# Quod Soler

> Unreal Engine gameplay programming from a Lead Gameplay Programmer at Hexworks (Lords of the Fallen). Tutorials and deep dives on the Gameplay Ability System (GAS), combat design, motion warping, plugins, performance and procedural generation, written from shipped-game work rather than from documentation.

## Author

Quod Soler is a Lead Gameplay Programmer at Hexworks, currently working on Lords of the Fallen II. 10+ shipped titles including Lords of the Fallen, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, UNITED 1944 and Killsquad. Lectures on game development at Ramon Llull University and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Writes a weekly newsletter for solo Unreal Engine developers.

## Services

Quod Soler takes paid Unreal Engine work alongside the writing: due diligence on studios and codebases, team training, and short diagnostic engagements. Every one of them starts with a free scoping call, and every page states its price on the page. Based in Barcelona, clients worldwide, invoiced from a registered business in Spain.

- [Technical due diligence for game publishers](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/game-publisher-due-diligence): the pre-signing read of a studio's codebase, team and process, for publishers and investors deciding whether to fund a title. $7,500 for the full read, $2,000 for a milestone health check on a title already funded
- [Technical due diligence on an Unreal Engine studio or codebase](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/unreal-engine-due-diligence): architecture, performance and team practices on one title, written report and readout in 10 business days. $7,500 flat
- [Unreal Engine team training](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/unreal-engine-team-training): live remote workshops taught from your own codebase instead of from slides, covering GAS, combat, performance and C++ architecture. $4,500 for one day, $7,500 for two, flat per team
- [Unreal Engine consulting](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/unreal-engine-consultant): a 90-minute recorded diagnostic call, prepared by reading your project before we talk, with ranked written findings within 48 hours. $350
- [Unreal Engine code review](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/unreal-engine-code-review): Blueprint and C++ read in advance, then a 90-minute walkthrough and a findings document ranked by what each issue costs to leave alone. $350
- [Unreal Engine performance](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/unreal-engine-performance): a build or an Unreal Insights trace profiled before the call, findings ranked by milliseconds. $350

Contact for any of these: quodsoler@gmail.com.

## Main Sections

- [Blog](https://www.quodsoler.com/): every article, newest first. The site has no separate /blog index, the home page is the listing
- [Services](https://www.quodsoler.com/services/unreal-engine-consultant): paid Unreal Engine work, listed above
- [Learn Unreal Engine](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine): the index of every topic hub, grouped by subject
- [About](https://www.quodsoler.com/about): background, credentials, and the full list of shipped games
- [Newsletter](https://www.quodsoler.com/unreal-solo-game-developer): one email a week for solo Unreal Engine developers
- [RSS feed](https://www.quodsoler.com/rss.xml): full article feed
- [Sitemap](https://www.quodsoler.com/sitemap-index.xml)

## Topic Hubs

Each hub has an introduction to the topic followed by every article filed under it.

- [Gameplay Ability System](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/gameplay-ability-system): what GAS is, the classes it is built from, and a guide for each piece
- [Gameplay Abilities](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/gameplay-abilities): abilities, activation and instancing policies, ability tasks
- [Gameplay Tags](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/gameplay-tags): hierarchical tags as the vocabulary for character state
- [Combat Design](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/combat-design): hitboxes, invulnerability windows, attack tracking, enemy reactions
- [Quod Combat Framework](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/quod-combat-framework): the combat framework built on GAS, one system per post
- [Motion Warping](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/motion-warping): bending root motion so an attack lands where it should
- [Mass Framework](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/mass): entities, fragments and archetypes in Unreal's ECS
- [Blueprint](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/blueprint): things built end to end without C++
- [Programming](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/programming): gameplay code in C++ and Blueprint, plus editor tooling
- [Unreal Engine](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/unreal-engine): the widest bucket, everything Unreal Engine 5
- [Unreal Engine Plugins](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/unreal-engine-plugins): building your own, and which ones to install
- [Unreal Data Table](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/unreal-data-table): row structs, CSV imports, runtime lookups
- [Game Design](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/game-design): breakdowns of how shipped teams solved design problems
- [Steam Games](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/steam-games): Unreal Engine games on Steam, from the player's side
- [Marketing](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/marketing): what Steam wishlists and followers predict about a launch
- [Research](https://www.quodsoler.com/learn-unreal-engine/research): posts that check the numbers instead of guessing

