Airdrop Slot Machine Game Feature

Overview

Instead of an airdrop attached to a parachute, why not have it land similar to Helldivers 2.

Also, why not add a bit of RNG and make it act like a slot machine similar to the Apex Legends MRVN Robot. This would both lead to a dramatic/epic landing for the airdrop but also a fun little casino RNG experience the players can interact with.

Airdrop & Slot Machine System

Pressing E activates the airdrop

• Spawns 25,000 unreal units above the player’s location.

• Descends using an easing function, accelerating as it nears the target.

• On landing, it triggers dramatic VFX, spawns a slot machine, and destroys itself.

Interacting with the slot machine (G)

• Begins a roll cycling through all possible items.

• The final result is randomly predetermined at the moment of interaction by the Item Rarity Component.

• When the roll ends, the machine drops the selected item (based on slot result and rarity color), then destroys itself.

• The item can then be picked up and used via the inventory system.

Optional: Destroy the slot machine before activating it:

• Instantly drops the item currently highlighted.

• Provides a quicker way to claim an item without triggering the roll.

• Once activated, the slot machine becomes indestructible.

Blueprints and descriptions

B_Airdrop

• Holds the easing function that gets the instigator location from GA_Airdrop and lets the B_airdrop move to the target location. Applies sound and VFX on landing but also starts a ground indication FX on begin play.

GA_Airdrop

• Gets instigator location, spawns airdrop, calls easing function and plays a player animation.

GE_Airdrop_Cooldown

• Applies cooldown to GA_Airdrop. How many seconds until we can use it again.

NS_Airdrop

• Includes both NS_Airdrop_Explosion and NS_Airdrop_Ground_Indicator

B_SlotMachine

• Activates either from the interaction where it plays the timeline or by taking damage. Force rarety based on colour face shown and destroy self. If slot machine recieves activation from GA_Interaction_SlotMachine we play a timeline instead by the RNG rarety we got from the server. Once timeline is finished, drop item.

GA_Interaction_SlotMachine

• Placed in B_SlotMachine class Defaults as “World Interactable” interaction ability. It executes a GameplayCue Parameter, casts to B_SlotMachine, calls Rarity and plays a animation

B_LootRarityTable

• Custom Lyra experience component sent to the server and a component for B_SlotMachine.

  Using DT_RNG values to choose a rarity based on integer probability.

  Using DT_WeaponTypes to get rarity and weapon associated with it. Sends that information to SlotMachine to determine which timeline to start and what item to spawn.

DT_RNG

• Sets integer value for each rarity

DT_WeaponTypes

• Associates weapon classes with rarity string names

DT_SlotMachine_Health

• DT health for the slot machine

NS_SlotMachine

• Includes NS_SlotMachine_Activated, NS_SlotMachine_Completed and NS_SlotMachine_Explosion

B_ItemInWorld_ItemDefinitionClass

• Item definition parent class for items such as B_item_pistol and B_item_Rifle. The B_Item_”ItemName” is referenced in DT_WeaponTypes and has rarety string names attached to the reference