VulkanMod-Next

Performance & Optimization:

• Enabled Quad Facing Groups: A major optimization that allows the renderer to skip processing faces that are facing away from you (such as the underside of a floor or the back of a wall). This can boost FPS by up to 13% depending on your resolution.
• Enabled Chunk Vertex Packing: Dramatically reduces VRAM usage (from ~428 MiB down to 240 MiB), which is crucial for enabling very high render distances. This provides an additional 7–18% FPS boost.
• CPU Efficiency: Enabled "Short Layer Filter Lists" and "Chunk List Caching," which reduce the workload on your processor, especially helpful when playing with heavy modpacks or on slower CPUs.
• Reduced Input Lag: The "Performance" preset has been updated to remove an unnecessary buffer frame, reducing input latency.
• Smart Safety Feature: To prevent visual glitches (like sprite bleeding), the mod will now automatically disable vertex packing if you are using extremely large texture atlases (above 8192px).

Visual Fixes:

• Improved Rain Logic: Fixed an issue where rain would "leak" through solid rock; surfaces under overhangs or trees will now stay dry.
• Realistic Ice Reflections: Improved how ice interacts with light. It now properly reflects both the sky and the ground beneath it, providing a much more natural look rather than a flat, disappearing sheen.

Note: As this is an alpha release, many of these optimizations are now enabled by default to test their stability in real-world scenarios. All can be toggled back in the settings menu.