unity-scriptableobjects Checked

Architect Unity 6.3 LTS data and decoupling with ScriptableObjects: config/data assets, shared runtime variables, event channels, and runtime sets/registries. Use when designing data-driven systems, replacing singletons/managers, creating .asset data with CreateAssetMenu, or when the user mentions ScriptableObject, SO architecture, or data assets.

Unity ScriptableObject Architecture

Use ScriptableObject assets to store shared data and decouple systems in Unity 6.3 LTS —

configuration, event channels, and registries that live as project assets instead of being

hard-wired into scenes or singletons. Targets **Unity 6.3 LTS (6000.3)**.

Architect Unity 6.3 LTS data and decoupling with ScriptableObjects: config/data assets, shared runtime variables, event channels, and runtime sets/registries. Use when designing data-driven systems, replacing singletons/managers, creating .asset data with CreateAssetMenu, or when the user mentions ScriptableObject, SO architecture, or data assets.

Unity ScriptableObject Architecture

Use ScriptableObject assets to store shared data and decouple systems in Unity 6.3 LTS —

configuration, event channels, and registries that live as project assets instead of being

hard-wired into scenes or singletons. Targets **Unity 6.3 LTS (6000.3)**.

When to use

• Use when you need designer-editable config (weapon stats, level data), to share one value

between unrelated systems, to decouple senders from listeners via event channels, or to

build a runtime registry of active objects — without a static/singleton manager.

• Use when the project has *.asset data files backed by : ScriptableObject classes.

**When _not_ to use:** per-instance runtime state that differs per GameObject (that belongs on

a MonoBehaviour) — a ScriptableObject asset is _shared_ by everyone who references it. Saving

player progress to disk → save-systems. Plain DTOs that never need to be an asset can just be

[System.Serializable] classes.

Core workflow

1. **Define the class** deriving from ScriptableObject and tag it with [CreateAssetMenu] so

designers can create instances from the Assets menu.

2. **Create one or more .asset instances** in the Project window; each is a shared, named

piece of data referenced by [SerializeField] fields.

3. **Reference, don't copy.** MonoBehaviours hold a reference to the asset; they all see the

same data, so changing the asset changes every consumer.

4. **For decoupling**, model _signals_ and _shared variables_ as ScriptableObjects: a

"FloatVariable" the HUD reads and the player writes; an "event channel" the player raises

and many systems listen to. Neither side references the other.

5. **Reset runtime mutations** in OnEnable if the asset is mutated during play, because edits

made in the Editor at runtime persist on the asset (a frequent source of "my values

changed after I played").

6. **Verify** by inspecting the asset values during Play mode and confirming consumers react.

Patterns

### 1. Config/data asset

using UnityEngine;

[CreateAssetMenu(fileName = "WeaponData", menuName = "Game/Weapon Data", order = 0)]
public class WeaponData : ScriptableObject
{
    public string displayName = "Pistol";
    public int    damage = 10;
    public float  fireRate = 0.25f;
    public GameObject projectilePrefab;
}

public class Weapon : MonoBehaviour
{
    [SerializeField] private WeaponData data;   // assign the shared asset in the Inspector
    private void Fire() => Debug.Log($"{data.displayName} for {data.damage}");
}