Two things that come to issues like this where what you want is essentially a base MonoBehaviour class with extra functions is to either:
- Write extension methods for the MonoBehaviour class itself and use those to implement the color change effect. There is a very good explanation of such methods up on Gamasutra, so here's the link.(http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoshSutphin/20131007/201829/Adding_to_Unitys_BuiltIn_Classes_Using_Extension_Methods.php).
Write extension methods for the MonoBehaviour class itself and use those to implement the color change effect. There is a very good explanation of such methods up on Gamasutra, so here's the link.(http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JoshSutphin/20131007/201829/Adding_to_Unitys_BuiltIn_Classes_Using_Extension_Methods.php).
Essentially what you would be doing is creating 'extra' methods that a MonoBehaviour could use, and those functions could be called just like any other class function (placed in update or wherever you would want to call them). Such methods require that they are in a static class and then use a static method with a special reference parameter that refers to the class you're modifying.
Create a class that inherits from MonoBehaviour with a ChangeColor() method, and then inherit from that class for all of your other classes. Then you can call that function in Update or where you'd like. Probably the simplest to do.
Essentially what you would be doing is creating 'extra' methods that a MonoBehaviour could use, and those functions could be called just like any other class function (placed in update or wherever you would want to call them). Such methods require that they are in a static class and then use a static method with a special reference parameter that refers to the class you're modifying.
- Create a class that inherits from MonoBehaviour with a ChangeColor() method, and then inherit from that class for all of your other classes. Then you can call that function in Update or where you'd like. Probably the simplest to do.
As far as what you're having problems with, it seems like you don't quite have a grasp on the context of MonoBehaviours as far as their place in the Unity engine. Keep in mind that unless you're doing something that is completely data-specific that does not require any use of the MonoBehaviour functions like Start, Awake, Update, etc... (which means most GameObjects in any scene), you'll be deriving from it. If you're writing in javascript (unityscript) all of your scripts automatically derive from it and the large majority of your c# scripts will also.
http://docs.unity3d.com/Documentation/ScriptReference/MonoBehaviour.html
