# Audio, VFX, Cinematic & Signature Content Pipelines

This page covers the four presentation modules that turn a deterministic match
into something an audience can feel: **`V2Audio`** (foley, voice, barks, dynamic
music, spatialization, commentary), **`V2VFX`** (hit-sparks, blood, X-Ray,
dismemberment, auras, stage destruction, weather), **`V2Cinematics`** (camera
rigs, slow-mo, finishers, entrances, the replay viewer, MP4 export), and the
cross-cutting **per-fighter signature library** and **Character Presentation**
layer that bind those three together into a fighter's identity. Where the combat
core has to be _provably correct_ (see
[Combat System: GAS, Frame Data & Determinism](./combat-system-gas-frame-data-and-determinism.md)),
this layer has the opposite job: it is allowed to be as expensive and as
hand-authored as the platform budget permits, _provided it never desyncs a
match_. That single constraint shapes everything here. Every effect these
modules emit is cosmetic, and the game-feel data they read is explicitly tagged
`rollback_budget_excluded` and `resim_cosmetic_suppressed` in
`V2/balance/feel/hitstop_curves.csv` — presentation is computed on the live
frame and deliberately suppressed during rollback re-simulation, so a hit-spark
or a slow-mo curve can never change the integer state the netcode hashes.

Architecturally, all three modules are built the same way and for the same
reason. Each is a `UGameInstanceSubsystem` (`UV2AudioSubsystem`,
`UV2VFXSubsystem`, `UV2CinematicsSubsystem`) that holds registered **catalogs**
and exposes paired `Resolve…`/`Queue…` entry points, while the actual decision
logic lives in a sibling `…BlueprintLibrary` of pure, static functions the
subsystem delegates to. That split is not ceremony: it lets every resolution
rule be unit-tested without a live world, and it keeps the math deterministic
and side-effect-free so the same call produces the same answer on every machine.
The source of truth is the Unreal C++ under `V2/ue/Source/V2Audio`,
`V2/ue/Source/V2VFX`, and `V2/ue/Source/V2Cinematics`, the balance data under
`V2/balance/{dialogue,feel,cinema,audio,fighters}`, and the compiled
`V2/ue/Plugins/V2AICommentary` plugin. This page is part of the "Modes,
Presentation & Interface" set; the section hub is
[../V2_ARCHITECTURE.md](../V2_ARCHITECTURE.md).

## What ships, honestly

**Real and tested (deterministic C++ that runs).** The resolution logic in all
three subsystems is genuine and heavily exercised: there are **26 audio**, **9
VFX**, and **37 cinematics** dedicated `*.spec.cpp` suites under
`V2/ue/Source/V2Tests/Private/{Audio,VFX,Cinematics}/`, plus module-level
`Audio.Module.spec.cpp`, `VFX.Module.spec.cpp`, and `Cinematics.Module.spec.cpp`
in `V2/ue/Source/V2Tests/Automation/`. These are not shape-only tests — they
assert specific computed values. `KOLastHitSlowMo.spec.cpp` asserts that the
Mortal Kombat Fatal-Blow curve reaches `EvaluateDilationAt(0.08f) == 0.10f`
while the Tekken curve stays at `0.68f` (readable), and that KO last-hit slow-mo
is selectable by exactly four launch rulesets. The implementations behind those
assertions are real algorithms (a piecewise-linear keyframe lerp for slow-mo, a
gore-tier min-clamp for damage VFX, a fail-loud command router for middleware),
not lookups of hardcoded results. The `V2AICommentary` plugin is **compiled** —
`V2/ue/Plugins/V2AICommentary/Binaries/Linux/libUnrealEditor-V2AICommentary.so`
exists.

