GG origins;
I went back to basically my first project where I was making a school. For walls, I was using individual blocks (that can for example be found on TGCstore.) Making something like EBE- but *NOT* using EBE. Walls are 3 blocks high, and many long. (Back then-- I spent months making this school BTW, but to cut to the chase- with TAB menu showing, I get 1800-2000 draw calls. When I get right up to a wall, with only a few blocks showing, draw calls are really no different. BTW, FPS on my old computer was 8-10 so I abandoned the project.

So for further testing, I went to a blank map and stack 25 boxes in no particular pattern, and then place a "bridge support pillar" in front of that to see if the draw calls diminish. They DON'T! - instead they stay the same! Dwi understand the concept of GG occuluders/ occuludees? Dynamic vs static seems no different. Upon further inquiry, as described at Unity help manual;
GG doesn't incorporate true Oculluders/ Oculludees, but only something called Frustrum culling.
Name fits- I don't see the point...?

Occlusion in GG still works as far as I am aware. Dynamic entities will also work with it, but not as well as static ones. To reduce draw calls static objects are the order of the day. Dynamic ones are always a drain. Occlusion is okay if you keep scenes using it simple. Overusing it by having it on every object is a likely to cause as many issues as just turning it off, probably more. It's not a magic fix all, the more objects that use it tend to drain speed beyond a certain point.

I have found that if you minimise occluder's and make sure the rest are ocludee's only, it generally works ok. Far easier to work with a set path game than open one of course. You don't want your small objects occluding anything, but want them occluded by larger ones.

Edit - This may seem a vague answer. But I can go into more detail if you wish.

Okay, I thought it was "automagical"? I don't know how to set them up, I've never seen a tutorial on this topic.
But let's say you are using a whole bunch of objects in the same area, and want to help speed draw calls and can't really predict where the player will be (camera view) at any given time. The experiment is to put 100 of those blocks you have been using in a small region ~1000 units square, maybe stack a few up here and there, check the draw calls in 'Metrics' notices and then place something to block the view of that block structure. In my experiment no draw calls where blocked out by the large object. Draw calls remained constant.
If it requires a complex manual technique to get it to work, that sounds too heavy to accomplish for the common user, but if the engine could accomplish this by function, that would be ideal.

You are correct that draw calls hardly change if hiding behind a wall. However the culling does work and does speed things up a little, not a huge amount by any means. Don't expect any massive speed increase with occlusion You can turn it off or lower it in the TAB menu and also in script now. That's the quick way to alter it. The lower you drag the bar, the lower the pop up. Also the slower it (may) run. You can certainly notice if the occlusion is speeding things up that way.

If you place objects down by default, they will be set to occlude and be occluded by each other. This can lead to pop up when you have a few lined up as they are fighting each other for z depth. So to avoid that, turn off the occluder option on small objects. That way they will be hidden by big objects, but not attempt to hide any themselves. It's not going to help with loads of small items in one area, but will if they are spaced out between the larger ones.

Like I say not huge speed increases, but there is an improvement. Best not to spend too much time on it.

it's likely the map has already been "culled" due to the objects being grouped in the background, if you use f11 to remove the terrain, water, etc till you only have entities and the ai active you will be able to gauge what is happening much easier
if i put say 100 entities behind a wall they cull for me

@smallg- Edit-- Posted before I caught your vid. Will mimic your technique as close as possible and report back... [next post]

Hmmm... not getting it actually. So I'm asking Dwi understand oclludees?
==Test map==
I painted around 750+ objects (about 3 different ones including preview orbs) on the map and moved them into ~one acre. Put a wall of bridge pillars down, then placed a bridge slanted up so I could climb up it. Behind the wall where the view is blocked, shows the same draw calls (~400) as when looking down on everything from the bridge above. So I see no difference. Luckily the fps remain @ 60 [gtx 1650] at all times even though "polygons" registers 2.7 million.
On the project map I was working on and trying to improve performance, I get down to 30 fps?

So what I'm referencing is the "draw calls" in metrics tab. Dwi understand this reference??

Update...
Tried the same map, smallg. Worked fine with that wall.
So apparently occludees are working, the issue seems to lie in my choice of "walls" to try the blocking experiment with.
No matter how many "bridge pillars" I put down or stack up, (w/ stock settings), they don't produce an occludee effect.
I wonder if it's the cubical shape and maybe the openings that object to occlusion??
Tried a big rock... also occluded! So I should have looked at other objects... wish I knew the criteria.
BTW, I think i learned how to spell occludee hopefully. Hep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW-EVqsQrgY