Developing the Atlantica Galaxy Map
From constellations to coordinates, follow the journeys through the stars.
Why this series exists
Atlantica Galaxy is my new devlog series that showcases the purpose of the project and where it is headed.
Primary goals: to build the technology and communities that support the work.
The dream behind the tech
I set out to make my dream game, an open-world space RPG where you can leave the surface, fly into space, and keep exploring without loading screens or hard boundaries. Every room in every building can be explored across planets, moons, asteroids, and spacestations.
That vision became Atlantica Worlds, a project I began in 2020 and continue to build today inside the fictional Atlantica Galaxy.
Hard lessons from Atlantica Worlds
Pursuing a boundless game world has been the most difficult project I have ever worked on, with many stops and restarts along the way.
The current implementation runs around 30 frames per second and relies on hundreds of interdependent Unreal Engine 5 Blueprints, which makes maintenance and portability tough.
The Atlantica Galaxy solution
With years of experience now behind me, I am rebuilding the galaxy as a single, self-contained, modular Blueprint that I can drop into any of my game series.
I am starting with the essentials: hierarchical instanced static meshes updated in real time, aiming for the lowest possible resource usage.
This devlog will follow that journey in public.
What to expect
- A portable, maintainable galaxy Blueprint designed to live independently of any project.
- Real-time HISM updates focused on performance and efficiency.
- Honest progress notes, setbacks, and breakthroughs captured as the system matures.
Who this is for
This series is made for gamers and anyone interested in seeing large-scale systems built in UE5 with a focus on clarity and performance.
Music
“Galactic Waves” is the original beat for the episode by Pharaoh Insight, my music artist and producer alias.
If you enjoy UE5, indie dev, or space sims, follow along, leave feedback, and share the journey.