Team Conquest

Join the battle in the Team Conquest template for Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) to learn how to use the Star Wars™ feature set to build the immersive battle setups that players expect. The template showcases a conquest game mode in which the attacking team — Rebels — captures points while the defending team — Empire — blocks the Rebel efforts.

Star Wars is known for its epic battles across the galaxy. This template highlights features and workflows for creating dynamic team-vs-team battlefield gameplay. You can further expand the template to make the experience uniquely yours. 

Use the template to better understand how to build battles that fit the brand and resonate with players who are fans. You can use this guide as a companion to the template itself to dive deeper into the following:

• Game mode setup

• Capture areas

• Spawn points and location selection

• Battlefield design

Getting Started

This learning template is only available in UEFN. 

To access the template: 

• Open UEFN.

• In the Project Browser, click Brand Templates > Star Wars™ > Team Conquest.

• Create a new project. The project launches in UEFN.

The template contains project-specific files and the feature set in All > Star Wars™ Content. To learn more about creating a project and using templates, see Accessing Brand Content. 

To get the best experience from the template, use the editor and an instance of the Fortnite game client (live edit session) together. You can enable live edit to test features while you explore. 

Billboards

The template includes billboards that discuss the key features of the game mode. View the billboards in the editor to understand device functionality and game flow concepts. 

Use the Outliner to help navigate the billboards and see all the assets used to design the project. You can use the hotkey 0 to jump to the first billboard in the viewport. 

Team Conquest Gameplay

The battle takes place on a Tatooine-inspired planet during a clash between Rebels and Stormtroopers. Players are split into teams of two: the Rebel or the Empire. After spawning into the game, players' outfits are automatically changed to represent their team. This change helps further set the narrative for the battle. 

Each team is directed to the first capture zone by the Beacon device. The Rebel team's goal is to capture all the zones before the timer runs out, and the Empire team must defend them. After the first zone is captured, a player on the Rebel team transforms into a hero character, like Chewbacca. These are boss-level characters that give teams an edge. Vehicles also unlock in the first area, and the second capture zone is then highlighted.

Throughout the game, Field Operator NPCs report on capture zones and ask the player where they would like to spawn. The flow repeats, leading to the final capture zone or time running out. The defending team wins by preventing the opposing team from capturing all zones while the clock counts down. 

Devices Used:

• 60 x AI Patrol Path Node

• 8 x Armored Assault Tank

• 4 x Ascender

• 3 x Beacon

• 3 x Capture Area

• 1 x Class Designer

• 4 x Conversation

• 1 x Day Sequence

• 4 x DF.9 Turret Spawner

• 2 x Disguise

• 2 x End Game

• 14 x Guard Spawner

• 6 x Hero

• 6 x HUD Message

• 25 x Player Spawner

• 12 x Teleporter

• 1 x Timer

• 2 x TIE Fighter Spawner

• 1 x Switch

• 2 x X-wing Spawner

Game Mode Setup

The game's logic is implemented through the Island Settings, Timer device, End Game device, and Capture Area device. 

Island Settings

Team Conquest is about the size of the battlefield, and having enough players to conquer an island. To set the essential gameplay, the following settings are adjusted. For any settings not shown below, they have been left at their default values. 

End Game Settings

The condition to end the game is created with the End Game device. There is one device per team to set the conditions for winning. 

• Empire team: Wins if the timer runs out while there are still uncaptured zones.

• Rebel team: Wins when all three zones are captured and with time remaining.

The Timer device controls the game's duration. The template's duration is 900 seconds, or 15 minutes.

The device is enabled to begin on game start and to countdown. To avoid players adjusting the time, Can Interact is disabled.

Capture Areas and Event Triggers

The core flow of the game centers around the Capture Area devices. With these devices, you can create zones that teams can capture. These zones are the heart of the battle since the Empire team has to avoid losing control of an area to the Rebel team. 

When a zone's control changes, it triggers gameplay elements like where the teams spawn, it adds new vehicle spawns, and it provides the Rebel team with a character from the Hero device.

Capture Area Device Setup

The device's settings define the attacking and defending teams, as well as the primary event triggers. The assignment is based on the Team option value in the Island Settings. 

Zone A	Zone B	Zone C

The primary options adjusted for the Capture Area device are listed in the table below: 

Adjust the shape and control time to get a sense of what feels good when players are trying to capture zones. You can refine the shape to fit tightly around a specific object, as though someone is trying to steal it or fix a mechanical part. The timing heavily affects the game's flow. If the time is too fast, the defending team might feel they never have a chance at winning, and vice versa for the contesting team. 

For the game mode logic to flow, only the first Capture Area device should be active on Game Start, the others should be Disabled until the Rebel team captures the area. The device's event triggers are On Control Change Stats and On Control Change.

• On Control Change Stats: For all three devices, activate the relative HUD message for each team, informing them when a zone is being captured.

• On Control Change: Enables and disables various features between the three devices. The primary triggers are: Hero device, vehicles, and spawn points.

