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Configuration

This page explains how to build dialogue trees, configure conditions and actions, and structure your dialogue data assets.

Dialogue Tree Structure

A UFWDialogueTree is a flat array of FFWDialogueNode entries. Nodes reference each other by NodeId, forming a directed graph.

Node Graph Example

[Node 0: Greeting]
    |
    +-- Response: "Tell me about the quest" --> Node 1
    +-- Response: "Open your shop"         --> Node 2 (action: OpenVendor)
    +-- Response: "Goodbye"                --> -1 (end)

[Node 1: Quest Info]
    |
    +-- Response: "I accept the quest"     --> -1 (action: StartQuest)
    +-- Response: "Not interested"         --> Node 0 (loop back)

[Node 2: Vendor]
    |
    (entry action: OpenVendor)
    +-- Response: "Thanks"                 --> -1 (end)

Creating a Dialogue Tree

Step 1 -- Create the Data Asset

  1. Right-click in the Content Browser > Miscellaneous > Data Asset.
  2. Select FWDialogueTree as the class.
  3. Name it with a descriptive prefix (e.g., DA_Dialogue_Blacksmith).

Step 2 -- Add Nodes

Open the asset and add entries to the Nodes array. Each node requires:

Field Required Description
NodeId Yes Unique integer ID. Node 0 is the entry point.
SpeakerName Yes Who is speaking (displayed in UI)
DialogueText Yes The dialogue line (supports FText localization)
EntryActions No Actions executed when this node becomes active
Responses Yes At least one response for the player

Step 3 -- Add Responses

Each response requires:

Field Required Description
ResponseText Yes Button text shown to the player
NextNodeId Yes Where to go next (-1 = end dialogue)
Conditions No All must pass for the response to appear
Actions No Executed when the player selects this response

Orphan Nodes

Nodes that are not reachable from any response's NextNodeId will never be displayed. Use this intentionally for conditional branches, but audit your trees to avoid accidentally orphaned content.

Conditions

Conditions gate whether a response appears in the player's available choices. They are instanced UObject subclasses configured directly on the response.

Adding a Condition

  1. In a response's Conditions array, click the + button.
  2. Select the condition class from the dropdown.
  3. Configure the condition's properties in the expanded panel.

Built-In Condition Classes

Class: FWDlgCondition_HasItem

Checks if the interactor has a specific item in their inventory.

Property Type Default Description
ItemId FName (none) Item identifier to check for
RequiredCount int32 1 Minimum quantity needed

Example: Only show "I have the dragon scale" if the player possesses at least 1 item with ID ITEM_DragonScale.

Class: FWDlgCondition_SkillLevel

Checks if the interactor has a minimum skill level.

Property Type Default Description
SkillId FName (none) Skill identifier to check
MinLevel int32 1 Minimum level required

Example: Only show "I can forge that for you" if the player's Smithing skill is at least level 50.

Class: FWDlgCondition_QuestState

Checks whether a quest is in a specific state.

Property Type Default Description
QuestId FName (none) Quest identifier to check
RequiredState EFWQuestState NotStarted Expected state

Example: Only show "I completed your task" if quest QST_DragonSlayer is in Completed state.

Class: FWDlgCondition_HasCurrency

Checks if the interactor has enough of a currency type.

Property Type Default Description
CurrencyType FName (none) Currency identifier
MinAmount int32 0 Minimum amount required

Example: Only show "I will pay 100 gold" if the player has at least 100 of currency type Gold.

Multiple Conditions

When a response has multiple conditions, all of them must evaluate to true (AND logic). The response is hidden if any single condition fails.

Response: "I have the materials and the skill"
    Conditions:
        [0] HasItem: ITEM_DragonScale, Count >= 1
        [1] SkillLevel: Smithing >= 50

For OR logic (show the response if either condition passes), create two separate responses that lead to the same next node:

Response A: "I found the scale already" (Condition: HasItem)     --> Node 5
Response B: "I know where to find one" (Condition: QuestState)   --> Node 5

Actions

Actions trigger gameplay effects during dialogue. They can be attached to:

  • Entry Actions on a node -- executed when the node becomes active.
  • Response Actions on a response -- executed when the player selects that response.

