Fix taxi startup/attachment and reduce taxi streaming hitches

src/rendering/camera_controller.cpp

@@ -112,17 +112,12 @@ void CameraController::update(float deltaTime) {
         return;
     }
 
-    // During taxi flights, skip input/movement logic but still position camera
+    // During taxi flights, skip movement logic but keep camera orbit/zoom controls.
     if (externalFollow_) {
-        // Mouse look (right mouse button)
-        if (rightMouseDown) {
-            int mouseDX, mouseDY;
-            SDL_GetRelativeMouseState(&mouseDX, &mouseDY);
-            yaw -= mouseDX * mouseSensitivity;
-            pitch -= mouseDY * mouseSensitivity;
-            pitch = glm::clamp(pitch, -89.0f, 89.0f);
-            camera->setRotation(yaw, pitch);
-        }
+        camera->setRotation(yaw, pitch);
+        float zoomLerp = 1.0f - std::exp(-ZOOM_SMOOTH_SPEED * deltaTime);
+        currentDistance += (userTargetDistance - currentDistance) * zoomLerp;
+        collisionDistance = currentDistance;
 
         // Position camera behind character during taxi
         if (thirdPerson && followTarget) {

src/rendering/celestial.cpp

@@ -125,12 +125,9 @@ void Celestial::shutdown() {
 void Celestial::render(const Camera& camera, float timeOfDay,
                        const glm::vec3* sunDir, const glm::vec3* sunColor, float gameTime) {
     if (!renderingEnabled || vao == 0 || !celestialShader) {
-        LOG_WARNING("Celestial render blocked: enabled=", renderingEnabled, " vao=", vao, " shader=", (celestialShader ? "ok" : "null"));
         return;
     }
 
-    LOG_INFO("Celestial render: timeOfDay=", timeOfDay, " gameTime=", gameTime);
-
     // Update moon phases from game time if available (deterministic)
     if (gameTime >= 0.0f) {
         updatePhasesFromGameTime(gameTime);
@@ -166,22 +163,16 @@ void Celestial::renderSun(const Camera& camera, float timeOfDay,
                           const glm::vec3* sunDir, const glm::vec3* sunColor) {
     // Sun visible from 5:00 to 19:00
     if (timeOfDay < 5.0f || timeOfDay >= 19.0f) {
-        LOG_INFO("Sun not visible: timeOfDay=", timeOfDay, " (visible 5:00-19:00)");
         return;
     }
 
-    LOG_INFO("Rendering sun: timeOfDay=", timeOfDay, " sunDir=", (sunDir ? "yes" : "no"), " sunColor=", (sunColor ? "yes" : "no"));
-
     celestialShader->use();
 
-    // TESTING: Try X-up (final axis test)
-    glm::vec3 dir = glm::normalize(glm::vec3(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f));  // X-up test
-    LOG_INFO("Sun direction (TESTING X-UP): dir=(", dir.x, ",", dir.y, ",", dir.z, ")");
+    glm::vec3 dir = sunDir ? glm::normalize(*sunDir) : glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
 
     // Place sun on sky sphere at fixed distance
     const float sunDistance = 800.0f;
     glm::vec3 sunPos = dir * sunDistance;
-    LOG_INFO("Sun position: dir * ", sunDistance, " = (", sunPos.x, ",", sunPos.y, ",", sunPos.z, ")");
 
     // Create model matrix
     glm::mat4 model = glm::mat4(1.0f);

src/rendering/renderer.cpp

@@ -957,13 +957,9 @@ void Renderer::updateCharacterAnimation() {
 
         // Sync mount instance position and rotation
         float mountBob = 0.0f;
+        float mountYawRad = glm::radians(characterYaw);
         if (mountInstanceId_ > 0) {
             characterRenderer->setInstancePosition(mountInstanceId_, characterPosition);
-            float yawRad = glm::radians(characterYaw);
-            if (taxiFlight_) {
-                // Taxi mounts commonly use a different model-forward axis than player rigs.
-                yawRad += 1.57079632679f;
-            }
 
             // Procedural lean into turns (ground mounts only, optional enhancement)
             if (!taxiFlight_ && moving && lastDeltaTime_ > 0.0f) {
@@ -982,7 +978,7 @@ void Renderer::updateCharacterAnimation() {
             }
 
             // Apply pitch (up/down), roll (banking), and yaw for realistic flight
-            characterRenderer->setInstanceRotation(mountInstanceId_, glm::vec3(mountPitch_, mountRoll_, yawRad));
+            characterRenderer->setInstanceRotation(mountInstanceId_, glm::vec3(mountPitch_, mountRoll_, mountYawRad));
 
             // Drive mount model animation: idle when still, run when moving
             auto pickMountAnim = [&](std::initializer_list<uint32_t> candidates, uint32_t fallback) -> uint32_t {
@@ -1172,7 +1168,42 @@ void Renderer::updateCharacterAnimation() {
             }
         }
 