You can adjust which features are enabled or disabled for teams in the Functions section of the related devices, and assign them to the On Control Change option. 

For more information on using a device and their events, see Using Devices. 

Hero Transformation

Build engagement by adding hero characters with special loadouts and abilities that players can transform into. The Hero device provides players with the opportunity to become legendary Star Wars characters:

• Chewbacca

• Rey Skywalker

• Emperor Palpatine

• Darth Vader

• The Mandalorian

• Leia Organa

Every character has their health and shield increased by different amounts. Movement speed and jump are either increased or decreased, and all characters have infinite stamina. To learn more about the characters' loadouts and stats, see Hero Devices.

After a zone capture, one player from the Rebel team transforms into one of the hero (boss-level) characters. 

The following heroes are activated for the teams and zones: 

• Capture Zone A - Chewbacca

• Capture Zone B - Rey Skywalker

Consider the hero characters' loadouts when choosing them for your experience. For example, if The Mandalorian were set to activate in Zone A, his enhanced jetpack would give him a major advantage, allowing him to quickly traverse to the next zone. The Empire team, which is likely still in Zone A, has a reduced chance of catching up. 

The Empire team doesn't have active heroes (or villains from the perspective of the Rebel team), but there are devices included in Zone B and C for setup. Adjust the devices to activate for the Empire team after some objective. For example, after the team gets a certain amount of eliminations and after Zone A is captured. To achieve this, you can pair devices like the Stat Counter and Visual Effect Powerup to add some form of indication that the transformation is available. 

Vehicles for Traversal

Throughout the map are various vehicles, including turrets, to aid traversal and level the playing field. 

The vehicles and turrets spawn in the following order: 

• Armored Assault Tank: Spawns after the Rebel team captures the first zone. Provides both teams the chance to travel the desert field to the next zone. They are disabled after zone B is captured. Located in zone A.

• DF.9 Turret: Unlocks after Zone A is captured. Provides extra defense for the Empire team. Located in Zone B. 

• X-wing: Unlocks after the second zone capture. Provides players a chance to traverse the map if they choose to spawn back at the Sandcrawler. Located in Zone A.

• Armored Assault Tank: Unlocks after Zone B is captured. Provides traversal from Zone B to C.

• Turbolaser Turret: Enabled from game start. Slows down enemy vehicles as they enter the area. Located in Zone C. 

• TIE Fighter: Unlocks after zone B is captured. Located in zone C.

Each vehicle device has one of the Capture Area devices connected to its Enable function. 

To learn more about the devices, see STAR WARS™ Vehicle Spawner Devices. 

Spawning System

The Capture Area devices enable and disable select spawn points when captured. These points are created by connecting the Player Spawner, Conversation, and Teleport devices. 

At the start of the game, the Rebel team spawns at the Sandcrawler. During any elimination, they will respawn at this point before selecting a battlefield location to teleport to. The Empire team spawns at the opposite end of the first capture zone and continues to respawn there until the first zone is captured. 

Team Disguises

During the initial spawn into the game, players' outfits are changed to match their team with the Disguise device. Players are transformed into a Civilian or Stormtrooper disguise. You can adjust the device to use the random option for the outfit to create more variety in the team or change the outfit group to create new teams. 

To further immerse players into the battlefield and establish the Star Wars theme, the player's HUD is redesigned. Included in the feature set are themed widgets for the player's user interface like players icon and quick-bar. These widgets are available under Star Wars™ Content > UI Player HUD. You can add these widgets to the HUD Controller device for a plug-and-play workflow. The template includes these widgets in the template files as editable files that you can further customize. Since players are transformed with the Disguise device the player icon is left off of the HUD Controller device.

To activate the theme UI in the template:

1. In the Outliner, search for and click HUD Controller.

2. In the Details panel, change the priority to High.

For more information about the feature set widgets and crafting your own UI elements, see Star Wars Custom UI and In-Game User Interface. 

Device Setup

The initial Player Spawner device for each team equals half of the Max Players value in the Island Settings. A Player Spawner device for each player is ideal to prevent players from overlapping or parachuting down.

After the first capture, players from both teams start to receive a location prompt when they respawn. The prompt is created with the Conversation device and conversation banks that hold the dialogue text and flow. The project includes four conversation bank assets that are attached to the Conversation devices. The banks are provided in the project folder under All > [Project Name] > Dialogue. The bank includes a branching tree with the location options (Response). The response triggers the corresponding Conversation Event node in the tree. 

To learn more about designing your own conversation and binding buttons, see Creating Conversations.

Players move to the location they selected in the prompt through the Teleporter device. There is a Conversation device for each zone that enables after capture. 

To create the spawn prompt and activate the teleport:

1. On the Conversation device, connect the Enable function to the related Capture Area device On Control Change event.

2. For the Conversation option, add one of the conversation banks.

3. The conversation activates when a player respawns on a Player Spawner device. The Initiate Conversation function is attached to the spawner's On Player Spawned event.

