Exoterra v0.3.2 is out now!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/exoterra-v0-3-2-145640130

This update focuses heavily on optimization, and I’ve also updated the free build on itch.io.

Here’s what’s new:

• Texture & Material Optimization:
  Reduced VRAM usage by optimizing textures, deleting certain materials, and replacing some with shared ones to shrink shader usage.

• Distance Field & Nanite Tweaks:
  Lowered distance field resolution on specific meshes to reduce lighting calculations, and adjusted some Nanite settings for better balance between quality and performance.

• Improved Low & Medium Settings:
  These presets were fully reworked. They’re not quite as fast as they could be, but the visual quality is significantly better than the flat, lifeless look they had before.

• Resolution Scale Adjustment:
  The minimum value on the resolution scale slider has been lowered for more flexibility on lower-end systems.

• Updated to Unreal Engine 5.7:
  The engine upgrade unfortunately broke the BFRV’s wheel physics, so handling will feel different until everything is fully tuned. I had to redo parts of the setup to make it work again.

• Bug Fix – Stuck Talk Prompt:
  Fixed an issue where the talk prompt stayed onscreen after walking away. A new timed check now clears it if characters are no longer close to each other.

Additional notes:

The preview images were captured on maximum settings at a 2560x1440 resolution using an RTX 4070.
Most of the optimization work, however, was done on a GTX 1060 6GB at 1080p, to make sure improvements benefit mid-range hardware as well (it's not performant, but it's playable).

There’s also an ongoing issue with the racing level, where from one test build to another the map sometimes fails to load entirely. It appears to be related to Nanite and the level landscape. The issue isn’t fully resolved yet, but I’m actively troubleshooting it.

Thank you for your support, and enjoy the new update!