## Articles: Gameplay Ability System (GAS)

- [Introduction to GAS: The Six Pieces of Unreal's Gameplay Ability System](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/introduction-to-gas-the-six-pieces-of-unreals-gameplay-ability-system): the map of GAS, how one attack flows through all six pieces, and the three rules that prevent most GAS bugs
- [How to Create Attribute Sets](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/how-to-create-attribute-sets-using-unreal-gameplay-ability-system): building a UAttributeSet to hold character stats
- [Making Sense of Gameplay Effect Durations](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/making-sense-of-gameplay-effect-durations): Instant vs Has Duration vs Infinite, and which to use
- [Gameplay Effect Components: Setup, Duration, and Stacking](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/how-to-use-gameplay-effect-components-in-unreal-engine-5): the modular Gameplay Effect Components introduced in UE 5.3
- [Ability Instancing Policy](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/learning-about-ability-instancing-policy-in-gas): Non Instanced, Instanced Per Actor, Instanced Per Execution, and what each can remember
- [10 Useful GAS Ability Tasks](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/from-wait-delays-to-play-montage-10-useful-gas-ability-tasks): PlayMontageAndWait, WaitDelay, WaitAttributeChange and the rest
- [GiveAbilityAndActivateOnce: One-Shot Abilities Without the Cleanup](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/give-ability-and-activate-once-one-shot-abilities-without-the-cleanup): granting an ability, activating it once, and letting GAS remove the spec
- [Modular Poison and Antidote Mechanics](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/crafting-dynamic-poison-antidote-mechanics-with-unreal-engine-5-3-modular-gameplay-effects): a poison effect and the antidote that counters it, in UE 5.3
- [Using Gameplay Tags to Store Game State](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/using-gameplay-tags-to-store-game-state): state as tags instead of booleans scattered through the code
- [Unreal Gameplay Ability System Documentation and GAS Resources](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/unreal-gameplay-abilities-system-list-of-resources): the GAS docs, talks, guides and sample projects worth reading, with a suggested order

## Articles: Combat and Animation

- [Hitbox Rank and Group: Sweetspots Without Scripting](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/hitbox-rank-and-group-sweetspots-without-scripting): socket-to-socket melee capsules, rank and group IDs, damage windows on the montage timeline
- [How to Use Motion Warping in Unreal Engine 5 (Blueprint Guide)](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/motion-warping-character-attacks-using-blueprints-no-c-required): warp targets, the Skew Warp anim notify state, and an attack magnet built in Blueprint
- [Mastering IK Retargeting](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/mastering-ik-retargeting-how-to-efficiently-share-animations-in-unreal-engine): sharing animations between characters with different skeletons

## Articles: Unreal Engine Core

- [How to Increase Unreal Engine Performance and FPS](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/achieving-more-than-1000-fps-in-an-unreal-engine-5-project): past 1000 FPS by turning off Lumen and Nanite and leaning on lightmaps, with the trade-offs
- [Hard References vs Soft References](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/understanding-hard-references-and-soft-references-in-unreal-engine): what each costs in memory and load time, and when to use which
- [How to Use Data Tables in Unreal Engine 5](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/using-datatables-to-store-game-data): row structs, setup, and reading rows at runtime
- [Build a Save System in 10 Minutes (Blueprint Only)](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/how-to-build-an-unreal-save-system-in-10-minutes-using-only-blueprint): creating a save object, setting values, writing it to disk
- [Intro to the Procedural Content Generation Framework](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/intro-to-unreal-procedural-content-generation-framework): the UE 5.2 PCG graph basics
- [Procedural Levels with Level Instances](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/using-dynamic-level-instances-to-create-procedural-levels-in-unreal-engine-5): runtime level generation with ULevelStreamingDynamic, Blueprint and C++
- [Fixing UE5 Crashes on Intel i7-13700K and i9-13900K](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/how-to-fix-crashes-in-unreal-engine5-games-on-intel-i7-13700k-and-i9-13900k-series): a hardware problem, and the BIOS settings that stop it

