The Bubbling Barrel: Make Your Explosives Warning!

Have you ever seen a cartoon bomb with a ticking clock? It makes you want to run away fast! In this tutorial, you will build a barrel that bubbles and shakes before it explodes. This gives players a chance to escape. You will use Verse to make your island smarter. Let’s make some noise!

What You'll Learn

• How to use a Timer to wait for a specific amount of time.
• How to connect a Trigger to start a chain reaction.
• How to use VFX (Visual Effects) to show a warning.
• How to activate an Explosive device safely.

How It Works

Think of your island like a stage play. You have actors (devices) and scripts (Verse). We want a specific scene to happen.

First, a player walks into a zone. This is the Trigger. It is like a pressure plate on the floor. When someone steps on it, it sends a signal.

Next, the signal goes to a Timer. The timer is like a kitchen stopwatch. It waits for a few seconds. During this wait, we want the barrel to look dangerous. We use VFX Creator to show bubbles or smoke. This is the warning sign!

Finally, when the timer finishes, it tells the Explosive device to go off. Boom! The barrel breaks.

We will write a small Verse script to link these parts together. Verse is the language that tells the devices what to do. It is like giving instructions to a robot friend.

Let's Build It

We will build a "Warning Barrel." When a player touches it, bubbles appear. Then, it explodes.

Step 1: Place Your Devices

Open UEFN and place these devices near each other:

1. Explosive Device: Set the radius small so it only breaks the barrel.
2. VFX Creator: Pick a bubble or smoke effect.
3. Timer: Set the "Delay" to 3 seconds.
4. Trigger: Make it cover the barrel.

Step 2: Write the Verse Script

Click on your Trigger. Open the Verse editor. Paste this code. It connects all your devices.

# This script makes a barrel warn you before it blows!
# We name our devices so Verse can find them.

# This is a 'Function'. It is a list of instructions.
# Think of it like a recipe for an explosion.
On_Touch := func (source: actor) {
    # 1. Start the warning bubbles!
    # We tell the VFX Creator to play its effect.
    VFX_Creator.Play()

    # 2. Wait for 3 seconds.
    # The timer does the waiting for us.
    Timer.Start()

    # 3. When the timer ends, explode!
    # We listen for the 'Finished' signal from the timer.
    Timer.Finished.Bind(On_Explode)
}

# This function runs after the timer finishes.
On_Explode := func () {
    # Tell the explosive device to blow up!
    Explosive.Activate()
}

# This connects the player touching the trigger to our recipe.
# When someone touches the trigger, run On_Touch.
Trigger.Touched.Bind(On_Touch)

Step 3: Connect the Dots

In the code above, you see names like VFX_Creator and Explosive. You must rename your devices in the editor to match these names!

• Click your VFX Creator. Rename it VFX_Creator.
• Click your Timer. Rename it Timer.
• Click your Explosive. Rename it Explosive.
• Click your Trigger. Rename it Trigger.

Now, when a player touches the trigger, the script runs. The bubbles start. The timer counts down. Then, POOF!

Try It Yourself

You did it! You made a smart barrel. Now, try this challenge:

The Double Warning Challenge

Can you make the barrel shake twice before it explodes?

Hint: You can use the Timer twice! Set the first timer to start the bubbles. When that timer finishes, start a second timer. When the second timer finishes, trigger the explosion. You can also change the VFX to make it look more intense!

Recap

• Triggers start actions when players interact.
• Timers create suspense by waiting.
• VFX give visual feedback to the player.
• Verse connects all these devices into one fun game mechanic.

Great job! Your island is now more exciting. Keep building!

References

• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/explosive-device-design-example-in-fortnite-creative
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/explosive-device-design-example-in-fortnite-creative
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/device-design-examples-in-fortnite-creative
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/30-40-fortnite-ecosystem-updates-and-release-notes-in-creative-and-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite-creative/using-explosive-devices-in-fortnite-creative