**A real seam, not a real integration (audio middleware).** The Wwise/FMOD "SDK
integration" surface is honest about being a seam. `InitializeWwiseSoundEngine`
and friends build a request struct and call `Plan.ResolveCommand(...)`
(`V2/ue/Source/V2Audio/Private/V2AudioBlueprintLibrary.cpp:4105`), which
validates a plan and either routes the command or rejects it with a tag like
`Audio.WwiseSDK.Rejected.NativeFallbackRequired`
(`V2/ue/Source/V2Audio/Private/V2AudioTypes.cpp:1055`). No actual Wwise or FMOD
runtime is linked: `V2Audio.Build.cs` depends only on `Core`, `CoreUObject`,
`Engine`, and `GameplayTags`. The native runtime is MetaSounds + Audio
Modulation (`EV2AudioRuntime::MetaSoundsAudioModulation` is the default), and
the middleware layer is a deterministic plan that records what _would_ be issued
and falls back loudly when the SDK is absent — exactly the fail-loud pattern,
not a faked success.

**Specified and validated, but art-pending.** None of these modules ship the
authored binaries the monolith's `Content/<…>.uasset` paths imply. The only
authored gameplay `.uasset` in `V2/ue/Content/` are the **eight**
`DA_RegionVariant_*` data assets (plus an editor-only
`V2FrameDataInspector.uasset`); there are **zero** camera-rig, Sequencer-preset,
KO-curve, or Photo-Mode assets. Camera rigs, slow-mo curves, and Sequencer
presets are modeled as `USTRUCT` catalogs registered at runtime, not as
`Content/Cameras/…` or `Content/Curves/…` binaries. Voice-over is text + path
placeholders: every `locale_x_text` column in
`V2/balance/dialogue/<fighter>.csv` reads `TODO`, and the `vo_file_path` entries
point at `/Game/V2/Audio/Voice/…` assets that do not exist yet. The per-fighter
signature checklists say so explicitly — see the bolded note in
`V2/balance/fighters/Bishop/signature-checklist.md`: a checked item "attests
that the launch-roster signature catalog … defines and validates the requirement
— it does **not** attest that any game asset has been authored." Treat this
whole page as _logic shipped, content pending_.

**Provider-gated.** MP4 export's NIL/likeness check (`@themis/likeness`,
forthcoming) and C2PA provenance stamping, licensed-streaming soundtrack rights,
and the quarterly ADR recording pipeline are external dependencies; the code
carries the gates and manifests, but the rights themselves are out-of-repo.

## The shared pattern: register, resolve, queue, snapshot

Every subsystem in this set follows one lifecycle, and understanding it once
explains all three:

1. **Register** — a
   `RegisterXCatalog(const FX& Catalog, FString& OutFailureReason)` call
   validates a catalog struct and stores it. Registration is fail-loud: an
   invalid catalog returns `false` with a human-readable reason and is not
   stored.
2. **Resolve** — a `BlueprintPure` `ResolveX(Request) const` runs the
   deterministic decision (which template, which curve, which mix) against the
   registered catalog and returns a resolved struct carrying a `bAccepted` flag
   and, on rejection, a `ReasonTag`.
3. **Queue** — a `BlueprintCallable` `QueueX(Request)` calls `ResolveX`, checks
   `IsValidResult(...)`, and only then appends to a pending list; a rejected
   result is dropped with its reason rather than silently spawned. For example
   `UV2VFXSubsystem::QueueAuraEffectVFX` queues only when
   `Result.IsValidResult(&FailureReason) && Result.bAccepted`
   (`V2/ue/Source/V2VFX/Private/V2VFXSubsystem.cpp`).
4. **Snapshot** — `CaptureRuntimeSnapshot()` returns a flat struct of counts and
   "last resolved" fields (`FV2AudioRuntimeSnapshot`, `FV2VFXRuntimeSnapshot`,
   `FV2CinematicsRuntimeSnapshot`). This is the testable, introspectable surface
   the automation specs read back to confirm a registration or resolution
   actually happened.

