You should usually build Gameplay Abilities with Ability Tasks, which are special types that are created using a static factory function that Unreal Engine transforms into a sort of “latent” node when used inside a Gameplay Ability graph. Through delegates, they can even have different output exec pins that run whenever the task fires that delegate.
Those are the building blocks that unleash the true power of gameplay abilities: if done right, you can immediately understand the logic, even if it involves non-instant actions.
Imagine what your tech designer would like the character to do when opening a chest in your game:
– walk to the front of the chest
– on arrival, play the “open” animation
– when the animation ends, move the content of the chest to the player’s inventory
If the programming team creates the right tasks library, the tech design team will be able to create the game minimizing code changes, and that’s how it should be.
