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Quick Start

Get a working skill progression system running in 10 minutes.

Overview

By the end of this guide you will have:

  1. A skill database with all 15 skills configured
  2. An XP curve defining level progression
  3. A player character with UFWSkillProgressionComponent attached
  4. XP being awarded and skill levels displayed at runtime

Step 1 -- Create the XP Curve

The XP curve defines how much total XP is required for each skill level.

  1. In the Content Browser, right-click and select Miscellaneous > Data Asset.
  2. Choose FWSkillXPCurve as the class.
  3. Name it DA_DefaultXPCurve.
  4. Open the asset and define XP thresholds per level.

The curve maps each level to the cumulative XP required to reach it. For example:

Level Total XP Required
1 0
2 83
3 174
4 276
5 388
10 1,154
25 8,740
50 101,333
99 13,034,431

Curve Design

FWSkillSystem supports any XP curve shape. You can use linear, polynomial, or exponential scaling. The curve is defined as a data asset, so designers can iterate without recompiling.

Step 2 -- Create Skill Definitions

For each of the 15 skills, create a UFWSkillDefinition data asset:

  1. Right-click in the Content Browser and select Miscellaneous > Data Asset.
  2. Choose FWSkillDefinition as the class.
  3. Name it following the convention DA_Skill_<SkillName> (e.g., DA_Skill_Mining).
  4. Open the asset and configure:
    • Skill Type -- Select the corresponding EFWSkillType value
    • Display Name -- Human-readable name (e.g., "Mining")
    • XP Curve Override -- Leave empty to use the default curve, or assign a custom UFWSkillXPCurve
    • Max Level -- Maximum achievable level for this skill (e.g., 99)

Repeat for all 15 skills: Warfare, Marksmanship, Magic, Bounty, Woodcutting, Mining, Fishing, Husbandry, Cooking, Woodworking, Crafting, Smithing, Alchemy, Construction, Artifice.

Step 3 -- Create the Skill Database

  1. Create another Data Asset, this time choosing FWSkillDatabase.
  2. Name it DA_SkillDatabase.
  3. Open it and add all 15 UFWSkillDefinition assets you created in Step 2.

Step 4 -- Assign the Database in Project Settings

  1. Navigate to Edit > Project Settings > Plugins > FW Skill System.
  2. Set Skill Database to DA_SkillDatabase.
  3. Set Default XP Curve to DA_DefaultXPCurve.

Step 5 -- Add the Component to Your Character

In Blueprints

  1. Open your player character or controller Blueprint.
  2. Click Add Component and search for FWSkillProgression.
  3. Select FW Skill Progression Component.
  4. The component automatically loads the skill database from project settings.

In C++

// In your character or controller header
UPROPERTY(VisibleAnywhere, BlueprintReadOnly, Category = "Skills")
TObjectPtr<UFWSkillProgressionComponent> SkillProgression;

// In your constructor
SkillProgression = CreateDefaultSubobject<UFWSkillProgressionComponent>(TEXT("SkillProgression"));

Step 6 -- Award XP

// Award 150 Mining XP
SkillProgression->AwardSkillXP(EFWSkillType::Mining, 150.0f);

// Award combat XP (distributed to relevant combat skills)
SkillProgression->AwardCombatXP(500.0f);
  1. Get a reference to the Skill Progression Component.
  2. Call Award Skill XP with the skill type and XP amount.
  3. For combat encounters, call Award Combat XP instead.

Step 7 -- Read Skill Levels

// Get the current Mining level
int32 MiningLevel = SkillProgression->GetSkillLevel(EFWSkillType::Mining);

// Get XP progress toward the next level (0.0 to 1.0)
float Progress = SkillProgression->GetSkillLevelProgress(EFWSkillType::Mining);

// Get XP remaining to next level
float Remaining = SkillProgression->GetXPToNextLevel(EFWSkillType::Mining);

// Get total level across all skills
int32 TotalLevel = SkillProgression->GetTotalLevel();

Use the pure Blueprint nodes Get Skill Level, Get Skill Level Progress, Get XP To Next Level, and Get Total Level on the Skill Progression Component.

Step 8 -- Listen for Events

Bind to events to react to XP gains and level-ups:

SkillProgression->OnSkillXPGained.AddDynamic(this, &AMyCharacter::HandleXPGained);
SkillProgression->OnSkillLevelUp.AddDynamic(this, &AMyCharacter::HandleLevelUp);

void AMyCharacter::HandleXPGained(EFWSkillType SkillType, float Amount, float NewTotalXP)
{
    // Update XP bar UI for the given skill
}

void AMyCharacter::HandleLevelUp(EFWSkillType SkillType, int32 NewLevel)
{
    // Show level-up notification, unlock new content
}

Result

You now have a character that:

  • Tracks XP and levels across 15 skills
  • Awards XP through direct skill calls or combat XP distribution
  • Broadcasts events on XP gain and level-up
  • Provides pure getter functions for UI display

Next Steps