THE AUDIO OF FABLE 2 LARGE SCALE COLLABORATION

THE AUDIO OF FABLE 2: LARGE SCALE COLLABORATION Kristofor Mellroth Audio Director Microsoft Game Studios Fable 2 Sound Supervisor

Intro The perfect storm Time (marketing) Pride (quality) Resources (headcount)

Intro What is “Large scale collaboration? ”

Intro Leveraging three S’s Structure Specialization Scale

…like a great turducken http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Turducken

Key roles for the 3 S’s Sound Design Supervisor Sound Editors Sound Mixers Composer Audio Director Music Supervisor Orchestrator VO Supervisor Casting Director Performance Director

Schedule is a feature Start date: January 4, 2008 Stop date: June 23, 2008 6 months…

Audio Design Pillars Music Environmental mood Ambience Dramatic tension Cinemas Action reinforcement Combat Music

Audio Design Pillars Dialog Dramatic reinforcement Casting Create interesting characters Writing Seamless story and simulation Systems & Tuning Character performance Direction

Audio Design Pillars Sound. FX Identity Player Change RPG Perspective Distance + Position Detail Content

Postmortem: What went right?

What went right? - Circle of trust Lionhead MGS Soundelux Soundlab

What went right? - Implementation Paper design first Flexibility through assets Progress despite dependencies Area specialization One mix Single screen co-op Online co-op Single player

What went right? Using a sound design vendor Scale World-class assets Outsourcing is honest

What went right? Next-Gen Communication Totally decentralized production Communication complex but effective �Weekly Conf Calls �Regional Team Meetings �IM �Email �Bug Database �Webcams

What went right? Project tracking on a shared *Excel™ spreadsheet Visible to the entire team No “black box” schedule Lets you iterate before you start *click here to buy

What went right? Audio quality Ambitions met Acknowledgments �GANG �Bafta �Spike �Elan Bottom line…it’s a dream game to do audio for!

The important bit… What. Went. Wrong? ?

Challenges Tool set 1 configuration supported Steep learning curve Unique terminology Slow build times Bugs Lessons Learned Complex tools take commitment Monolithic tools = audio tool compromises Proprietary tools don’t scale

Challenges Team proximity Email tone (humour VS humor) Tools required Lionhead infrastructure Lessons Learned Face = context, context = understanding Tools due diligence required �Beware of tools that “manage everything for you”

Challenges Memory Management Early assumptions proved false 100% over budget Audio memory prediction is hard Lessons Learned Solve in preproduction Build to capabilities 20 mb is NOT enough You CAN squeeze 13 megs of blood from a stone Leave room or have a plan for DLC

Challenges Co-Op Came in very late Online complicated to test 2 players on a single screen causes havok Lessons learned Check all mixes against 2 player Need lots of variation 2 D sounds break everything Network sound messages

Challenges Reference materials Vid caps, anim renders, docs, etc Time not accounted for Documentation lapses late Lessons Learned Have an audio associate producer! �Asset wrangler �Follow up with devs �Dept advocate

Challenges O. C. Detail - AKA “things not heard” TV vs Home Theater mix Game Economy (Thanks Pub Games!) Interactive music intensity can be unique Co-op camera Lessons learned Nothing, it is totally worth it. (mostly)

Techniques Sound. FX • • Identity Change Perspective Detail Dialog • • Reinforce the drama Create interesting characters Create a fully integrated experience Character performance Music • Environmental mood • Dramatic tension • Action reinforcement

Techniques Change? Everything changes �Player gender �Clothes and boots (Leather, Armor, Naked) �Good/Evil alignment �Player skill = new move sets �Blunt/Sharp/Choppy melee weapons with 7 types and 5 levels each �Pistols/Rifles/Crossbows with 10 types and 5 levels each � 9 different spells with 5 levels and 2 types �Day/Night �Player/Henchmen �NPC Heroes – diff spells, abilities �Corporeal/Incorporeal Baddies �Human/Monster/Giant Baddies �Story - FMV, In-game cinematic, cut scene, scripted

Techniques Case study: Weapons RPG - Change �Rusty �Master

Techniques Ranged weapon perspective (Steel Flintlock Rifle) Trails Shot Damage Sweetener Bullet impact Bullet Whiz Dry Fire 0 100 Listener 200 300 400

