Tuan Krbavčič WinklerGame audioContact

Independent · Technical Audio · Unreal Engine + Wwise

Charged Arcane Bolt

Independent Unreal Engine and Wwise spell system, driven by separate Wwise parameters for charge, projectile and impact.

Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

What I did

  • Unreal Blueprint and Wwise implementation
  • Charge RTPC
  • InstabilityAlpha / Chaos parameter
  • Velocity-driven projectile audio
  • ExplosionPower / ExplosionChaos
  • Charge and overcharge sound design
  • Testing and debugging

Charge flow

Charge is continuous until full charge, then the player either releases or continues into overcharge.

Charge

CurrentChargeTime drives a normalised ChargeLevel (0–1), which is sent to Wwise as the Charge RTPC.

This graph tracks CurrentChargeTime and ChargeLevel while held, then branches into OverchargeTime / InstabilityAlpha once charge is full.
The Charge RTPC reshapes the charge loop's tonal character as it climbs.

Overcharge

Holding past full charge tracks OverchargeTime and InstabilityAlpha. InstabilityAlpha drives Chaos, a separate Wwise parameter from Charge.

Projectile

On release, projectile Velocity is measured in Unreal and sent to Wwise to drive the in-flight audio.

Impact

ExplosionPower and ExplosionChaos are separate Wwise parameters. ExplosionPower scales the explosion's power layer; ExplosionChaos drives a separate instability layer.

ExplosionPower scales the explosion's power-oriented layer, including its sub-layer gain behaviour.
ExplosionChaos drives a separate instability layer with a deliberately non-linear response curve, keeping chaos distinct from power.
ExplosionPower and ExplosionChaos at impact.

Outcomes

Normal release

  1. Stop charge state
  2. Spawn projectile
  3. Transfer charge / instability state
  4. Projectile flight
  5. Impact / explosion

Backfire

  1. Player remains in overcharge
  2. Maximum safe overcharge duration reached
  3. Backfire triggered
  4. Normal projectile release prevented
Open original