[DEV] Building a seamless 10-galaxy space 4X. Here's my custom streaming & origin-rebasing system running on a Surface Pro 7.
https://reddit.com/link/1vrkbru/video/ghsvq2doq3kh1/player
Hey everyone!
I've been working solo for a year on a real-time space 4X/RTS in Unreal Engine 5 (C++) focused on hard sci-fi, Kardashev scales, and Great Filter theories.
The Vision:
1 Universe, 10 Galaxies, Zero Loading Screens: A fully seamless experience from planet to the galaxy cluster level.
Dynamic Celestial Bodies: Stars, planets, and black holes are not static props—their physical properties (density, temperature) can be altered at runtime to trigger events like gravitational collapses.
Tech Highlights: Data-Oriented Architecture: Pure C++ structs with custom handles (FSpaceVector with chunk coordinates to bypass floating-point jitter).
GPU Optimization: Everything in the universe uses a single Uber-Material driven by Custom Primitive Data through Instanced Static Meshes (ISM), keeping draw calls to a bare minimum.
Origin Rebasing: Custom runtime partitioning and streaming subsystem to keep physics and visual accuracy near the origin.
A Note on Performance:
I’m currently developing and testing this directly on a humble Intel Surface Pro 7 (iGPU). The frame drops in this recording are mainly due to running OBS screen capture alongside background tasks on this integrated chip—packaged, it usually holds a solid 40 to 60 fps depending on the load on this setup.
I’m currently transitioning from the core engine phase to gameplay mechanics (ships, colonies, subspace mechanics).
Happy to answer any questions about the C++ setup, ISMs, or spatial partitioning!