Where Do Racers Start? Setting Up Your Rocket Racing Track

Welcome, future game designer! Do you want to build a super-fast Rocket Racing track? The most important part of any race is the starting line. If you don’t set it up right, your racers won’t know where to begin!

In this tutorial, we will learn how to use the RR Player Start Position device. This device tells the game exactly where each player’s vehicle should spawn. Let’s build a track that is ready for race day!

What You'll Learn

• What an RR Player Start Position device is.
• How to find this device in your toolbox.
• Why you need the right number of start spots.
• How to place them so your race starts smoothly.

How It Works

Imagine you are playing a board game like Monopoly. Each player has their own token. Before the game starts, every token must sit on the "GO" space. If you forget to put a token there, the game gets confused!

In Rocket Racing, the RR Player Start Position device is that "GO" space. It is a special object in your world. It marks the exact spot where a player’s car will appear.

Here is the secret rule: The number of start spots must match the number of players.

• If you want a race for two players, you need two start spots.
• If you want a race for four players, you need four start spots.

If you have too few spots, the race won’t start. If you have too many, the extra spots will just sit there empty. It is like having four chairs for a dinner party, but only two guests show up. One chair will be lonely!

Also, remember that these special devices only work in Rocket Racing islands. You cannot use them in a normal Fortnite Creative map. They are made just for high-speed racing fun.

Let's Build It

We are going to place start positions for a two-player race. This is the most common way to play!

Step 1: Open Your Rocket Racing Island

First, make sure you are in a Rocket Racing template in UEFN. If you are in a normal Creative map, these devices will not appear.

Step 2: Find the Device

Open your Content Browser (the place where you keep all your props and devices). Look for the category called Rocket Racing Devices. You might see a list of special racing tools. Find the one named RR Player Start Position.

Step 3: Place Two Spots

Drag the RR Player Start Position device from the browser into your world. Place it on your starting grid. Now, drag a second one and place it right next to the first one.

You now have two "GO" spots!

Step 4: Check Your Race Manager

You need a Race Manager device to run the race. Make sure you have placed one of these (like the Competitive Race Manager). The manager counts your start spots. It sees your two spots and says, "Okay, two players can race here!"

Here is a simple visual guide of what your starting line should look like:

// This is a visual guide, not code!
// Think of it like drawing your track on paper.

[ Start Spot 1 ]   [ Start Spot 2 ]
      ^                 ^
      |                 |
   Player A          Player B

Why This Code Concept Matters (Scene Graph)

In programming, we talk about the Scene Graph. This is just a fancy name for the list of all objects in your game. Think of it like a giant toy box. Every toy has a place in the box. The RR Player Start Position is a special toy. It sits inside the Scene Graph. When the game starts, it looks in the box for these special toys. It finds them and puts the players there. If the toy isn’t in the box (if you didn’t place it), the player has nowhere to go!

Try It Yourself

Now it is your turn to be the designer!

Challenge: Try setting up a race for four players.

1. Add more RR Player Start Position devices to your track.
2. Make sure they are lined up nicely for the race.
3. Test your island.

Hint: Count your start spots carefully. If you have four cars, how many spots do you need? If the race doesn’t start, check the Output Log (the message box at the bottom of the screen). It will tell you if you are missing any spots!

Recap

You did it! You learned how to use the RR Player Start Position device. Remember these three tips:

1. These devices are only for Rocket Racing islands.
2. You must place one start spot for each player.
3. The Race Manager checks these spots to start the game.

Your track is now ready for racers. Have fun building and testing!

References

• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-rocket-racing-player-start-position-devices-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-rocket-racing-competitive-race-manager-devices-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/creating-rocket-racing-islands-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/using-rocket-racing-devices-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/working-with-rocket-racing-islands-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite