Crafting Update

In this demonstration, we showcase the creation and full integration of a custom C++ crafting module into Narrative Pro for Unreal Engine 5.3. This system was architected to extend the plugin’s modular RPG framework, enabling robust item crafting functionality driven entirely by data assets and Blueprint-accessible logic.

🔧 Core Systems:

We authored a dedicated C++ module that registers new asset types and gameplay logic under the Narrative Pro ecosystem. This module introduces:

• UCraftingRecipe data assets, defining crafting inputs (ingredients) and outputs (results), along with crafting time, required station, and experience reward.
• Struct definitions to support quantity, probability-based outputs, and multi-result recipes.
• Full integration with Narrative’s UNarrativeInventoryComponent for both item validation (FindItemsOfClass) and transactional operations (RemoveItem, TryAddItemFromClass).

🧩 Widget Integration:

The UMG front end comprises three core widgets:

• WBP_CraftingWidget: the primary interface where recipes are browsed, selected, and crafted.
• WBP_CraftingRecipeEntry: individual recipe listings, selectable by the player.
• WBP_CraftingIngredientEntry: dynamically updated per recipe, reflecting required vs. available quantities with colour-coded UI feedback.

📦 Implementation Details:

• Recipes are dynamically loaded and bound at runtime via Blueprint logic backed by Narrative's gameplay systems.
• Inventory checks and item removals are executed via Blueprint-safe calls to Narrative’s C++ API.
• Crafted results are added using TryAddItemFromClass, ensuring compatibility with existing item systems.
• Ingredients are refreshed post-crafting with a For-Each loop iterating over nested ScrollBoxes, ensuring visual consistency.
• Redundant entries are cleared using ClearChildren() prior to rebuild.
• All data flow is driven by Narrative-compatible UCraftingRecipe instances, ensuring clean decoupling between data, logic, and UI.

This system is designed for scalability and will support future enhancements such as crafting benches, timed crafting, tool durability, and failure states.