Specifics on the updated engine?

[pitcard]

I know from the description that the updated HPL 2.0 engine boasts improved visuals, audio and A.I.

I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about the updated in-game settings that relate to the new engine design. For instance, HPL 2.0 introduced SSAO in TDD (although that was a significant change).

Additionally, have there been any optimizations? For example, certain levels of SSAO were particularly demanding in TDD; has it been fine-tuned or does it still offer a huge sampling range?

Lastly, texture compression was quite apparent in some areas of TDD, resulting in banding. With improved visuals (and reduced compression) I would guess that it would be less obvious, although it's frequently used by developers to optimize gameplay. Which does the engine offer, or is it a balance between the two?

A bit wordy, I know, although I'm interested in engine design, optimization etc

Cheers