Frequently Asked Questions
Is Game Creator 2 required?
Yes. Biome Manager is designed as a module for GC2 and requires GC2 Core. All gameplay wiring runs through GC2 Instructions, Conditions, Triggers and Memories.
Do I need COZY: Stylized Weather?
No. The built-in weather system (profiles, particles, weather tables) works standalone. The COZY bridge is optional, appears in the GC2 install window only when COZY is detected, and binds via reflection - there is no dependency.
How does unlocking actually work?
Biomes list requirement tokens (ScriptableObjects). The player's RequirementDatabase collects granted tokens; granting the last missing one unlocks the biome automatically. AND/OR logic is a toggle per biome.
Can biomes unlock from stats like player level?
Yes. Use a 'Requirement (GC2 Conditions)' asset and author the condition on the asset itself (e.g. Level >= 10). The RequirementAutoGrant component grants it automatically the moment the condition holds - no scene triggers.
Why does my conditional requirement never grant?
Almost always: the condition references a dragged-in scene object. A requirement is a project asset, so object fields can only point at prefab assets whose serialized defaults never change at runtime. Use Player / Self / Target sources instead.
How do polygon zones detect the player?
They poll point-in-polygon containment (10x per second) for objects carrying the Tracked Tag - 'Player' by default. Make sure your player GameObject has that tag. Collider-shaped zones use normal physics triggers instead.
Can multiple zones share one biome?
Yes. Any number of zones can reference the same BiomeDefinition - three forest patches, one Forest biome. Lock state, requirements and profiles are shared automatically.
Can I use my own barrier visual?
Yes. Assign a Barrier Prefab on the BiomeDefinition and it replaces the generated shield entirely. Without one, a holographic shield wall is generated automatically (a continuous ribbon along polygon outlines) and tinted with the biome's barrier color.
How do I save and load progress?
Through GC2's own Save/Load system. Add Remember components with the three Biome Manager memories: Biome Requirements (player), Biome Unlocks (game manager), Biome Discovery (player). Barriers refresh automatically on load.
What is the difference between discovered and unlocked?
Discovery tracks whether the player has found a biome (plus visit counts); unlocking tracks access. A biome can be discovered-but-locked or unlocked-but-unvisited. Both persist independently.
Does it work with HDRP?
The post-processing field targets URP Volume profiles; a manual HDRP swap is documented. Everything else (zones, requirements, barriers, weather particles, audio) is pipeline-agnostic. The barrier shield shader ships for URP.
Does border blending affect weather and audio too?
No - by design. Only the environment (ambient, fog, post-processing) blends spatially with distance from the border. Weather and audio switch discretely at the boundary; cross-blending two particle systems reads as visual noise.
Changelog
Current Version: 1.1.0
Version 1.1.0 — Exploration Update — Compendium, Nesting & Compass
upcoming
- Biome Compendium panel: exploration overview with three knowledge tiers - unknown '???', sighted (name revealed via barrier/tracking) and visited with counts; click-to-track locked entries, unknown-biome tease range, GC2 Show Compendium instruction
- Zone nesting & overlaps: Priority on Biome Zone - highest wins, leaving a nested zone falls back to the enclosing biome instead of wilderness
- Runtime tab in the Biome Manager window: live current biome, lock states with Unlock/Lock test buttons, granted requirements, active weather, discovery visits
- Progress panel compass: direction arrow toward the tracked biome's nearest border plus live distance in the header ('Wild Forest · 12 m')
- BiomeZone.GetClosestPoint API for custom direction indicators
- Duplicate biome-ID detection at scene start with a clear console error (duplicated assets no longer merge silently)
- Progress panel defaults fixed: Nearby mode only targets locked biomes; met/unmet symbols are + and ×
Version 1.0.0 — Initial Release
2026
- Biome definitions with environment / weather / audio profiles and GC2 event lists
- Collider and polygon zone shapes with Scene-view handle editing
- Spatial border blending (Blend Distance per zone)
- Requirement-token unlock system with AND/OR logic and automatic unlock cascade
- Self-evaluating requirements via embedded GC2 ConditionLists + RequirementAutoGrant
- Solid barriers with generated holographic shield (continuous ribbon on polygons)
- Barrier contact feedback: HUD flash, locked message + unlock hint toast
- Weather profiles (Clear/Rain/Snow/Fog/Storm/Custom) with particle, wind, light and audio
- Weather tables: weighted entries with min/max hold times, scheduled per biome
- Discovery database with visit counts, independent of unlock state
- Persistence through GC2 Memories: Requirements, Unlocks, Discovery
- 11 GC2 Instructions, 7 Conditions, 4 Properties, 5 Triggers, 3 Memories
- Self-subscribing UI: Biome HUD, Notification toasts, Progress Panel, Weather Label
- Biome Manager editor window with folder grouping, search and scene validation
- Duplicate-safe asset identity (IDs regenerate on duplication)
- Optional COZY: Stylized Weather bridge (reflection-based, no dependency)
- Two example scenes + optional COZY demo, all GC2-native with zero custom scripts
Roadmap
Features under consideration for future updates:
- Spatial biome map with world-space markers (compendium shipped in 1.1)
- Per-biome spawn integration (bridge to Spawn & Wave System)
- Seasons & calendar layer with per-season profile sets
- Enviro 3 bridge (same soft-integration pattern as COZY)
- Per-point zone heights / terrain-following zone tops
Support
This is a passion project — no 24/7 support, but I reply as quickly as I can.
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