Let's Build the RPG! - 63 – Blueprint-Only Gameplay Ability System Integration with AI Character

In this episode we integrate our blueprint-only Gameplay Ability System that we started back in episode 26 into our AI characters such that our AI characters will be able to use the same abilities as our player character. We also go over a number of fixes this episode, such as the fact that AI runs right into the ocean, even though the ocean is going to be a kill zone in the game we're making.

This episode will not be be possible to follow as a standalone episode- it revolves around a lot of previous build and setup of this series starting with episode 26 and continuing from there. We use elements from gameplay ability system episodes, gameplay ability UI episodes, and of course, previous episodes on AI characters. If you're starting this series from scratch, a good place to start is episode 19, starting with footsteps. That then goes into gameplay abilities starting with episode 23.

00:00 Intro
00:14 Today's Goals, Key Concepts, Assets used this episode
01:39 AdversaryAIController setup for storing gameplay abilities
04:43 AdversaryAICharacter setup for picking up gameplay abilities
09:45 Recap of Prior AI Behavior Tree Setup
12:31 Conceptualizing AI Behavior
15:43 Setting up AIModes and Acquisition Mode
17:46 PerceptionStimuliSource Component
19:30 Tagging GameplayAbilityPickup actors and setting up Perception based on AI Mode
21:47 FIX 1: Switching Gameplay Ability references to Owning Actor (instead of ThirdPersonCharacter)
26:22 FIX 2: Setting GameplayAbilityPickup to be inert after pickup
30:57 Giving the AI attack capability
35:56 FIX 3: AI Smooth rotation
36:54 FIX 4: Unreachable Acquisition actors
38:12 FIX 5: AI Water Avoidance
45:52 Function clean up and PlayerController? Variable
52:21 Conclusion and preview of next episode


New episode released every Saturday morning!

If you're looking for a logical place to jump in and start the series, I recommend coming in at episode 23 (but you'll still need to go back and do some previous episodes- for example, footstep effects).

But this is an important note:
I would only start at episode 23 if you already have some experience with Unreal Engine, with Blueprints, and with Niagara. Otherwise you're going to have a difficult time going back and figuring out how I did things in previous episodes.
If you don't have that pre-requisite knowledge I would start the series from the beginning.

Episode 23 (first episode of Gameplay Abilities):
   • Let's Build the RPG! - 23 – UE5 Niagara Fl...  

Episode 26 (where we actually start our Gameplay Ability System, 23 is a prerequisite):
   • Let's Build the RPG! - 26 – Creating a Blu...