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    Evt[Live match / replay event] --> Audio[UV2AudioSubsystem]
    Evt --> VFX[UV2VFXSubsystem]
    Evt --> Cine[UV2CinematicsSubsystem]
    Audio -- Resolve --> ABL[V2AudioBlueprintLibrary · pure]
    VFX -- Resolve --> VBL[V2VFXBlueprintLibrary · pure]
    Cine -- Resolve --> CBL[V2CinematicsBlueprintLibrary · pure]
    ABL -- accepted --> AQ[Queue + Snapshot]
    VBL -- accepted, gore-clamped --> VQ[Queue + Snapshot]
    CBL -- accepted --> CQ[Queue + Snapshot]
    GorePolicy[(Gore policy ceiling)] -. clamps .-> VFX
    NIL[(NIL / likeness gate)] -. blocks export .-> Cine
    Native[(Native-fallback seam)] -. routes .-> Audio
    AQ -- cosmetic, rollback-inert --> Frame[Presented frame]
    VQ --> Frame
    CQ --> Frame
    CQ --> Export[Replay viewer / MP4 export]
```

## Audio pipeline (`V2Audio`)

`V2Audio` is by far the largest of the three (`V2AudioTypes.cpp` alone is ~15.4k
lines; `V2AudioBlueprintLibrary.cpp` ~7.5k), because it carries the full
adaptive-music brain plus the middleware abstraction. The runtime baseline is
MetaSounds + Audio Modulation (`EV2AudioRuntime`), and the
`FV2AudioRuntimeSnapshot` in `V2/ue/Source/V2Audio/Public/V2AudioSubsystem.h`
exposes hundreds of introspection fields covering each subsystem below.

- **Foley, voice, and barks.** `RegisterFighterFoleyCatalog` +
  `ResolveFighterFoleyLayer` drive per-fighter footstep/cloth/weapon layers
  (`EV2FoleyLayerKind`); `RegisterVoiceBank` / `QueueVoiceLine` handle the
  per-fighter voice bank; and `RegisterVoiceBarkCatalog` /
  `ResolveVoiceBarkEvent` implement the priority + cooldown bark router on
  gameplay events (finisher and KO barks win all races).
- **Dynamic music.** This is the richest part. Music intensity is a five-stage
  vertical stack — `EV2MusicIntensity` is
  `Silence → Ambient → Tension → Climax → KOSting` — driven by a real
  adaptive-music state machine (`EV2AdaptiveMusicState`:
  `Exploration, Tension, Combat, Victory, Defeat, Menu`). On top of that sit
  **horizontal resequencing** (verse/chorus/bridge via
  `EV2HorizontalMusicSectionRole`), **vertical layering** across seven
  instrument layers (`EV2VerticalMusicInstrumentLayer`:
  `AmbientPad, Bass, Drums, Strings, Brass, Melody, Choir`), intensity curves,
  one-shot stingers, sidechain-compression ducking under dialogue/SFX,
  beat-synchronized transitions snapped to beat/bar/phrase boundaries
  (`EV2MusicSyncBoundary`), tempo/BPM detection, and a Def Jam DJ-remix mixer.
  `EvaluateMusicIntensityCurve` updates the subsystem's `CurrentMusicIntensity`,
  `CurrentAdaptiveMusicState`, and active layer set only when the resolved
  result is accepted (`V2/ue/Source/V2Audio/Private/V2AudioSubsystem.cpp`).
- **Middleware abstraction (the seam).** A unified provider layer
  (`EV2AudioMiddlewareProvider`) can route spatial sources, listeners,
  environment/reverb zones, occlusion raycasts, soundbank streaming, profiling,
  gameplay-event triggers, project generation, hot reload, fallback, and
  per-platform cook — for Wwise, FMOD, or a custom backend. As covered above,
  this resolves and validates commands but does not bind a real SDK; it routes
  to the native MetaSounds fallback when the middleware is absent.
- **Custom soundtrack, streamer-safe, and licensing.**
  `RegisterCustomSoundtrackPolicy` / `EvaluateCustomSoundtrackSource`
  (`EV2CustomSoundtrackSource`, `EV2MusicLicenseClass`) gate user-imported
  tracks per platform TRC, and a streamer-safe catalog can auto-swap DMCA-risky
  tracks. Per-track license flags decide what may be uploaded to community
  galleries — the same per-import gate the entrance music slot enforces (below).
- **Spatial audio, commentary, crowd.** Atmos / Tempest3D runtimes with a
  binaural HRTF fallback; a three-voice commentary stack with barge-in policy
  (`EV2CommentaryBargeInPolicy`) and ducking; per-fighter crowd chants,
  per-stage crowd noise, stamina-driven vocal modulation, a tournament "hush"
  mix, and announcer combo-callout tiers with language fallback. DualSense
  speaker routing and a microphone-consent gate (passive detection only;
  recording requires explicit consent) round it out.

