This update has major changes that upgrade graphical fidelity and performance.

Loading

A level is no longer loaded for the main menu or for character creation (black background instead). This improves load times.

New terrain shader

• Support for up to 16 terrain textures (previously maximum of 7 textures)
  
• Much better performance
  
• Better visual quality
  
• Can eventually support snow and rain.
  

Dynamic occlusion

Integrated a GPU dynamic occlusion system.

• Much better performance especially with dense scenes
  
• Point light shadows are much less expensive so they are now all enabled instead of most turned off
  
• Less visible popping between LOD levels
  
• Lower memory and CPU usage
  

New ocean shader

• Much better performance
  
• Better visuals
  
• No more visual artifacts when sun reflects off of the water
  
• Much better underwater rendering visual quality
  

New biomes

Load A_Start_Island2.lvl to see the new biomes and the start of a new island

• More traditional looking
  
• Much better performance
  
• Much higher quality wind effects
  
• The meadow, mountain, and beech forest folders under nature in environmental objects have the new assets
  
• New biomes in the biome database under the mountain and meadow folders
  

In progress

• New character creation
  
• New character system using UMA
  
• New animations using Mecanim
  
• Expanding the Perk system
  
• New campaign with new starting island