Devlog 1.1 (Level design and FPS)

FPS Optimization:

Let me start by saying—I've conquered the FPS issue! My map is huge and packed with content, including tons of tree resources. Right now, the entire map features around 67,000 (❗️) bushes and trees, plus roughly 10,000 twigs, mushrooms, and other small details 🍄.

Standard optimizations like occlusion culling, LODs, object pooling, and the usual tricks just weren't enough to handle the memory load anymore—I had to come up with a custom, logic-based optimization through code 😨. So I implemented dynamic unloading and loading of objects within a certain radius around the player, using object pools—and lo and behold, it boosted FPS by 4x! 🪄

The key was being able to design the level freely in the editor, then save all object positions to a file and only load them when the player gets close 💭. Of course, I originally wanted to do it this way, but I was under the illusion that standard optimizations alone would handle my ambitious vision 🤣.

Just to be clear: yes, you *could* use shaders or plugins like Nature Renderer or MicroSplat (often praised for boosting performance and supporting massive scenes), but they cost money and take time to learn 🙏.

Anyway—I made solid progress on FPS, and I'm happy with the current result 🔥. Things can only get better from here. Most importantly, I can now actually work comfortably in the editor on this massive map without freezing up every minute 😍.

Level Design:

I've reached the point where I need to flesh out the world—but there just aren't enough free props (3D models) that fit my style 😭. If you know of any free assets for commercial use—realistic graphics, ruins, ancient artifacts, that kind of vibe—drop a comment below! (FYI: I've already grabbed everything useful from the Asset Store.)

To be honest upfront—please temper your expectations a bit 😅. In the end, some elements might not perfectly match stylistically, since I'm trying to "polish" all the models to fit a unified look 🤞. My level design experience is still limited, so it might not turn out perfectly—but I'm definitely trying my best! ☀️ Sure, I *could* model everything myself, but that would take me a million years 🥵.

That said—here's the twist: I actually *don't* need perfect visual harmony. On the contrary—it's important that things feel slightly off. Because that's part of my "grand" design 😏. You'll only truly get it after playing through the game's story 😉😉😉

Right now, I've already placed all the trees across the map and am working on props—filling the world with life 🌺. But soon I'll shift focus to implementing the core mechanics and narrative of my game, so stay tuned—updates are about to get even more exciting!