Optimize Performance While Maintaining Visual Quality

Identify Performance Bottlenecks

Monitor your frame rate using F3 debug screen while exploring different areas. Shader-heavy features like shadows and reflections impact performance most significantly. Note which settings cause noticeable frame drops.

Reduce Demanding Features Strategically

Start by lowering these in order of impact:

• Shadow distance: Reduce first—this has the largest performance effect.
• Shadow softness: Lower values render faster.
• Reflection quality: Decrease if water areas cause lag.
• Ambient occlusion: Disable or reduce if available.

Balance Quality and Smoothness

Earthshade Shaders is designed to run smoothly, but older hardware may need adjustments. Disable features you don't notice visually—for example, if you don't spend time underwater, reduce caustics. Test each change for 2-3 minutes in varied terrain before adjusting further.

Keep at least moderate shadow settings enabled; they're core to Earthshade's realistic aesthetic. If performance remains poor, reduce render distance in video settings instead.