4. The Teleporter device is placed in a specific location.

5. The Enable function connects to the On Control Change event for the related Capture Area device.

6. The Teleport function connects to the On Control Change event for the related Capture Area device.

There are 10 of these events that the Teleport devices can currently listen for, which limits the total number of spawn points between the two teams to 10. This removes the need to place multiple Player Spawner devices at each location. 

You can expand the spawning system with a location selection prompt for the Empire team to fallback and prep defense for the next area after a zone is captured. In addition, the Player Spawners include Verse implementation of Respawn The Player function. This includes a spawn group version of the function where you give it the target player and a list of spawner devices, and it'll choose the best one from that subgroup. 

Spawn Point Selection and UI

With the Conversation device, an interface is created for the Field Operator NPC to prompt players to choose where they would like to spawn in the battlezone. You can access the conversation widgets in the project folder: All > [Project Name] > UI > Widgets > Conversation. 

Through the battle, various status reports appear to players. These reports are created with the HUD Message device. These messages trigger in various situations, like when the Rebels capture a location. The widgets for these are located in All > [Project Name] > UI >Widgets > HUDMessage. 

 To learn more, see Custom Conversation UI. 

Designing the Battlefield

Intentionally choosing spawn locations and assets that surround it help to create the feeling of joining the battle. Just as important as the game logic and mechanics are to create a conquest mode, the level and environment design have an impact on the player's experience. 

The battlefield is created around a linear level design. Where both teams start at Zone A and (depending on the elapsed time) end at Zone B. The environment design is then built around the path to set the theme and encourage movement through the level design. 

You can expand the design with additional brand assets. To view the availability of the feature set, see Working With STAR WARS™ Islands. 

Patrolling NPCs

Each team includes non-player characters (NPCs) from the Guard Spawner device to help create a large-scale team feel. The class and outfit for the NPC match the team's theme. You can create a path for the NPCs to follow with the AI Patrol Path Node device. The NPCs patrol zone areas to assist players in battle and increase their effectiveness. 

Similarly to the Player Spawner device, the Guard Spawner will update to have the NPCs attack or defend the new capture zone. Guard Spawners are placed in each zone and activate when a player enters the area.

Locations and Traversal for Team Strategy

With a large team, consider the different roles players take on, and where they might go on the map for an advantage. Design the environment to support these roles. For example, the townscape provides vantage points for players who prefer a scope. The open field after the first zone creates an opportunity for vehicle combat and a chance for the Empire team to hold a line against the Rebel attack.

Have players feel like they are entering the battlefield through selective spawn locations. For example, the Rebel team spawns from the Sandcrawler, while the Empire team spawns near passenger transporters. These design choices are intentional. 

Rebel Team Spawn Location	Empire Team Spawn Location

In addition to the vehicles, there are other traversal options. After the first zone, Ascender devices are placed on the map to give players a higher view of the battle. 

The Star Wars feature set includes additional traversal assets, such as the rideable Tauntaun, and two versions of the Mandalorian jetpack. 

Environment Design

The battle is set in a valley surrounded by tall desert walls, creating a focal point for the zone ahead and the visuals of Star Destroyers in the distance. For the architectural structure, the team used the gallery assets and prefabs to establish the two teams. 

The primary prefabs and galleries used:

• First Order

• Outpost prefabs and galleries 

• Desert Biome

In the distance, with the Star Destroyer are Starfighters and X-wings battling it out. This further cements the large-scale battle. The flight battle is created with the Dog Fight VFX Niagara System asset. The asset includes parameters for adjusting properties, such as ship spawn rate and scale. The asset is located in Star Wars Content™ > VFX. To learn more, see STAR WARS™ Visual Effects. 

To capture the atmosphere of Tatooine, the team included the binary suns in the sky. This sky effect is set in the World Settings panel using the Time of Day > World Time of Day Manager > DSA Binary Sun. 

You can further adjust the look of the sky with the Day Sequence device. 

To learn more about designing your landscape and adding environment pieces, see Vistas and Biome Environments. 

Design Tips

Below are additional design considerations: 

• Add additional capture zones in an area to increase the map's challenges where multiple zones must be captured before the location is secured.

• Add instructional content to the loading room to inform players of the objective similarly to the introductory billboards in the editor. You can build a designated space for the lobby and set the Player Spawner devices' Enabled During Phase option to Pre-Game Only. 

• Provide players with a cinematic overview of the map and potential spawn points. To learn more, see Cinematics and Cutscenes. 

• If a player is already a hero and captures an area, you can let them choose whether they want to become a new hero and pass a hero to the next available player.

• The Star Wars feature set consists of numerous characters. Add these into the level design or cutscenes to further set the scene. For example, add Jawas at the end of the battle, collecting parts.

• Use the theme chest to spawn special loot for capturing a zone, or provide the chance to build custom lightsabers. To learn more about providing players with a lightsaber workbench, see Lightsabers and Force Powers. 

• Set the scene even further by having players enter battle with cinematic vehicles. To learn more, see the Cinematic Assets section of the Working with Star Wars Islands page.