In this 2017 GDC session, Zabir Hoque and Ben Laidlaw walk you through the optimizations they made to the vertex caching pipeline of Halo 5: Guardians to make the game's destruction come alive.

Together, the pair showcased how geometry caching allows for the creation of vastly complex motions and interactions that are baked into a convenient format, doing for dynamic environments what motion capture does for character animation.

It was a fascinating talk that dived deep into the technical side of a big-budget Halo game, and it's well worth watching now that it's available (for free!) on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page.