Hello again everyone. I have a few questions about optimisation this time. I'm working on the big (24x20, area size: 32) and detailed map and trying to get as much fps as possible.

First of all, now I have all my map in the memory from the start and visibility is limitless, so I see every mountain around player. Whole map is divided into small parts ("valleys") - I can see highest hills around but not objects in any other "valleys". Every model on the map has empty LoD after 100 meters, so it probably helps a lot.

Is there any way to choose, which objects, for example all models in a specific "valley", should disappear in specific situation? Like passing through area with a script. Or LoD is my only hope here?

The problem starts with water and lights. As a level designer I don't have access to their LoD (or something similar). I'm guessing my long river renders as far as the terrain goes. Can our programmers choose a distance from the camera, where it should gone? Also, I have heard there's a way to make the water more transparent in the code (why there's not such option in the World Editor? I would love to use it). When guys used it, river changed its height thought. It moved up or down, I don't remember correctly.

We also don't want to give access to the water to the player, so is there a way to gain some fps by turning off some underwater effects or things like that?

Any other suggestions?