u/DesperateGame — reddlx

Few requirements/preferences:

I'm not fond of C# or Python or Visual coding, I like the generic programming features of C++ which I have most experience with
I like to quickly iterate over the game's content - hotreloading or at least fast compiles are a must
The physics engine must be robust and reliable (I am fond of Source)
There must be easy support for custom shader creation
It should be easy to import assets externally (especially .fbx for models/geomery)
I do not plan to buy any third-party assets, at most an open-source library
The base editor experience should be good enough, and possibly extensible if needed
The 3D performance should be ideally very good; I don't aim for photorealism when it comes to lighting or shadows, but I like do like the occasional advanced effect (e.g. reflections or particle effects in the style of F.E.A.R) included in the game
The engine must be lightweight and fast to use, I don't want to waste half my development time waiting for content to load; but of course the runtime performance of the final game shouldn't be affected
If possible, something in the style of ECS paradigm would be nice (not necessarily pure), as I like how it keeps the systems decoupled and I have features that require to iterate over many entities each frame, which ECS could help with

I have tried Unity in the past, but it never clicked with me. I found the editor to be incredibly cumbersome and limiting in what I can create compared to engines like Source. Similarly, I hated how the development iteration was slow, due to constant domain reloads. I like the ECS support, but I find that the iteration speed of making a game in it is too limiting.

So far, Godot has been most promising to me - is there anything that I should know that could limit me in the long run?

How do other engines fare?

Thanks for your suggestions!