What happens to scenes that are too large in an open-world game?

In open-world games, scenes that are too large can create significant challenges in terms of performance and load times. Segmentation of large scenes is necessary to manage these challenges effectively. By dividing a large area into smaller, manageable segments, it becomes easier for the game engine to process and render these segments based on the player's location and activities.

Segmentation allows for techniques such as level of detail (LOD) streaming, where only the parts of the scene that are currently visible or relevant to the player are loaded into memory. This reduces the overall memory usage and improves frame rates and loading speeds. Additionally, segmenting scenes can also facilitate better collision detection and streamline the distribution of resources within the game environment.

In contrast, simply not loading a scene would not be a viable solution for an open-world game, since it restricts exploration and interaction. Combining scenes could lead to performance issues due to increased resource demands, while failing to segment could also result in large, unwieldy files that the game engine struggles to handle. Thus, segmenting scenes is the best practice to maintain performance and ensure an optimal player experience in open-world environments.