Developer Diaries (Tech Art)

Dear Players! Thank you for your feedback.

We’d like to let you know that, in addition to fixing bugs, we are actively working on game optimization. We are carrying out large-scale improvements aimed at significantly reducing stutters and micro-freezes, as well as boosting overall performance. Denis Sobin, Head of the Tech Art department, shares the latest development updates:

• We are tuning the system for collecting precompiled data cache (so-called PSOs and shader pre-caching), which helps reduce in-game hitches and stuttering. This will make gameplay smoother.
• Major optimization improvements are underway on the Rogue Wastelands and Mushroom Plain locations, increasing average FPS and making performance more stable for players.

Rogue Wastelands

Mushroom Plain

Midlands

• We are actively working on optimizing the Midlands location. We closely monitor your feedback and apply the necessary adjustments. Since this is the largest open-world map with the highest amount of content, it requires more time to optimize. However, this location is being treated as a top priority, and the charts above do not yet reflect the final results of our work.
• FPS in cutscenes will be increased by optimizing lighting sources and shadows.
• We are improving collisions for better interaction experience (players will stumble less on obstacles), and also removing collisions from small objects in general.
• We are optimizing non-playable areas, which will increase server performance since it will no longer need to process zones the player cannot access.
• We are reworking the material and shadow lighting system to eliminate flickering of grass and moving objects.

• We are fixing visual bugs related to characters and other environmental objects.
• We are actively reducing overall hardware load by lowering the number of draw calls and disabling unnecessary features and visual effects in LOD (Level of Detail — simplified objects at a distance from the player). For example: the shadow of a mug will no longer be visible at 10 meters, reducing unnecessary load, and at 20 meters the mug will completely disappear from the frame.

Many of these changes will be available in the upcoming patch — but this is far from everything! We continue improving all aspects of the game and will share more details in future updates. Thank you for your support.