## VFX pipeline (`V2VFX`)

`UV2VFXSubsystem` (`V2/ue/Source/V2VFX/Public/V2VFXSubsystem.h`) registers nine
catalogs and exposes the same paired `Resolve…`/`Queue…` surface. The taxonomy
is concrete and matches the design intent exactly:

- **Hit-sparks.** `EV2VFXStyle` is the eight-spark library from the spec —
  `Clean, Dust, Metal, Electric, Fire, Ice, Spirit, Blood` — resolved by
  `ResolveHitSpark` to a `FV2NiagaraTemplateSpec`.
- **Gore, with a policy ceiling.** `EV2GoreTier` is
  `Off, Mild, Standard, Extreme`. The important edge case is that the **active
  gore policy clamps every request**: `ResolveCharacterDamageStateVFX`
  min-clamps the requested tier to `ActiveGorePolicy.GoreTier`
  (`V2/ue/Source/V2VFX/Private/V2VFXSubsystem.cpp:434`), so a region or
  rating-board cap can never be exceeded by a caller asking for more. Blood is a
  full sub-pipeline: `QueueBloodDecals`, `QueueGroundAndPoundBloodSplatter`
  (`EV2GroundAndPoundBloodPattern`), and `QueueBloodPool`
  (`EV2BloodPoolSpawnPolicy`), with octagon-canvas absorption layers
  (`EV2OctagonGroundTextureLayer`) for the UFC ruleset.
- **X-Ray render pass.** `QueueXRaySkeletonPacket` (and a cinematic variant,
  `QueueXRayCinematicRenderPacket`) builds packets across the X-Ray layers
  `EV2XRayRenderLayer`
  (`TranslucentSkin, BoneStencil, BoneBreakFlash, OrganSilhouette, PierceThroughMask`)
  with per-bone break types and animation states (`EV2XRayBoneBreakType`,
  `EV2XRayBoneBreakAnimationState`).
- **Dismemberment, hazards, trails, auras.** `ResolveDismembermentVFX` is
  ruleset- and bone-gated (`EV2CoreVFXRulesetScope` restricts it to Mortal
  Kombat); stage hazards (`EV2StageHazardVFX`), weapon ribbon trails
  (`EV2WeaponTrailProfileKind`), and auras (`EV2AuraEffectKind`:
  `DevilForm, SoulCharge, Heat, Burnout`, the latter resolved against a
  normalized intensity) each have a resolve + queue pair.
- **Persistent damage and stages.** Character damage layers
  (`Sweat, Dirt, Bruise, Blood`), a multi-tier damage-progression model with
  persistence rules, per-fighter signature damage VFX, stage destruction with
  reset policy (`EV2StageDestructionResetRule`), weather transitions
  (`EV2StageWeatherKind`), and atmospheric particles/god-rays. Every catalog has
  a `b…CatalogValid` snapshot flag so a cook can assert coverage before
  shipping.

## Cinematic pipeline (`V2Cinematics`)

`UV2CinematicsSubsystem`
(`V2/ue/Source/V2Cinematics/Public/V2CinematicsSubsystem.h`) is the broadest by
feature count, spanning camera, slow-mo, finishers, entrances, accessibility
text, and the entire replay/export toolchain.

- **Per-ruleset camera rigs and slow-mo.** Rigs key off `EV2CinematicRuleset`,
  which has **nine** members — the seven fighting rulesets
  (`MortalKombat, StreetFighter, Tekken, WWE, UFC, SoulCalibur, DefJam`) plus
  `Racing` and `OpenWorld`. Slow-mo is a real curve: `EvaluateSlowMo` looks up a
  `FV2SlowMoCurveSpec` by id and calls `EvaluateDilationAt`, a piecewise-linear
  interpolation over time-dilation keyframes
  (`V2/ue/Source/V2Cinematics/Private/V2CinematicsTypes.cpp:356`).
