> You can sit in the chair now!
YES! - I get sea sick from the slow animation while at 30 fps, but - WOHOOO! :)
> video settings should save and load properly now
Oh, they are in the save file of a game state... I always adjust them in the main menu and wondered why they are always at max...
The main menu needs to remember the graphics settings as well as it is quite demanding...
On the priorities part I think I need to clarify some things as they didn't come across the way I wanted to...
1) lower default graphics settings at first startup and main screen performance
- If someone wants to roast their pc they can crank up the settings later, but someone on a low end pc can also play it without crashing right the moment they start the game
- also comes together with what i mentioned above with the demanding main screen - idk, maybe replace it by a pre-rendered video? Would that decrease the demand of recources while maintaining quality?
2) gameplay performance (already discussed)
- (add LOD to the trees and consolidate mountain meshes, etc.)
3) controls
- I differentiate between controlls and keybinds. Controls is how you control the game using the preset keybinds. Things like closing any menu, getting into the pause screen and back using one key -> ESC. If controls don't work properly, players get stuck in menus and get frustrated. To prevent that, make sure that every element type has it's propper logic, you'd expect from a first person parspective game:
- Menu - Enter by <KEY>, exit by <KEY> or ESC
- E for opening a chest inventory, but only half way closing it with the same key is an inconsistency for example
- "This is an ongoing process as making the ESC key close all menus as well as using the same button used to open menus is complex but a priority for user friendliness." - This basically.
- Hud - Enable by <KEY>, Disable by <KEY>
- Movement - Start by pressing <KEY>, stop by releasing <KEY>
- ...
- Add map movement using mouse? zoom? etc.
- ...
Keybinds are - as you mentioned - a lower priority. I just thought you might want to add them to the settings file while you are at it. That's why i put them in brackets. Same with saving video settings.
Once performance and controls are solid, you can start expanding the content. Here are some ideas:
- add more details to the item description once an item has been fully explored aka eaten or used. How much hunger it restores takes, how much base damage it deals, etc.
- improve map by adding waypoints (and remove spinny compass thing) / fast-tavel
- split the regions into animal spawn zones
- increasing difficulty away from spawn
- themes: beach = shrimp, forest = wolf & antilope & peacock, hills = tardigrades (and add them to the map on discovery)
- add more items, mobs, locations, story, etc. - but i can see from the game files you are on that already...