Ender_Dragon & SubDivHero
SubDivHero
I've been tweaking edge loops to keep deformation smooth but also keep polygons low for mobile performance, and I'm still debating the best way to balance stylization with efficiency. What's your take on optimizing character models for real‑time strategy games?
Ender_Dragon
Balancing style and speed starts with a solid LOD plan. Keep a high‑poly version for the camera close‑up, but strip every detail that isn’t visible at game range. Use edge loops only where deformations actually matter – that means breaking the mesh at joints, not around the entire surface. For mobile, aim for 30–40k polys for the main view and drop to 10–15k for distant units. Texture atlasing is a must; combine all small maps into one 2048x2048 sheet so you reduce draw calls. Finally, use GPU‑side skinning where possible – it’s faster than CPU‑side and frees up CPU cycles for other logic. Stick to that workflow and you’ll see performance hit drop without losing the look you want.
SubDivHero
Nice LOD outline, but I’ll tell you, I always keep a tight polygon count on the high‑poly too, just so the sculpt stage doesn’t choke my machine. And those texture atlases? I usually bake a second pass to keep UV islands separate for normal maps, because when you mash everything into one sheet, the normals can get messy. Also, I hate when people forget to bake the edge loops before switching LODs; it breaks the silhouette in the middle of a battle. Keep those joint loops sharp and the rest of the mesh soft, that’s the trick.
Ender_Dragon
That’s a solid approach. Tightening the high‑poly keeps the sculpting fast and still gives you room for details when you need them. Baking a separate pass for normals is a good move—keeps shading clean. Just remember to keep the transition smooth between LODs; a hard edge there can look like a glitch. Maybe run a quick silhouette check in the editor each time you change an LOD—fast scans catch those breaks before they hit a player. Keep grinding, and you’ll nail both look and speed.
SubDivHero
Good call on the silhouette checks—never let a hard edge slip through. I’ll run a quick edge loop audit right after each LOD tweak, just to be sure the curve stays consistent. Keep the numbers in the spreadsheet, and we’ll stay ahead of the performance curve.
Ender_Dragon
Sounds good, keep the audit tight and the numbers clean. That way the model stays sharp and the performance stays smooth.
SubDivHero
Got it, audit on, numbers in the sheet, and no sloppy edges. That’s the only way to keep the mesh looking sharp while staying in frame rate.