  `ResolveKOLastHitSlowMo` picks a per-ruleset KO style
  (`EV2KOLastHitSlowMoStyle`: Fatal-Blow strong, subtle, zoom-punch,
  broadcast-replay), which is what the balance file
  `V2/balance/feel/slowmo_freeze_curves.csv` encodes per ruleset (each row
  carries an `accessibility_opt_out` flag).
- **Finisher data assets.** `UV2FinisherData`
  (`V2/ue/Source/V2Cinematics/Public/V2FinisherData.h`) is a `UPrimaryDataAsset`
  with a trigger condition (`EV2CinematicTrigger`, input motion/sequence, range
  window, required state tags), a soft cinematic sequence reference, a gore
  tier, a mode-eligibility **bitflag** (`EV2FinisherModeEligibility`:
  `Fatality, Brutality, Friendship, Mercy, StageFatality, CriticalFinish, EnvironmentalFinisher`),
  and eligible-ruleset tags. Its `IsValidFinisherData` validator is strict and
  domain-specific (`V2/ue/Source/V2Cinematics/Private/V2FinisherData.cpp:78`): a
  finisher must carry an id, a valid `FinisherWindow` trigger, a non-null
  cinematic ref, at least one mode bit, and an allowed ruleset tag (MK / Soul
  Calibur / Def Jam). Notably, finisher gore is restricted to
  `Off, Mild, or Extreme` — the intermediate `Standard` tier is deliberately
  excluded for finishers (`IsSupportedFinisherGoreTier`).
- **Entrance data assets.** `UV2EntranceData` is the WWE/wrestling-grade
  entrance authoring model: ramp/curtain/aisle stage zones
  (`EV2EntranceStageZoneKind`), a pyro pattern with a safety radius and heat
  budget and a reduced-motion fallback (`EV2EntrancePyroPatternKind`),
  DMX-addressed lighting cues (`EV2EntranceLightingCueKind`), replay-safe camera
  cuts, pose-sequence montages, mic moments with captions and crowd response, a
  per-entrance **music import slot** (personal-use-only, with community-gallery
  upload blocked), and assignment scopes (`Fighter`, `WWEUniverseShow`,
  `MyGMShow`). A companion `UV2EntranceEditorLibrary` provides the editor-time
  validators (`ValidateCameraCutSequence`, `ValidateAssignments`,
  `CanUseMusicImportSlotForEntrance`).
- **Playback control: skip, resume, director cut, POV, commentary.** Cinematics
  resolve skip granularity (`EvaluateCinematicSkip`), resume checkpoints
  (`ResolveCinematicResumePoint`), director-cut chapters, alternate POV, and an
  in-scene commentary track — each with a dedicated spec
  (`CinematicSkipGranularity.spec.cpp`, `CinematicResumePoint.spec.cpp`,
  `DirectorCut.spec.cpp`, `AlternatePOV.spec.cpp`).
- **Subtitles and captions.** Speaker-tag styling, timing overrides, and cue
  captions (`ResolveSubtitleSpeakerTag`, `ResolveSubtitleTimingOverride`,
  `ResolveCinematicCueCaption`) make cinematic dialogue accessible.
- **Replay viewer and export.** This is a full non-destructive editing surface
  layered over the deterministic input replay (the same stream `V2Netcode`
  produces — see
  [Game Modes, Training & Replay](./game-modes-training-and-replay.md)):
  `OpenReplayViewerSession`, timeline edits, a free camera with orbit/entity
  tracking, a kill-cam (`Start/Advance/CancelReplayKillCam`), highlight
  detection (`DetectReplayHighlights` over `EV2ReplayHighlightEventKind`), and
  two export jobs — full `QueueReplayExport` and `QueueReplayClipExport`. Camera
  edits are keyframes (`QueueReplayCameraKeyframe`) layered on top of the
  original input, not edits to it. The MP4 export path is where the NIL/likeness
  gate and C2PA provenance stamping apply.

## Character presentation & the per-fighter signature library

The thing that makes a fighter feel _theirs_ is not one module but a contract
spanning all of them, expressed in two places.

