What are the best practices for optimizing topology in game assets?

When optimizing topology in game assets, focus on clean, quad-dominated meshes with minimal polygons to balance visual quality and performance. Key practices include aligning edge loops with movement/deformation areas (e.g., joints) for smooth animation, avoiding triangles/n-gons to prevent rendering artifacts, and structuring edge flow to follow natural contours for efficient UV unwrapping and texturing. Common applications: - Characters: Prioritize edge loops around articulation points (elbows, knees) to avoid mesh distortion during animation. - Environments: Reduce polygon counts for distant objects, preserving key details via texture baking to lower render load. - Props: Simplify non-visible surfaces (e.g., undersides) to cut unnecessary polygons without affecting appearance. For existing assets, use retopology tools to streamline mesh flow or bake high-poly details onto low-poly models to maintain quality while optimizing performance.