## Articles: Plugins and Editor Tooling

- [How to Create an Unreal Engine Plugin](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/how-to-create-an-unreal-engine-plugin-a-step-by-step-guide-with-examples): the module, the loading phase, and where your code goes
- [Best Unreal Engine Plugins](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/best-unreal-engine-plugins-to-speed-up-your-development-time): plugins that save real development time
- [Customize Your Unreal Class Icons](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/customize-your-unreal-class-icons): your own icons for your own classes
- [Component Visualizers](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/unreal-engine-component-visualizers-unleashing-the-power-of-editor-debug-visualization): drawing your own debug shapes in the editor viewport

## Articles: Game Design Case Studies

- [The Modular Level Design of Fallout 4](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/the-modular-level-design-of-fallout-4): modular kits, and how Bethesda breaks their monotony
- [Complex Character Interactions in Shadow of War](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/complex-character-interactions-in-shadow-of-war-2): the animation pipeline that keeps two characters in sync through a takedown
- [Prototyping in Horizon Zero Dawn](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/prototyping-in-horizon-zero-dawn-2): how a small team iterated its way to the game's mechanics
- [How Game Designers Validate Their Ideas](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/how-game-designers-need-to-validate-their-ideas-2): Guerrilla's Eric Boltjes on why game design is a hard job

## Articles: Steam, Launches and Learning

- [10 Games Made With Unreal Engine 5](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/10-games-made-with-unreal-engine-5): from Lords of the Fallen to TEKKEN 8, and what the engine brings to each
- [Palworld Launch Analysis](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/palworld-launch-analysis-a-deep-dive-into-follower-and-wishlist-impact-on-game-success): what Steam wishlists and followers did and did not predict
- [Top Games Like The Exit 8](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/top-games-like-the-exit-8-for-observation-horror-fans): five observation horror games to play next
- [I Created a Steam Game in 60 Hours Using Blueprint](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/i-created-a-steam-game-in-60-hours-using-blueprint-here-is-what-i-learned): what worked, what broke, and what I would do differently
- [Best Udemy Unreal Engine Courses](https://www.quodsoler.com/blog/best-udemy-unreal-engine-courses): Blueprint, C++ and Gameplay Abilities courses worth the time

## Game Projects

Portfolio pages for shipped and student projects. The index for these is the [About page](https://www.quodsoler.com/about).

- [Lords of the Fallen II](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/lords-of-the-fallen-ii): Hexworks and CI Games, dark fantasy action RPG
- [Lords of the Fallen](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/the-lords-of-the-fallen): Hexworks and CI Games, two parallel worlds and tactical soulslike combat
- [UNITED 1944](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/united-1944): Novarama and Tencent, 16v16 WW2 shooter
- [Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/samurai-jack-battle-through-time): Novarama and Adult Swim
- [Killsquad](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/killsquad): Novarama, co-op action RPG
- [Geminose: Animal Popstars](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/geminose-animal-popstars): Novarama and Starbreeze, music and dance game
- [Space Legend: Battle for Eternity](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/space-legend-battle-for-eternity): Novarama, persistent space universe with PvP
- [Invizimals: Battle of the Hunters](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/invizmials-battle-of-the-hunters): Novarama and Sony, creature hunting on mobile devices
- [Avatoys: Dual Reality System](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/avatoys-dual-reality-system): Seamless Interaction, computer vision tracking real toys into a virtual world
- [Thirst](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/thirst): Pompeu Fabra University, built on a custom C++ and Lua engine with DirectX 11
- [DEMOQIA](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-projects/demoqia): Global Game Jam, PvP and PvE action where players fuse into a monster

## Barcelona Game Development Jobs

A job board for game development roles in Barcelona.

- [All jobs](https://www.quodsoler.com/barcelona-game-development-jobs)
- [Programming](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-development-jobs-category/programming)
- [Design](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-development-jobs-category/design)
- [Art](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-development-jobs-category/art)
- [Animation](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-development-jobs-category/animation)
- [Operations](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-development-jobs-category/operations)
- [Misc](https://www.quodsoler.com/game-development-jobs-category/misc)