does not always translate to another scene. No, if I want something to carry over I need to set it up special. Thankfully I long ago created an object that carries over between scenes, its entire purpose is to carry variables between scenes. But interacting with this object can get a bit weird at times.

One of the main reasons for this is that each time I load a scene my scripts have to go and find that object (Named dataHolder). And you might think this would be simple: “On start find thing” and it is… until it isn’t. You see I discovered something about the Start part of scripts. If you have more than one in a scene they all try to run at the same time. Doesn’t sound too bad, until Script B needs Script A to have set something up, but Script A hasn’t gotten there yet.

My solution? Have only one Start section in my “controller” script and have it access functions of the other scripts that run what their Start sections would have run. But how does this relate back to my dataHolder?

I needed a new variable for volume control, so obviously I would shove that in the dataHolder. But what would access it? Now the solution should be obvious to you, after all I just spent two paragraphs telling you why it is the solution. But my first instincts where to have the script that needed that variable go looking for it. But when that one variable turned into 2 or 3 variables and one needed to be translated from one form to another… not a viable solution. So shove it in the controller.

And I went to do that. And everything just seemed to work. Nice and simple, barely any programming involved. Makes me suspicious any time the solution is so easy. But this time I think it really was that easy. Because I put it in the right part of the interconnected web of scripts.