Stranded Deep: Best settings.json for Island Generation Speed

The primary goal for Stranded Deep optimization is Chunk Loading and Asset Initialization. When you travel between islands, the game “populates” the next zone in the background. This configuration focuses on lowering the draw distance for billboards (2D proxies) and reducing the sheer number of loose physics items, which are the main culprits behind the “hiccups” or freezes experienced during world generation and travel.

Hardware Compatibility & Expectations

• The CPU Bottleneck: Island generation is a serial process; higher single-core clock speeds result in faster island pop-ups.
• NVMe SSD Advantage: Stranded Deep writes temporary terrain data to your drive during world creation. An SSD can reduce world-seed generation time by up to 40%.
• RAM Management: The game caches nearby islands. If you have 16GB+ RAM, you can afford higher draw distances; otherwise, keeping them low is vital for stability.

File Location

The settings are split between a JSON file and the save-slot data. The primary graphics and engine settings are found here:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Beam Team Games\Stranded Deep\Data\settings.json (Note: Some world-specific generation settings are stored in SlotX.json files within the Data folder.)

Technical Configuration (Code Block)

Open the settings.json file. To accelerate world generation and island-to-island travel, focus on these variables:

{
  "Graphics": {
    "QualityLevel": 2,             // 2 = Medium (Optimized for loading)
    "DrawDistance": 1,             // 1 = Near (Reduces background chunk generation)
    "BillboardDistance": 0.5,      // Controls when 3D models become 2D sprites
    "ShadowDistance": 0,           // Disabling shadows speeds up light-map calc
    "GrassDensity": 0.2,           // Low density = Faster object placement
    "WaterQuality": 1,             // Lower quality reduces vertex math during travel
    "vSync": 0
  },
  "System": {
    "AsyncLoading": true,          // If present, ensures background thread loading
    "FrameRateLimit": 60           // Capping FPS frees up CPU for generation
  }
}

Strategy for Island Generation Speed

To minimize the “Generation Freeze” when exploring:

• Draw Distance vs. Generation: Setting DrawDistance to Near in the JSON tells the engine not to start generating the 3D assets for the next island until you are much closer. This prevents the CPU from choking while you are still in the middle of the ocean.
• The “Loose Item” Rule: Island loading speed is directly affected by the number of loose items (sticks, rocks, coconuts) on your current and destination islands. For maximum speed, use the Cartographer to create “Resource-Light” custom islands if you are planning a speedrun or rapid exploration.
• Billboard Distance: Lowering BillboardDistance allows the game to use 2D “fakes” for distant islands for longer. This reduces the number of draw calls the engine has to handle as it populates the world geometry.

Key Performance Parameters

Parameter	Recommended Value	Impact
DrawDistance	1 (Near)	Delays object generation until necessary; reduces lag.
GrassDensity	0.2	Speeds up the “Object Placement” phase of generation.
BillboardDistance	0.5	Uses 2D sprites for longer, saving GPU/CPU cycles.
WaterQuality	1	Simplifies ocean physics calculations during travel.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion and Expected Results

By manually refining your settings.json to prioritize lower object density and delayed asset rendering, you are streamlining the procedural engine of Stranded Deep. You can expect shorter travel-stutters, faster initial world creation, and a much smoother transition as new islands appear on the horizon.