Should I download a plugin for my game?
While developing a games, plugins can save development time and produce amazing results! πβ¨
But I have come across many plugins that I either have to remove or heavily retrofit later on during development... Which isn't fun to do...
What I have found in both my professional game career and working on my own is:
Plugins that are tools are often better in the long run, than plugins that offer a complete solution!
The key difference is flexibility. π
Tools can be used in multiple helpful ways throughout the lifespan of your game! π§π§°
Tools include systems like DoTween, Event System Dispatcher, and Text Animator (seen below).
Tools are light weight, and decoupled from your code. They can be used in numerous development cases, and do just what they were developed to do.
How are solutions different?
Solutions are larger prebuild systems that serve as full functionality within your game. An example would be a full navigation system, complete with mini-map and icons. Solutions can be helpful to start, especially for prototyping!
But in my personal experience, they often are too inflexible to changes and will not serve to bring your game to completion. When you want the solution to do something it wasn't designed for, you can quickly run into sticky problems. Not saying to never use solution plugins, just be aware of the risks!
Hope this helps keep your game on track! π
