diff --git a/core/src/test/java/tests/CompressionTest.java b/core/src/test/java/tests/CompressionTest.java
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/core/src/test/java/tests/CompressionTest.java
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+/*
+ *    This file is part of the Distant Horizons mod (formerly the LOD Mod),
+ *    licensed under the GNU LGPL v3 License.
+ *
+ *    Copyright (C) 2020-2022  James Seibel
+ *
+ *    This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ *    it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+ *    the Free Software Foundation, version 3.
+ *
+ *    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ *    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ *    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ *    GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ *    You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ *    along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package tests;
+
+import net.jpountz.lz4.*;
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.io.*;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.text.CharacterIterator;
+import java.text.StringCharacterIterator;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
+//import org.apache.commons.compress.compressors.xz.XZCompressorInputStream;
+//import org.apache.commons.compress.compressors.xz.XZCompressorOutputStream;
+//import com.github.luben.zstd.ZstdInputStream;
+//import com.github.luben.zstd.ZstdOutputStream;
+
+/**
+ * Results (2023-5-20): <br>
+ * 200 files <br><br>
+ * 
+ * <strong>uncompressed</strong> <br><br>
+ * 
+ * render data - ratio 1.0 (shocker :P) <br>
+ * read time in - 784 ms, avg 3 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 803 ms, avg 4 ms/file <br><br>
+ * 
+ * full data - ratio 1.0 <br>
+ * read time in - 2,213 ms, avg 11 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 1,753 ms, avg 8 ms/file <br><br><br>
+ *
+ * 
+ * <strong>XZ</strong> <br><br>
+ *
+ * render data - ratio 0.1044 <br>
+ * read time in - 2,413 ms, avg 12 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 28,441 ms, avg 142 ms/file <br><br>
+ *
+ * full data - ratio 0.1123 <br>
+ * read time in - 5,888 ms, avg 29 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 79,675 ms, avg 398 ms/file <br><br><br>
+ * 
+ * 
+ * <strong>LZ4</strong> <br><br>
+ *
+ * render data - ratio 0.2933 <br>
+ * read time in - 846 ms, avg 4 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 1,040 ms, avg 5 ms/file <br><br>
+ *
+ * full data - ratio 0.3275 <br>
+ * read time in - 1,964 ms, avg 9 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 1,584 ms, avg 7 ms/file <br><br><br>
+ * 
+ * 
+ * <strong>Z Standard</strong> <br><br>
+ *
+ * render data - ratio 0.1791 <br>
+ * read time in - 5,170 ms, avg 25 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 5,294 ms, avg 26 ms/file <br><br>
+ *
+ * full data - ratio 0.2060 <br>
+ * read time in - 14,754 ms, avg 73 ms/file <br>
+ * write time in - 14,057 ms, avg 70 ms/file <br><br><br>
+ * 
+ *
+ * 
+ * <strong>Note:</strong>
+ * In order to test the compressors that aren't currently in use: <br>
+ * 1. uncomment the tests in this file <br>
+ * 2. add the following to build.gradle's dependencies block: <br>
+ * <code>
+ * shadowMe("org.tukaani:xz:1.9")
+ * shadowMe("org.apache.commons:commons-compress:1.21")
+ * shadowMe("com.github.luben:zstd-jni:1.5.5-3")
+ * </code>
+ * 
+ */
+public class CompressionTest
+{
+	public static String TEST_DIR = "C:\\DistantHorizonsWorkspace\\distantHorizons\\fabric\\run\\saves\\Arcapelago\\data\\Distant_Horizons";
+	public static String RENDER_DATA_PATH = TEST_DIR + "\\renderCache";
+	public static String FULL_DATA_PATH = TEST_DIR + "\\data";
+	
+	/** limits the number of files tested so I don't have to wait 10 minutes for the slower compressors */
+	public static int MAX_NUMBER_OF_FILES_TO_TEST = 200;
+	
+	
+	
+	@Test
+	public void NoCompression()
+	{
+		String compressorName = "Uncompressed";
+		
