Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 59 called them. This is something we started early on with Wilbert, defining the different themes for various parts of our game such as planet/location themes, character themes, hostile syndicate themes, space combat themes, and various other more specific themes like the Speeder, Trailblazer, or even Sabacc themes. These themes would later be split up into several layers based on gameplay needs. We also had specifically composed cues for various cinematics, as well as unique transition segments for blending between the various states of the game. Tools of the Trade: Systems, Middleware, and Music Logic What were some of the interactive music systems or middleware tools (such as Wwise or custom Snowdrop engine tools) you relied on to manage transitions, layers, and dynamic cues? Simon Koudriavtsev: We used Audiokinetic's Wwise Interactive Music Hierarchy, coupled with a specific node- graph editor in Snowdrop. It could fetch a lot of the runtime data needed to modify the states, RTPCs, and switches in Wwise. I'm pretty sure that our senior music designer, Erik Jacobsson, squeezed out the most of both Wwise and Snowdrop, using all the tricks in the book to ensure that the system was as responsive as possible without it feeling too jarring. Creating Seamless Transitions Across Game States How did you handle transitions between exploration, stealth, and combat without jarring musical shifts? Can you share your approach to things like stingers, crossfades, or tempo-mapped stems? Simon: Part of the solution here relates back to the initial concept of the musical themes that we had. We wanted to avoid the classic "combat music fading to exploration music" loop, as it didn't really sound good "Our goal was to make the music shine as much as possible—especially with a score this good." Sabacc Sneaking Hero shot of Kay and Jabba