Wwise CUBE 2019 – CHAPTER 15 C: Adviser – Player Character Health

Created By: Game Audio Resource Ltd     Date: 26/08/2019      Version: 2.00

In this guide we will highlight how to randomly trigger adviser dialogue while playing a single player map, based on the player characters health value.

• TIP: In a professional environment this process would be handled a lot differently. Code and external database controls are needed to add game-play parameters that we do not have access to with the default Wwise project + audio code.

NOTE: The process listed in this guide is not the best practice.
Please use this guide as a way to boost your Wwise creative knowledge and improve your own project soundscape only.

Guide Steps:

• STEP 01: Wwise Hierarchy Structure
• STEP 02: Test & Integrity Report

Task Time Needed: 2 Hours

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Video Guide

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Written Guide

Chapter 15 C – Step 01
Wwise Hierarchy Structure

In this step we will set up a basic Blend Container structure that will trigger different adviser dialogue based on the player character health value.

BUS / MIXER

1. Navigate to the Project Explorer > Audio tab > Master-Mixer Hierarchy > Default Work Unit > Master Audio Bus > Environmental > VO Audio Bus
   Right Click, then select: New Child > Audio Bus.
   Name it: Adviser_Generic_Health
2. Select the new Audio Bus, then in the Property Editor > Auto-ducking tab, use the Insert… UI button to add the following paths:
   > Master Audio Bus > VO > Dialogue_Player
   Volume = -96 / Fade Out = 0.2 / Fade in = 0.2 / Curve = Logarithmic (Last in the list)
   > Master Audio Bus > Music
   Volume = -4 / Fade Out = 0.2 / Fade in = 0.2 / Curve = Logarithmic (Last in the list)

• TIP: What these settings do: what the Adviser_Generic_Health content triggers, any player character dialogue that triggers during the adviser health message will be silenced as it will be played at -96db.
  The music will also be ducked by – 4db allowing the dialogue to stand out when the soundscape gets busy.
  Sadly, due to the blend container hierarchy we are going to set up in this guide, could mean that depending on the player health value, a message could get triggered and not play an audio asset. Adding ducking to the SFX would highlight the bug. Ducking music is just about passable. So be aware the clarity of the Adviser_Generic_Health content may be reduced in-game

3. Change the Recovery time: to 0
4. Locate and select the Audio Bus: Adviser.
   In the Property Editor > Auto-ducking tab, click on the Insert… UI button. Then add the following path:
   > Master Audio Bus > VO > Adviser_Generic_Health
   Volume = -96 / Fade Out = 0.3 / Fade In = 0.3 / Curve = Logarithmic (last in list)

• TIP: What these settings do, due to no control or if statements in code the Adviser health message could trigger during results or intro adviser messages. So, using the Audio bus we will assign the new Adviser_Generic_Health Audio bus to new health only hierarchy. All other Adviser hierarchy we have implemented in this Chapter is assigned to the Adviser Audio bus. When content triggers using the Audio Bus Adviser, it will silence the Adviser_Generic_Health Audio Bus (it will trigger but at -96db)

HIERARCHY

1. Navigate to the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy > Default Work Unit > Adviser Work Unit > Adviser_Generic Actor Mixer
   Right Click, then Select: New Child > Random Container.
   Name it: Adviser_Generic_Player_Character_Health
2. Select the Random Container, then in the Property Editor > General settings tab > Play Mode, add the following settings.
   Tick Continuous
   Tick Loop
   Tick Transitions
   Change the Type Drop-down menu to Trigger rate
   Change the Duration value to 25
   Double click the Randomizer icon to open the Randomizer property window.
   Tick Enabled
   Leave the Min Offset value at 0
   Change the Max Offset value to 5
   Close the Randomizer Window

• TIP: What do these settings do? We basically define the associated hierarchy content to trigger an audio asset every 25>30 seconds.

3. In the Property Editor > States tab, click on the Add state Group >> UI Button. Then add the following path: Default Work Unit > PlayerLife
   In the list change the voice volume of the Dead line to -96

• TIP: Due to no hard-coded variables, the adviser health content will continue to play after the results screen is displayed. This setting silences the hierarchy if the player character dies. NOTE When you lose a map with a defeat the results screen stays displayed until you select a new map.
  To stop the Adviser health content from triggering after a map victory is almost impossible to implement with the structure and parameters we have available.
  For consistency and due to the results screen not being displayed for long after a map Victory we have chosen not to add any further silencing for a map Victory of the Adviser health related content.