Techniques Melee weapon perspective (Legendary Katana) Block Enemy Damage Strike Flourish Strike Ring Scrape Swipe Flourish Ring Swipe Ring 0 10 20 Listener 30 40 50 60 70 80

Techniques Case study: Ambience Bowerstone Market � Seamless time of day � Rich atmosphere � Clock tower �Good �Evil

Techniques Case study: Spells Sword of Damocles � Perspective � RPG

Techniques Case study: Music Action reinforcement � Crescendo Music system

Techniques Case study: Character Performances Reinforce Drama Character Performance Stats � 370 000 words � 100 studio days � 50 actors � 4 directors � 2 casting directors � 38 hours of voice recording IN GAME

Techniques DSP Wavearts �Final Plug – Reduces overall dynamic range Custom �Harmonic Exciter – Creates “variation” Princeton Reverb

Questions? Thanks! Kristofm@microsoft. com

Appendix

Team Structure Russell Shaw – Head of Music, Lionhead Composer Music manager Tools designer The driving force inside Lionhead Holds secret powers Sound design

Team Structure Georg Backer– Associate Producer of Audio, Lionhead Voice-over supervisor Attended all VO sessions Coordinated VO logistics

Team Structure Guy Whitmore – Director of Audio (MGS) Head of all publishing audio Ensures that 1 st party games raise the bar Has production resources and budget Guides all products in MGS Keeps an eye on all 3 disciplines for Fable 2 �Music �Sound �VO

Team Structure Kristofor Mellroth – Sound Design Supervisor MGS Audio Director Managed sound design team and process �Feature scoping, scheduling �Specialized in systems design �Sound designed the Dog Oversees other titles, must balance time

Team Structure Audio Implementation Kristen Quebe �Specializing in mechanics sound and systems design �Asset mastering �Sound design Jeffrey Linsenbigler �Specializing in world sound and systems design �Asset mastering �Sound design

Team Structure MGS Soundlab Ken Kato – Audio Production Manager �Manages sound design team / recording schedules Keith Sjoquist – Sound designer / Recording Engineer Peter Comley – Sound designer Mark Yeend – Sound designer Kyle Fraser – Sound designer

Team Structure Fable 2 Pub Games Mark Yeend – Audio Director Created sound design and implemented in XACT Supervised and ported entire project into Fable 2

Team Structure Soundelux Scott Gershin – Supervising Sound Designer �All sounds ran through Scott Shannon Potter – Co-Supervisor �Managed project and client relationship. Tracked all assets and deliveries, sound design of farting & burping Sound Design team � 10 Sound designers � 3 foley guys � 4 Asset coordinators �VO / ADR folks �And 3 dog trainers

Team Structure Other contributors Shoko Iwano – Sound Design Neil Wakefield – Audio Programmer Kostas Zarifis – Audio Tools Programmer Jennifer Stanners – Associate producer Stan Le. Pard – Pub Games Orchestration Allan Wilson – Orchestration Side. UK – VO recording and editing

Tools Sound Design Pro. Tools Audition Nuendo Mastering Audition Wavelab Sound Forge 9. 0 Composition Nuendo

Music Orchestral line up: 16 first violin 14 second violin 12 violas 10 celli 8 bass 6 horns 2 flute (doubling piccolo) 2 clarinet (doubling bass clarinet) 2 oboe (doubling cor anglais) 2 bassoon 1 contra bassoon 1 flugelhorn (doubling trumpet) 2 tuba 2 euphonium (tenor tuba) 1 harp 1 piano (doubling celeste) 1 Timpanist 2 x percussion

Music Credits: Fable Score Composed by Russell Shaw Orchestrated and Conducted by Allan Wilson Recorded and Mixed by Peter Fuchs Associate Music Production: Peter Fuchs Mixed at Phoenix Sound, Pinewood Orchestra: Slovak National Symphony Orchestra manager: Marian Turner Music Co-ordinator: Paul Talkington Recorded at Slovensky Rozhlas Studios, Bratislava Sound Assistants: Hubert Geschwandtner and Martin Roller Singers The Pinewood Singers Tiffin Boys’ Choir Tiffin Boys Choir Master: Simon Toyne Recorded at Phoenix Sound, Pinewood. Celtic/Folk instrumentalists Robert White & Brian Gulland