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🧩 Pickups System — Pickup Execution Flow

What it’s showing

This diagram shows the main execution path from authored pickup data to runtime effect application.

flowchart TD

A[Definition<br/>PickupEffectDefinitionBase]
B[Factory<br/>PickupEffectFactory]
C[Effect Chain<br/>PickupEffect + Decorators]
D[Runtime Pickup<br/>TriggerPickup / InteractablePickupBase]
E[Runner<br/>PickupEffectRunner]
F[Actor]

A --> B
B --> C
F --> D
D --> E
E --> C

Reading the flow

1. Definition

A pickup starts as authored data.

This is usually a PickupEffectDefinitionBase asset that describes:

  • what effect to build
  • what decorator data to include

2. Factory

PickupEffectFactory turns that definition into a runtime effect chain.

That means:

  • create the core PickupEffect
  • wrap decorators around it if configured

3. Effect Chain

The result is a single executable effect chain.

That chain may contain:

  • one core effect
  • zero or more decorators

At runtime, this behaves as one payload.

4. Runtime Pickup

TriggerPickup or InteractablePickupBase decides when the pickup should attempt to apply that effect.

This layer handles things like:

  • trigger/contact flow
  • input/hold flow
  • optional authority checks
  • pickup lifecycle

5. Runner

PickupEffectRunner applies the effect chain using the correct entry path.

This is where standard effects and context-aware effects are dispatched correctly.

6. Actor

The actor is the thing trying to consume the pickup.

It provides the runtime target/context for the effect application.

Mental shortcut

Think of Pickups like this:

Definition = authored data
Factory = builds runtime payload
Effect Chain = gameplay behaviour
Runtime Pickup = delivery rule
Runner = applies it
Actor = receives it

Key idea

The pickup does not define the gameplay payload.

The pickup only decides:

“Should this effect be delivered now?”

The effect chain decides:

“What actually happens?”

Why this matters

This split is what keeps the system clean:

  • change gameplay behaviour → effect
  • change wrapping behaviour → decorator
  • change authoring → definition
  • change consume rules → runtime pickup

Blunt recommendation

Use this version or remove the page.

This one teaches something.