+		CreateInputStreamFunc createInputStreamFunc = (inputStream) -> inputStream;
+		CreateOutputStreamFunc createOutputStreamFunc = (outputStream) -> outputStream;
+		
+		
+		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing render data");
+		this.testCompressor(compressorName, RENDER_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing full data");
+		this.testCompressor(compressorName, FULL_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+	}
+	
+	@Test
+	public void Lz4()
+	{
+		String compressorName = "LZ4";
+		
+		CreateInputStreamFunc createInputStreamFunc = (inputStream) -> new LZ4FrameInputStream(inputStream);
+		CreateOutputStreamFunc createOutputStreamFunc = (outputStream) -> new LZ4FrameOutputStream(outputStream);
+		
+		
+		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing render data");
+		this.testCompressor(compressorName, RENDER_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing full data");
+		this.testCompressor(compressorName, FULL_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+	}
+	
+//	@Test
+//	public void Zstandard()
+//	{
+//		String compressorName = "Z_std";
+//		
+//		CreateInputStreamFunc createInputStreamFunc = (inputStream) -> new ZstdInputStream(inputStream);
+//		CreateOutputStreamFunc createOutputStreamFunc = (outputStream) -> new ZstdOutputStream(outputStream);
+//		
+//		
+//		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing render data");
+//		this.testCompressor(compressorName, RENDER_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+//		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing full data");
+//		this.testCompressor(compressorName, FULL_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+//	}
+	
+//	@Test
+//	public void Xz()
+//	{
+//		String compressorName = "XZ";
+//		
+//		CreateInputStreamFunc createInputStreamFunc = (inputStream) -> new XZCompressorInputStream(inputStream);
+//		CreateOutputStreamFunc createOutputStreamFunc = (outputStream) -> new XZCompressorOutputStream(outputStream);
+//		
+//		
+//		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing render data");
+//		this.testCompressor(compressorName, RENDER_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+//		System.out.println(compressorName+" testing full data");
+//		this.testCompressor(compressorName, FULL_DATA_PATH, createInputStreamFunc, createOutputStreamFunc);
+//	}
+	
+	
+	
+	//=================//
+	// testing methods //
+	//=================//
+	
+	@FunctionalInterface
+	public interface CreateInputStreamFunc { InputStream apply(InputStream inputStream) throws Exception; }
+	@FunctionalInterface
+	public interface CreateOutputStreamFunc { OutputStream apply(OutputStream outputStream) throws Exception; }
+	
+	private void testCompressor(
+			String compressorName, String inputFolderPath,
+			CreateInputStreamFunc createInputStreamFunc,
+			CreateOutputStreamFunc createOutputStreamFunc)
+	{
+		long totalUncompressedFileSizeInBytes = 0;
+		long totalCompressedFileSizeInBytes = 0;
+		
+		long totalReadTimeInMs = 0;
+		long totalWriteTimeInMs = 0;
+		
+		try
+		{
+			File inputFolder = new File(inputFolderPath);
+			File[] inputFileArray = inputFolder.listFiles();
+			Assert.assertNotNull(inputFileArray);
+			
+			File compressedFolder = new File(inputFolderPath+"\\"+compressorName);
+			compressedFolder.delete();
+			compressedFolder.mkdirs();
+			
+			
+			int processedFileCount = 0;
+			for (File inputFile : inputFileArray)
+			{
+				if (inputFile.isDirectory())
+				{
+					continue;
+				}
+				
+				// can be used to speed up the tests
+				if (processedFileCount >= MAX_NUMBER_OF_FILES_TO_TEST)
+				{
+					break;
+				}
+				
+				
+				
+				// uncompressed file input //
+				ArrayList<Byte> originalFileByteArray = new ArrayList<>();
+				totalUncompressedFileSizeInBytes += Files.size(inputFile.toPath());
+				
+				try (FileInputStream fileStream = new FileInputStream(inputFile);
+						BufferedInputStream bufferedStream = new BufferedInputStream(fileStream);