The **Character Presentation catalog** (`RegisterCharacterPresentationCatalog`
on the cinematics subsystem) carries the per-fighter presentation surface: bark
triggers (`EV2CharacterPresentationBarkTrigger`:
`CounterHitLanded, ThrowLanded, ParryLanded, LowHP, ComboN, FinisherArmed, FinisherMissed, KO`
— the same gameplay events the audio bark router consumes), entrance styles
(`EV2CharacterPresentationEntranceStyle`:
`WWEWalkout, TekkenStageArrival, MKPitSummon, SFHubArrival, DefJamClubStrut`),
nine ending-art styles
(`OilPainting, ComicBookPanel, AnimeCelShade, GothicWoodcut, HipHopGraffiti, PhotorealPortrait, UkiyoE, ArtNouveau, MangaInkWash`),
post-fight cutscene kinds (victory pose, UFC presser/mic interview, WWE mic
moment), and unlock sources. The snapshot exposes
`bCharacterPresentationRosterReady`, `…MatchupsReady`, `…LoreReady`, and
`…EntrancesReady` so a cert pass can check roster coverage.

The **Dialogue DB** is real, per-fighter CSV.
`V2/balance/dialogue/<fighter>.csv` (eight authored files: `asha_storm`,
`bishop_crowe`, `kai_voltage`, `lian_noor`, `mina_kade`, `nyx_river`,
`rook_vale`, `sol_vega`) carries the columns
`situation, opponent, ruleset, line_id, english_text, locale_x_text, vo_file_path, emotion, length_cap`.
Mirror matches use a dedicated `mirror` situation bank (e.g. Asha's
`Line.AshaStorm.Mirror.001`, never the cross-matchup pool), and per-opponent
lines override generic ones. The honest caveat: the `locale_x_text` column is
uniformly `TODO` and the `vo_file_path` entries point at unrecorded assets — the
_text and routing_ ship; the _localized VO_ does not.

The **signature library** is a per-fighter checklist at
`V2/balance/fighters/<Fighter>/signature-checklist.md` (60 of them). Each tracks
Section-72 requirements across animation, audio, VFX, stage, and HUD — eight
unique impact stings, a signature crowd chant, stamina-driven breath layers,
three dynamic theme variants, and so on. Crucially, the checklists are explicit
that a checked box attests the **catalog requirement is defined and validated**
(via `UV2LaunchRosterLibrary::BuildDefaultFighterSignatureLibraryCatalog`), not
that any asset is authored; the "Asset authoring" section stays unchecked "until
real assets land and pass the QA cert signature-library audit." This is the
single clearest statement of where this whole layer sits: the contracts and
resolution logic are real and tested; the art, audio, and VO they describe are
the work that remains.

## Director commentary, story theater & narrative expansion

The "behind-the-scenes" layer has a real anchor and several spec-only
extensions, and it is worth being precise about which is which.

**Real and compiled:** the `V2AICommentary` plugin
(`V2/ue/Plugins/V2AICommentary/`). It defines validated catalogs — an Iris
commentary cue contract, a post-match commentary spec, an auto-edited highlight
reel spec (`EV2AIHighlightShareFormat`), a per-match analysis spec, an auto-clip
library, a compliance spec, chat translation, and procedural dialogue — each
built and validated through the `BuildDefault… → Validate… → …Signature` pattern
(`V2AICommentaryBlueprintLibrary`). The cinematics narrative data is real too:
`V2/balance/cinema/cinematic-narrative-expansion.json` carries four commentary
track families (`director`, `mocapBehindTheScenes`, `writer`,
`internalMonologue`), an ADR pipeline with quarterly session ids and per-event
voice-line banks, and locale directors; `BehindTheScenesCommentary.spec.cpp` and
`DirectorCommentary.spec.cpp` exercise the cinematics-side resolution.

