Muhammad IDREES (LOVEFIRE)

Posted on Dec 20

How to implement the Observer Pattern in Unity (and why UnityEvents limit you)

#unity3d #csharp #gamedev #productivity

The "Wrapper Method" Trap

If you have used UnityEvents to decouple your UI or game logic, you have definitely hit "The Wall."

You write a perfectly clean method in your script:

public void SpawnUnit(UnitType type, int count, Vector3 position)
{
    // Logic here...
}

Then you go to the Inspector to hook this up to a Button or a Trigger... and you can't.

Why?

UnityEvents generally support only one dynamic argument.
UnityEvents struggle to serialize Enums in dynamic calls.

So, what do we all do? We write the dreaded "Wrapper Method."

// The method we actually want to call
public void SpawnUnit(UnitType type, int count) { ... }

// 🚫 The wrapper we write just to make the Inspector happy
public void SpawnGoblinWave() 
{
    SpawnUnit(UnitType.Goblin, 5);
}

Suddenly, your clean script is polluted with dozens of these tiny helper methods just to pass specific data from the Inspector. It creates noise, bloats your codebase, and makes refactoring a nightmare.

Breaking the Limit

I decided I was done writing wrappers. I wanted to be able to pass any data—including Enums and multiple parameters—directly from the Unity Inspector.

I spent the last few months building a tool to solve this, and I’ve finally released it as Advanced C# Events.

Here is how it changes the workflow:

1. Multi-Argument Support

Instead of being limited to one argument, you can now define methods with multiple parameters and fill them in directly in the UI.

Need to call GiveItem(string itemID, int quantity, bool autoEquip)?
You can just select the method and fill in all three fields right there in the Inspector. No wrapper script required.

2. Finally... Enums in the Inspector!

This was my biggest personal frustration. Passing State.Idle or WeaponType.Sword via a standard event is surprisingly difficult in vanilla Unity.

With this system, Enums are fully supported. The Inspector draws a dropdown list of your Enum values, just like it does for public variables.

(Image Placeholder: Close-up screenshot of an Enum dropdown being selected inside your Event Inspector)

3. Debugging the Observer Pattern

We use events to decouple code (The Observer Pattern), which is great until something breaks. When you have 50 listeners, how do you know who fired the event?

I included a Debug Mode that logs exactly which object raised the event and which objects received it. This turns "blind debugging" into a simple trace.

Why this matters for Architecture

Decoupling is the holy grail of game development. You want your PlayerHealth script to yell "I took damage!" without knowing that the HealthBarUI, SoundManager, and BloodParticleSystem are listening.

By removing the friction of Unity's default inspector limits, you are more likely to write clean, event-driven code because it isn't annoying to do anymore.

Try it out

I’ve just released this on the Asset Store, and to celebrate the launch, I’m running a 50% OFF discount for the first week.

If you are tired of writing wrapper methods or fighting with delegates, check it out!

Happy coding! Let me know in the comments if you've struggled with the "Wrapper Method" trap too. 👇

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