What is a recommended approach to improve frame rate drops in a physics-heavy game scenario?

Setting the maximum allowed timestep to 8-10 fps is a recommended approach for improving frame rate drops in a physics-heavy game scenario because it helps manage the frequency at which physics calculations are performed. In Unity, the physics engine processes collisions, rigid body dynamics, and other calculations in fixed time steps. If the framerate is fluctuating and the game is struggling to keep up with real-time physics calculations, reducing the maximum timestep can allow physics calculations to run at a consistent and manageable interval.

By allowing the physics engine to run at lower frequency, it can maintain stable performance and prevent heavier loads that can occur when too many calculations are attempted in a single frame. This approach allows for a balance between game responsiveness and computational stability. It's particularly relevant in physics-intensive games where many objects interact simultaneously, and ensuring that these interactions are calculated efficiently is crucial for maintaining smooth gameplay.

Increasing the frame rate cap or optimizing graphics settings may provide some improvements, but they do not directly address the computational load that physics operations impose. Reducing the number of rigid bodies can help, but adjusting the timestep is a more effective and immediate way to control the physics calculations workload directly.