Low-poly models have no hard standards or requirements in terms of polycounts. Every model is also different – a 3D model of a toothpick will definitely have less polygons than a 3D model of a city block. So how to aim for the best polycount? Consider where your model might or will be used.
If you think your model would be great for mobile games, you have to make sure that it has the very minimum of polygons, as phones or tablets do not have that much computing power. If, on the other hand, you are about to model a huge scene and think it could be used in PC games, your polygon count can be higher.
In general, virtual world applications use character models in the up to 20,000 (or up to 50,000) polygon range.
Our users also suggest these guidelines for PC games:
- Up to 15,000-25,000 triangles for nude human characters
- Up to 50,000-60,000 for human characters with clothes
- Strive to keep your models in the 10,000-30,000 triangle range to be safe