# Brainstorm: Unity Project Setup for Neighborhood Quarterback

**Date:** 2026-01-31
**Status:** Ready for planning
**Related:** soul.md (game design document)

## What We're Building

Minimal scaffolding for a Unity project that will become "Neighborhood Quarterback" - a 1v1 real-time capture-the-flag game. This phase establishes:

- Unity 6 LTS project with correct settings
- Build targets for Android, iOS, and Desktop
- Feature-based folder organization
- URP 2D rendering pipeline
- New Input System configured

**Explicitly out of scope:** Gameplay code, networking, UI systems, assets. Just the foundation.

## Why This Approach

### Unity 6 LTS over older versions
- Latest LTS with best cross-platform tooling
- Improved mobile build times and runtime performance
- Active support through 2028

### URP 2D over Built-in or 3D
- Soul doc describes "backyard baseball meets satellite-map clarity" - 2D aesthetic
- URP 2D provides good lighting options for "night time" mood
- Better mobile GPU performance than URP 3D
- 2D Renderer optimized for sprite-based games

### New Input System over Legacy
- Unified touch/mouse handling critical for mobile + desktop
- Action maps allow defining "select unit", "drag route" abstractly
- Better support for complex gestures needed for squad command

### Feature-based folders over type-based
- Game has distinct systems (FogOfWar, Jail, Units, MotionLights) per soul doc
- Keeps related code/prefabs/art together
- Scales better as features grow

## Key Decisions

| Decision | Choice | Rationale |
|----------|--------|-----------|
| Unity Version | 6 LTS (6000.0.x) | Latest stable, best mobile support |
| Render Pipeline | URP 2D | 2D game, mobile performance, lighting |
| Input System | New Input System | Cross-platform touch/mouse |
| Folder Structure | Feature-based | Matches game's system architecture |
| Build Targets | Android, iOS, Win/Mac/Linux | Per requirements |
| Android Config | IL2CPP, ARM64, API 24+ | Modern devices, performance |
| iOS Config | IL2CPP, ARM64, iOS 13+ | Modern devices, performance |

## Open Questions

1. **Netcode package?** - Soul doc mentions 1v1 multiplayer, but that's post-scaffolding. Decision deferred.
2. **Unity Gaming Services?** - Authentication, matchmaking, analytics. Deferred to gameplay phase.
3. **CI/CD pipeline?** - Out of scope for minimal setup. Add when needed.

## Folder Structure

```
neighborhood-quarterback/
├── Assets/
│   ├── Features/           # Feature modules (empty initially)
│   │   └── _Template/      # Copy this for new features
│   ├── Shared/             # Cross-feature resources
│   │   ├── Fonts/
│   │   └── UI/
│   ├── Settings/           # Project settings
│   │   ├── URP/            # Render pipeline assets
│   │   └── Input/          # Input action assets
│   └── Scenes/
│       └── Main.unity      # Entry point
├── Packages/               # Unity package manifest
├── ProjectSettings/        # Unity project settings
└── docs/                   # Design documents
    ├── soul.md
    └── brainstorms/
```

## Next Steps

Run `/workflows:plan` to generate implementation steps for creating this Unity project scaffold.