4. Select the Random Container, then in the Property Editor > General Settings tab > Output Bus, Tick Override parent, then assign the following path:
   Master Audio Bus > VO > Advisor_Generic_Health
5. Select the new Random Container (Advisor_Generic_Health)
   Right click, then select: New Child > Blend Container.
   Name it: Advisor_Generic_Player_Character_Health_Blend
6. Right click the new Blend Container, then select: New Child > Random Container.
   Select the new Random Container, then in the Property Editor > Advanced Settings tab add the following settings:
   Tick Ignore Parent
   Tick Limit Sound Instances
   Change the Value to 1
   Then change the drop -down menu to Globally
   Change When limit is reached: to Kill voice
   Change When priority is equal: to Discard newest instance.
7. Copy and paste the Random Container into the same Hierarchy location. So that you have 2 Random Container.
8. Name the 2 Random Containers individually:
   > Adviser_Generic_Player_Character_Health_High
   > Adviser_Generic_Player_Character_Health_Low
9. Drag in associated one shot dialogue audio assets to each of the 2 Random Containers.
   Place the assets under the Path: SFX > Adviser > Player_Character_Health
10. Select the parent Blend Container, then in the Property Editor > General Settings tab, click on the Blend Tracks Edit… UI button.
11. In the Blend Track Editor window, click on the New Blend Track UI button to add 1 new Blend tracks.
    Then add the following:
    Name track: Player_Character_Health
    Tick the Cross-fade box, then add the following path to the Blend track: Game Parameters > Default Work Unit > PlayerHealth
12. Close the Blend Track Editor Window.
13. With the Blend Container selected, in the Contents Editor, Blend Tracks list assign the 2 Random Containers to associated Low and High health named content.
14. Open the Blend Track Editor again
    Add the following settings to the graphs individually:
    Player_Character_Health_Low
    Change the start value to 0 and the end value to 50
    Player_Character_Health_High
    Change the start value to 50 and the end value to 100

• TIP: what these settings do, when the hierarchy randomly triggers every 25>30 seconds it will play the audio assets only related to the player health value.
  E.g. if the player characters health is at 80, the Health High related audio content will trigger.
  If the player characters health is below 50, then the Health Low associated audio content will be triggered.

15. Close the Blend Track Editor window

EVENTS

1. Navigate to the Project Explorer > Events tab > Events Folder. Locate and select the event called: Map_Loaded
   Then in the Event Editor > list, right click then select: New Action > Play
2. Select the Events new Play Action line.
3. Navigate back to the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy > Adviser Work Unit > Adviser_Generic Actor Mixer > Adviser_Generic_Player_Character_Health Random Container.
   Drag it on to the new Events Play Action line.
4. Select the new Play Event Action line, then change the Delay value to 1

• TIP: This value delays the content from triggering as soon as a map loads, which allows the Mixer hierarchy then to silence the health-related Adviser content, due to the Adviser intro content being triggered after 1 second after the map loads.

5. Navigate back to the Events Tab, Locate and select the event: Death_Player
   In the Event Editor > List, right click then select: New Action > Stop > Stop.
6. Navigate back to the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy > Adviser Work Unit > Adviser_Generic Actor Mixer > Adviser_Generic_Player_Character_Health Random Container.
   Drag it on to the new Events Stop Action line.
7. Navigate back to the Events Tab, Locate and select the event: Map_Completed
   In the Event Editor > List, right click then select: New Action > Stop > Stop.
8. Navigate back to the Actor-Mixer Hierarchy > Adviser Work Unit > Adviser_Generic Actor Mixer > Adviser_Generic_Player_Character_Health Random Container.
   Drag it on to the new Events Stop Action empty Target column box.

• TIP: What these events do, is tell Wwise to play the Adviser_Health hierarchy at the start of each new map loaded.
  Then we tell Wwise to stop the hierarchy from triggering depending on a defeat of Victory of a map (basically on the results screen)

9. Save your Wwise Project updates and Generate the Sound Banks.

Chapter 15 C – Step 02
Test & Integrity Report

In this final step we will test that the Adviser triggers Random Dialogue content based on the Player Characters health value.

1. Boot up the game and connect Wwise to the game.
2. Change to the Wwise Layout Profiler.
3. Filter the Capture log by the Wwise Object Adviser_Generic_Health Random Container.
4. Back in game, grab some rocket launcher ammo, then damage the player Character to either above or below the 50-health value. Then simply wait a while for the Advisor health audio content to trigger.
5. Add any balancing changes you wish to add.
6. Close the game
7. Save your Wwise Project updates and Generate the Sound Banks
8. Finally, run a Wwise Integrity Report to validate your Wwise data hierarchy structure.