**Spec-only (referenced, not present):** the monolith's
`V2/ue/Plugins/V2Mode_SideStory/`, `V2Mode_StoryTheater/`, and
`V2Mode_CinematographyEditor` plugins **do not exist** in the repo — the actual
plugin set is `V2AICommentary`, `V2AdaptiveAI`, `V2AssetLinter`, `V2Editor`, and
`BellonaUnrealEditor`. The Side-Story cinematic-plus-scripted-fights flow, the
Story Theater browse/replay index with alt-language/subtitle/commentary toggles,
the branch-tree visualizer, and the Ending Gallery are described in the
architecture but are not yet code. The narrative-expansion data they would
consume (commentary tracks, comics, ADR) is staged in `V2/balance/cinema/` and
the cinematics subsystem's `FV2CinematicNarrativeExpansionCatalog`, so the data
contract exists ahead of the mode plugins.

## Game feel, determinism, and failure modes

The thread tying this page back to the combat core is the feel data under
`V2/balance/feel/`. `hitstop_curves.csv` carries per-ruleset, per-reaction
hitstop with attacker/defender/hitlag frame counts and — decisively — the
columns `rollback_budget_excluded` and `resim_cosmetic_suppressed` set `true` on
every row, so the feel layer is computed live and skipped on re-simulation.
`slowmo_freeze_curves.csv`, `camera_shake_curves.csv`, and
`photo_mode_tone_curves.csv` complete the set, each with an
`accessibility_opt_out` lane. Accessibility is structural here, not bolted on:
pyro and camera-cut definitions carry `bReducedMotionFallback` /
`bReducedMotionSafe`, slow-mo rows carry `accessibility_opt_out`, and the
microphone surface is consent-gated by construction.

Failure modes are uniformly **fail-loud**. A bad catalog fails registration with
a reason string; a resolution that cannot be satisfied returns
`bAccepted = false` and a `ReasonTag` (e.g. `VFX.Aura.Rejected.InvalidResult`,
`Audio.WwiseSDK.Rejected.NativeFallbackRequired`) rather than spawning a
degenerate effect; and the gore policy silently-but-safely clamps rather than
honoring an over-budget request. Because every output is cosmetic and
rollback-inert, the worst case for any bug in this layer is a missing or wrong
_effect_ on one client's screen — never a desync. That is the whole point of
keeping presentation on the live frame and out of the hashed state.

For how these effects are triggered by combat, see
[Combat System: GAS, Frame Data & Determinism](./combat-system-gas-frame-data-and-determinism.md);
for the montage notifies that fire foley and VFX, see
[Animation & Input Pipeline](./animation-and-input-pipeline.md); for the replay
stream the cinematics viewer edits, see
[Rollback Netcode & Tag-Team](./rollback-netcode-and-tag-team.md) and
[Game Modes, Training & Replay](./game-modes-training-and-replay.md).

## Related

- [V2 Product Promise](./v2-product-promise.md) — why one engine must dress
  eight rulesets in their own audio, VFX, and cinematics
- [Glossary and Module Topology](./glossary-and-module-topology.md) — where
  `V2Audio` / `V2VFX` / `V2Cinematics` sit in the module map
- [Combat System: GAS, Frame Data & Determinism](./combat-system-gas-frame-data-and-determinism.md)
  and [Animation & Input Pipeline](./animation-and-input-pipeline.md) — the
  gameplay events and montage notifies that trigger this layer
- [Rollback Netcode & Tag-Team](./rollback-netcode-and-tag-team.md) and
  [Game Modes, Training & Replay](./game-modes-training-and-replay.md) — the
  deterministic replay stream the cinematics viewer and MP4 export build on
- [UI, HUD, VR/AR & Accessibility](./ui-hud-vr-ar-and-accessibility.md) —
  captions, reduced-motion, and the shared accessibility model
- [Esports, Companion & AI Services](./esports-companion-and-ai-services.md) —
  the AI commentary / highlight-reel services the `V2AICommentary` plugin feeds
- [Build, Cook, Assets, Data & Production](./build-cook-assets-data-and-production.md)
  and
  [Telemetry, Performance, Testing & Release Gates](./telemetry-performance-testing-and-release-gates.md)
  — where the art-pending content and the cosmetic budgets are gated
- [Security, Compliance & Sister-Monorepo Integration](./security-compliance-and-sister-monorepo-integration.md)
  — the NIL/likeness, C2PA, and streaming-license gates on export and import
- The section hub: [../V2_ARCHITECTURE.md](../V2_ARCHITECTURE.md)