+						DataInputStream dataStream = new DataInputStream(bufferedStream))
+				{
+					try
+					{
+						while (true)
+						{
+							byte nextByte = dataStream.readByte();
+							originalFileByteArray.add(nextByte);
+						}
+					}
+					catch (EOFException e) { /* end of file reached */ }
+				}
+				
+				
+				
+				// compress file //
+				long startWriteMsTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+				
+				File compressedFile = new File(inputFolderPath+"\\"+compressorName+"\\"+inputFile.getName());
+				compressedFile.delete();
+				compressedFile.createNewFile();
+				
+				try (FileOutputStream fileStream = new FileOutputStream(compressedFile);
+						BufferedOutputStream bufferedStream = new BufferedOutputStream(fileStream);
+						OutputStream compressorStream = createOutputStreamFunc.apply(bufferedStream);
+						DataOutputStream dataStream = new DataOutputStream(compressorStream))
+				{
+					for (byte nextByte : originalFileByteArray)
+					{
+						dataStream.writeByte(nextByte);
+					}
+				}
+				
+				long endWriteMsTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+				totalWriteTimeInMs += (endWriteMsTime - startWriteMsTime);
+				
+				totalCompressedFileSizeInBytes += Files.size(compressedFile.toPath());
+				
+				
+				
+				// read compressed file //
+				long startReadMsTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+				ArrayList<Byte> compressedFileByteArray = new ArrayList<>();
+				
+				try (FileInputStream fileStream = new FileInputStream(compressedFile);
+						BufferedInputStream bufferedStream = new BufferedInputStream(fileStream);
+						InputStream compressorStream = createInputStreamFunc.apply(bufferedStream);
+						DataInputStream dataStream = new DataInputStream(compressorStream))
+				{
+					try
+					{
+						while (true)
+						{
+							byte nextByte = dataStream.readByte();
+							compressedFileByteArray.add(nextByte);
+						}
+					}
+					catch (EOFException e) { /* end of file reached */ }
+				}
+				
+				long endReadMsTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+				totalReadTimeInMs += (endReadMsTime - startReadMsTime);
+				
+				
+				// confirm the file contents are the same
+				Assert.assertEquals("byte array size mismatch", compressedFileByteArray.size(), originalFileByteArray.size());
+				for (int i = 0; i < compressedFileByteArray.size(); i++)
+				{
+					Assert.assertEquals("array content mismatch at index ["+i+"]", compressedFileByteArray.get(i), originalFileByteArray.get(i));
+				}
+				
+				
+				processedFileCount++;
+			}
+			
+			
+			double compressionRatio = (totalCompressedFileSizeInBytes / (double) totalUncompressedFileSizeInBytes);
+			String compressionRatioString = compressionRatio+"";
+			compressionRatioString = compressionRatioString.substring(0, Math.min(6,compressionRatioString.length()));
+			
+			System.out.println("Uncompressed file size: ["+humanReadableByteCountSI(totalUncompressedFileSizeInBytes)+"] Compressed file size: ["+humanReadableByteCountSI(totalCompressedFileSizeInBytes)+"]. Compression ratio: ["+compressionRatioString+"].");
+			System.out.println("Total read time in MS: ["+totalReadTimeInMs+"] Average read time per file: ["+(totalReadTimeInMs/processedFileCount)+"]");
+			System.out.println("Total write time in MS: ["+totalWriteTimeInMs+"] Average write time per file: ["+(totalWriteTimeInMs/processedFileCount)+"]");
+		}
+		catch (Exception e)
+		{
+			e.printStackTrace();
+			Assert.fail(e.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Source:
+	 * https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3758606/how-can-i-convert-byte-size-into-a-human-readable-format-in-java#3758880
+	 */
+	public static String humanReadableByteCountSI(long bytes)
+	{
+		if (-1000 < bytes && bytes < 1000)
+		{
+			return bytes + " B";
+		}
+		CharacterIterator ci = new StringCharacterIterator("kMGTPE");
+		while (bytes <= -999_950 || bytes >= 999_950)
+		{
+			bytes /= 1000;
+			ci.next();
+		}
+		return String.format("%.1f %cB", bytes / 1000.0, ci.current());
+	}
+	
+}