-        // Use mount's attachment point for proper bone-driven rider positioning
+        // Use mount's attachment point for proper bone-driven rider positioning.
+        if (taxiFlight_) {
+            glm::mat4 mountSeatTransform(1.0f);
+            bool haveSeat = false;
+            static constexpr uint32_t kTaxiSeatAttachmentId = 0;  // deterministic rider seat
+            if (mountSeatAttachmentId_ == -1) {
+                mountSeatAttachmentId_ = static_cast<int>(kTaxiSeatAttachmentId);
+            }
+            if (mountSeatAttachmentId_ >= 0) {
+                haveSeat = characterRenderer->getAttachmentTransform(
+                    mountInstanceId_, static_cast<uint32_t>(mountSeatAttachmentId_), mountSeatTransform);
+            }
+            if (!haveSeat) {
+                mountSeatAttachmentId_ = -2;
+            }
+
+            if (haveSeat) {
+                glm::vec3 targetRiderPos = glm::vec3(mountSeatTransform[3]) + glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.02f);
+                // Taxi passengers should be rigidly parented to mount attachment transforms.
+                // Smoothing here introduces visible seat lag/drift on turns.
+                mountSeatSmoothingInit_ = false;
+                smoothedMountSeatPos_ = targetRiderPos;
+                characterRenderer->setInstancePosition(characterInstanceId, targetRiderPos);
+            } else {
+                mountSeatSmoothingInit_ = false;
+                glm::vec3 playerPos = characterPosition + glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, mountHeightOffset_ + 0.10f);
+                characterRenderer->setInstancePosition(characterInstanceId, playerPos);
+            }
+
+            float riderPitch = mountPitch_ * 0.35f;
+            float riderRoll = mountRoll_ * 0.35f;
+            characterRenderer->setInstanceRotation(characterInstanceId, glm::vec3(riderPitch, riderRoll, mountYawRad));
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Ground mounts: try a seat attachment first.
         glm::mat4 mountSeatTransform;
         bool haveSeat = false;
         if (mountSeatAttachmentId_ >= 0) {

src/rendering/sky_system.cpp

@@ -146,14 +146,11 @@ void SkySystem::render(const Camera& camera, const SkyParams& params) {
 }
 
 glm::vec3 SkySystem::getSunPosition(const SkyParams& params) const {
-    // TESTING: X-up test
-    glm::vec3 dir = glm::vec3(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);  // X-up
-    glm::vec3 pos = dir * 800.0f;
-
-    static int counter = 0;
-    if (counter++ % 100 == 0) {
-        LOG_INFO("Flare TEST X-UP dir=(", dir.x, ",", dir.y, ",", dir.z, ") pos=(", pos.x, ",", pos.y, ",", pos.z, ")");
+    glm::vec3 dir = glm::normalize(params.directionalDir);
+    if (glm::length(dir) < 0.0001f) {
+        dir = glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
     }
+    glm::vec3 pos = dir * 800.0f;
     return pos;
 }
 

src/rendering/terrain_manager.cpp

@@ -115,9 +115,10 @@ bool TerrainManager::initialize(pipeline::AssetManager* assets, TerrainRenderer*
         return false;
     }
 
-    // Set dynamic tile cache budget (use other half of recommended budget)
+    // Set dynamic tile cache budget.
+    // Keep this lower so decompressed MPQ file cache can stay very aggressive.
     auto& memMonitor = core::MemoryMonitor::getInstance();
-    tileCacheBudgetBytes_ = memMonitor.getRecommendedCacheBudget() / 2;
+    tileCacheBudgetBytes_ = memMonitor.getRecommendedCacheBudget() / 4;
     LOG_INFO("Terrain tile cache budget: ", tileCacheBudgetBytes_ / (1024 * 1024), " MB (dynamic)");
 
     // Start background worker pool (dynamic: scales with available cores)
@@ -222,7 +223,7 @@ bool TerrainManager::enqueueTile(int x, int y) {
 
     {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(queueMutex);
-        loadQueue.push(coord);
+        loadQueue.push_back(coord);
         pendingTiles[coord] = true;
     }
     queueCV.notify_all();
@@ -791,7 +792,7 @@ void TerrainManager::workerLoop() {
 
             if (!loadQueue.empty()) {
                 coord = loadQueue.front();
-                loadQueue.pop();
+                loadQueue.pop_front();
                 hasWork = true;
             }
         }
@@ -1056,7 +1057,7 @@ void TerrainManager::unloadAll() {
     // Clear queues
     {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(queueMutex);
-        while (!loadQueue.empty()) loadQueue.pop();
+        while (!loadQueue.empty()) loadQueue.pop_front();
         while (!readyQueue.empty()) readyQueue.pop();
     }
     pendingTiles.clear();
@@ -1353,7 +1354,7 @@ void TerrainManager::streamTiles() {
                 if (pendingTiles.find(coord) != pendingTiles.end()) continue;
                 if (failedTiles.find(coord) != failedTiles.end()) continue;
 
-                loadQueue.push(coord);
+                loadQueue.push_back(coord);
                 pendingTiles[coord] = true;
             }
         }
@@ -1409,7 +1410,9 @@ void TerrainManager::precacheTiles(const std::vector<std::pair<int, int>>& tiles
         if (pendingTiles.find(coord) != pendingTiles.end()) continue;
         if (failedTiles.find(coord) != failedTiles.end()) continue;
 
-        loadQueue.push(coord);
+        // Precache work is prioritized so taxi-route tiles are prepared before
+        // opportunistic radius streaming tiles.
+        loadQueue.push_front(coord);
         pendingTiles[coord] = true;
     }