Adding an Action

  1. In a node's EntryActions array or a response's Actions array, click +.
  2. Select the action class from the dropdown.
  3. Configure the action's properties.

Built-In Action Classes

Class: FWDlgAction_OpenVendor

Opens the vendor/shop interface.

Property Type Description
VendorId FName Identifier of the vendor inventory to display

Typically used as a response action on a "Show me your wares" dialogue option.

Class: FWDlgAction_GiveItem

Grants an item to the interactor's inventory.

Property Type Description
ItemId FName The item to give
Quantity int32 Number of items to grant

Used for quest rewards, NPC gifts, or trade outcomes.

Class: FWDlgAction_StartQuest

Starts a quest for the interactor.

Property Type Description
QuestId FName The quest to start

Typically attached to a response like "I accept your quest."

Class: FWDlgAction_GiveCurrency

Grants currency to the interactor.

Property Type Description
CurrencyType FName The type of currency
Amount int32 Amount to grant

Used for payment, rewards, or bounties.

Action Execution Order

  1. When a node is entered, EntryActions execute in array order.
  2. When a response is selected, the response's Actions execute in array order.
  3. After response actions execute, the component advances to the next node.

Actions Are Fire-and-Forget

Actions execute synchronously and do not block dialogue progression. If an action fails (e.g., inventory full when giving an item), the dialogue still advances. Implement validation logic in your action subclasses if you need to handle failure cases.

Creating Custom Conditions

To add game-specific conditions, create a new C++ or Blueprint class extending UFWDialogueConditionBase:

C++ Example

UCLASS(EditInlineNew, DefaultToInstanced)
class UFWDlgCondition_PlayerLevel : public UFWDialogueConditionBase
{
    GENERATED_BODY()

public:
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Condition")
    int32 MinimumLevel = 1;

    virtual bool Evaluate(AActor* Interactor) const override
    {
        // Your game-specific level check
        if (AMyPlayerCharacter* PC = Cast<AMyPlayerCharacter>(Interactor))
        {
            return PC->GetLevel() >= MinimumLevel;
        }
        return false;
    }
};

Blueprint Example

  1. Create a new Blueprint class with parent FWDialogueConditionBase.
  2. Override the Evaluate function.
  3. Add variables for your condition parameters (exposed to the editor with EditAnywhere).

EditInlineNew

Use the EditInlineNew and DefaultToInstanced class specifiers so your condition can be created inline within the dialogue tree editor, without requiring a separate asset.

Creating Custom Actions

Same pattern as conditions, but extend UFWDialogueActionBase:

UCLASS(EditInlineNew, DefaultToInstanced)
class UFWDlgAction_PlayCameraShake : public UFWDialogueActionBase
{
    GENERATED_BODY()

public:
    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Action")
    TSubclassOf<UCameraShakeBase> ShakeClass;

    UPROPERTY(EditAnywhere, BlueprintReadWrite, Category = "Action")
    float Scale = 1.0f;

    virtual void Execute(AActor* Interactor) const override
    {
        if (APlayerController* PC = Cast<APlayerController>(
                Cast<APawn>(Interactor)->GetController()))
        {
            PC->ClientStartCameraShake(ShakeClass, Scale);
        }
    }
};

Localization

All text fields (SpeakerName, DialogueText, ResponseText) use FText, which fully supports Unreal's localization pipeline. To localize your dialogue:

  1. Set up your project's localization targets in Edit > Project Settings > Localization.
  2. Gather text from dialogue tree data assets using the Localization Dashboard.
  3. Translate strings using the .po file workflow.

FText Keys

Each FText in a data asset automatically generates a stable key based on the asset path and property name. Renaming or moving data assets will invalidate translation keys, requiring re-mapping in your localization files.

Content/
    Data/
        Dialogues/
            Blacksmith/
                DA_Dialogue_Blacksmith_Intro.uasset
                DA_Dialogue_Blacksmith_Quest.uasset
                DA_Dialogue_Blacksmith_PostQuest.uasset
            QuestGiver/
                DA_Dialogue_QuestGiver_Main.uasset
            Merchant/
                DA_Dialogue_Merchant.uasset

Group dialogue trees by NPC or by quest line, depending on which organizational style fits your project.