I figured it out… the asset the tutorial initially dragged into the level is Blueprint_Effect_Fire not the identical P_Fire. The variable type should be Blueprint_Effect_Fire as the tutorial shows and when you create the reference it will be Blueprint_Effect_Fire not P_Fire or that Blueprint_Effect_Steam like the tutorial photo shows. It would also help if the tutorial didn’t skip steps and actually said what they dragged into the level instead of saying drag your actor into the level and simply showing a picture that looks like a hundred different fire effects. Oh well, I understand the concept of it now anyway!
