Games Connect Asia Pacific 2018 The Walls We've Built Ourselves

Presented by Michael Theiler and Trevor Dikes of Kpow Audio.

Dismembering 'The Forest' is an in-depth audio post-mortem discussing the design, implementation, and technical approaches taken to create the dynamic and meaningful soundscape for the highly acclaimed, open world multiplayer survival horror game.

Aimed at a medium to advanced level, the session will cover: Foley recording; asset design; the use of audio middle-ware; and the implementation methods taken to create a rich, and suspenseful in-game experience. While based primarily around the use of audio in The Forest, developers from all disciplines will benefit from project-based examples that can assist in the setting-up or improvement of their audio production pipeline.

How do you translate another's vision into a game?
When working with established properties or a clearly defined art bible we can build ourselves into a corner as we try to work out how we can translate these things into functional production art for a game.

Dean's talk will look at this process and how to identify what is essential from the source material while not being distracted by just reproducing the art, how does it fit your project and can you find ways to showcase what is special about it while understanding the natural constraints of your project.
Examine successful examples, deconstruct Dean’s own personal experiences along with challenges faced on past projects.

This talk will also discuss ways to better communicate or translate your own vision to a production team while understanding these constraints.
These solutions can be technical and creative sometimes requiring a full team's perspective.

Just being faithful to the original design isn't enough if it doesn't fit with the needs of your game.