I’m the content and asset manager of a fair size team and when it comes to UE4 the common question I’m asked by the new guy is whats the polycount budget?
My response is make the object look the way it should with out much effort put into optimization and maintain the fidelity of the art asset at the source level. The reason is simple in that UE4 has tools built into the engine that will tailor the output as to the need and as I always say it’s easier to make to much do less than it is to try and take not enough and make it do more.
For example if it’s to much you can use Auto LOD to decrease the count and set the screen resolution to kick in LOD 1 as the primary model.
Same for textures taking into consideration texture streaming.
For player models we are using the Genesis 3 form from Daz 3d to hang the clothing off of the frame work and the body forms are shaped in Zbrush and injected back into G3 and use Daz Studio to create the required LOD’s
More or less create the art to how it needs to look and then use the software to output what is needed.
The days of fit to finish are over. 