Project Nirvana Journal #2: Technical Goals & Challenges

Project Nirvana has been officially underway for a few months, and our goal is to achieve the following performance optimisation objectives by November 2:

• For the recommended system requirements on the official website, we guarantee an average frame rate of 60 FPS or higher under high-quality 1080p settings, with a minimum frame rate (1% Low) exceeding 45 FPS, while keeping memory usage below 5GB and VRAM usage below 4GB.
• For the minimum system requirements on the official website, we guarantee an average frame rate of over 60 FPS on low-quality 1080p settings, with a minimum frame rate (1% Low) exceeding 45 FPS, while keeping memory usage below 4.5GB and VRAM usage below 3GB.

While these goals may seem like just a few lines of text, the pressure they impose on the development team is immeasurable. There are several challenges to overcome in the optimisation process we want to detail.

Conqueror's Blade Is An Online Game With Numerous Complex Systems

In most online games, development teams prioritise the optimisation of CPU and GPU resources through strategies such as reducing graphical detail for non-player characters (NPCs) or adopting simpler map designs.

However, Conqueror's Blade stands out due to its extensive high-quality Hero and Unit Attires, as well as intricate map designs. These demand substantial GPU performance. Additionally, Unit battles and Artillery attacks also require intensive CPU calculations.

As a result, the task of achieving optimal performance for both CPU and GPU in Conqueror's Blade presents a significant and challenging endeavour.

Maintaining a Top-Notch Experience While Optimising The 1% Low Frame Rate During Battles Is Exceptionally Challenging

With the exception of specific maps, the lowest frame rates frequently occur during point captures in battles. These scenarios involve a multitude of fighting units, an abundance of Hero skills in use, Artillery, and other elements that enhance the overall battlefield experience but also exert significant pressure on performance.

Consequently, addressing the 1% low frame rate issue while preserving the quality of battle experience is doubly demanding.

Ensuring Stability During The Optimisation Process Presents A Significant Challenge.

As we strive for performance optimisation, extensive adjustments have been made at various points, including art, planning, and gameplay programming. The development team has also made modifications to the engine's underlying architecture, involving the reconstruction of certain aspects of the game's structure and design to achieve our optimisation goals.

We will share more information regarding Project Nirvana soon!