Hey Guys, I’m a beginner (im getting better :D) solo dev working in UE5 and I’m trying to figure out the best way to fake an organic infection/creep system.
The idea is a dark wet fungal/liquid mass that spreads over terrain, connects puddles, and slowly corrupts the level.
Static mesh puddles look nice because they give real volume, bubbles, holes and tendrils, but large meshes don’t conform well to hills.
I created one Static mesh and made it spread but that obviously is just for draft and doesnt work on any hills or not flat surface.
Pure landscape material or decals follow the terrain better, but look too flat.
At first i thought about a fluid system but i guess that will break performance because the “creep (like in Starcraft)” should spread over the hole map at some point.
Important for the Vision:
The “Creep” has to be readable for Gameplay (Buffs, EnemySpawn, etc.). Not excatly but at least it should morph into a gigantic Biological Problem for the Player) Guess i will have to fake that.
It is a 3D Game so there has to be hight involved a static mesh or landscape won`t work 
It should be “fake thinking”. (I guess not important for the task but i would show that just material won`t solve the problem… i think at least ^^)
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First Draft Idea learning one at a time…
Hybrid:
terrain/decal layer for broad coverage,
Nanite mesh pieces for volume/details,
connector/tendril meshes,
material reveal/WPO for fake growth, (faked animation)
Niagara for spores,
and HISM/instancing for performance.
The problem i have with this is that each of those system is a science on his own…
Does this sound like a sane UE5.8 approach, or am I missing something obvious?
The main thing I dont understand yet is the big surface layer.
How would you make the creep follow hills and uneven ground?
Would you use decals, RVT, landscape masks, PCG or is there maybe a much simpler way I dont see?
I dont expect someone to solve all my problems. But maybe you know something I dont think about for the first steps … i don`t want to fall into a rabbit hole.
Thank you guys. Love you