diff --git a/addons/boids/boid_2d/boid_2d.gd b/addons/boids/boid_2d/boid_2d.gd
index c786ae9..ca15842 100644
--- a/addons/boids/boid_2d/boid_2d.gd
+++ b/addons/boids/boid_2d/boid_2d.gd
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@ var velocity := Vector2.ZERO
 # this is assigned by the flock, if this boid is a child of it
 var flock: Flock
 
+var last_processed_in: int = 0
+
 ## applies some force to this boid.
 func apply_force(spatial_force: Vector3) -> void:
 	var force := Vector2(spatial_force.x, spatial_force.y)
 	velocity += force
 	velocity = velocity.limit_length(properties.max_speed)
-	position += velocity * BoidManager.SIMULATION_RATE
+	position += velocity
 
 func _get_boid_position() -> Vector3:
 	return Vector3(position.x, position.y, 0.0)
diff --git a/addons/boids/boid_3d/boid_3d.gd b/addons/boids/boid_3d/boid_3d.gd
index f1c748c..29d7a8e 100644
--- a/addons/boids/boid_3d/boid_3d.gd
+++ b/addons/boids/boid_3d/boid_3d.gd
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ var velocity := Vector3.ZERO
 # this is assigned by the flock, if this boid is a child of it
 var flock: Flock
 
+var last_processed_in: int = 0
+
 ## applies some force to this boid.
 func apply_force(force: Vector3) -> void:
 	velocity += force
 	velocity = velocity.limit_length(properties.max_speed)
-	position += velocity * BoidManager.SIMULATION_RATE
+	position += velocity
 
 func _get_boid_position() -> Vector3:
 	return position
diff --git a/addons/boids/boid_manager.gd b/addons/boids/boid_manager.gd
index 39dd4d4..34ae53c 100644
--- a/addons/boids/boid_manager.gd
+++ b/addons/boids/boid_manager.gd
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ extends Node
 # this seems to help with 1000 boids in a single flock from 400ms to 180ms (before quadtrees)
 const PARALLELIZATION_RATE: int = 50 # 50 seems to be the best value?
 const EPSILON: float = 0.00001
-# simulate per n physics frame ticks
-var SIMULATION_RATE: int = 1
 
 var flocks: Dictionary = {}
 var total_boid_count: int = 0:
@@ -17,6 +15,7 @@ var total_boid_count: int = 0:
 # create our arrays for parallel processing
 var args_array: Array[Dictionary] = []
 var forces_array: PackedVector3Array = []
+#var grids: Dictionary = {}
 
 func _ready() -> void:
 	get_tree().node_added.connect(_register_flock)
@@ -34,18 +33,20 @@ func _init_register_flock(node: Node = get_tree().root) -> void:
 
 func _register_flock(maybe_flock: Node) -> void:
 	if maybe_flock is not Flock: return
-	flocks[maybe_flock.get_instance_id()] = maybe_flock
+	var flock_id := maybe_flock.get_instance_id()
+	flocks[flock_id] = maybe_flock
+	#grids[flock_id] = Grid.new()
 	print_verbose("[BoidManager] flock ", maybe_flock, " registered")
 
 func _unregister_flock(maybe_flock: Node) -> void:
 	if maybe_flock is not Flock: return
-	flocks.erase(maybe_flock.get_instance_id())
+	var flock_id := maybe_flock.get_instance_id()
+	flocks.erase(flock_id)
+	#grids.erase(flock_id)
 	print_verbose("[BoidManager] flock ", maybe_flock, " unregistered")
 
 func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
-	# run the simulation at a given rate
-	if Engine.get_physics_frames() % SIMULATION_RATE == 0:
-		_process_boids()
+	_process_boids()
 
 func _process_boids() -> void:
 	var total_parallel_tasks := total_boid_count / PARALLELIZATION_RATE
@@ -55,8 +56,10 @@ func _process_boids() -> void:
 	# organize the work into tasks
 	for flock: Flock in flocks.values():
 		var flock_args := _pack_calc_args_flock(flock)
-		for boid in flock.boids.values():
-			var args := _pack_calc_args_boid(boid, flock_args.duplicate())
+		var boids := flock.boids.values()
+		#grids.get(flock.get_instance_id()).build(Vector3.ONE * 1000.0, 30.0, boids)
+		for boid in boids:
+			var args := _pack_calc_args_boid(flock, boid, flock_args.duplicate())
 			args_array[boid_count] = args
 			forces_array[boid_count] = Vector3.ZERO
 			boid_count += 1
@@ -97,7 +100,17 @@ func _pack_calc_args_flock(flock: Flock) -> Dictionary:
 		flock_args['target_position'] = flock.target.global_position
 	return flock_args
 
-func _pack_calc_args_boid(boid, args: Dictionary) -> Dictionary:
+func _pack_calc_args_boid(flock: Flock, boid, args: Dictionary) -> Dictionary:
+	#var nearby_boids: Array[Node] = grids.get(flock.get_instance_id()).get_nearby_boids(boid)
+	#var others_pos := PackedVector3Array([]); others_pos.resize(nearby_boids.size())
+	#var others_vel := PackedVector3Array([]); others_vel.resize(nearby_boids.size())
+	#var idx := 0
+	#for aboid in nearby_boids:
+		#others_pos.set(idx, aboid._get_boid_position())
+		#others_vel.set(idx, aboid._get_boid_velocity())
+		#idx += 1
+	#args['others_pos'] = others_pos
+	#args['others_vel'] = others_vel
 	args['boid'] = boid
 	args['self_props'] = boid.properties
 	args['self_vel'] = boid._get_boid_velocity()
@@ -109,7 +122,7 @@ func _calculate_boid_parallel(idx: int) -> void:
 	var end_at := mini(start_from + PARALLELIZATION_RATE, total_boid_count)
 	var arg_idx := start_from
 	while arg_idx < end_at:
-		var force = _calculate_boid(args_array[arg_idx])
+		var force := _calculate_boid(args_array[arg_idx])
 		forces_array[arg_idx] = force
 		arg_idx += 1
 
diff --git a/addons/boids/grid.gd b/addons/boids/grid.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7e8b89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/addons/boids/grid.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+extends RefCounted
+class_name Grid
+
+var _cells: Dictionary
+var _scale: float
+var size: Vector3
+var scaled_points: Dictionary
+
+func build(unscaled_size: Vector3, scale: float, boids: Array):
+	_scale = scale
+	size = Vector3(_scale_axis(unscaled_size.x), _scale_axis(unscaled_size.y), _scale_axis(unscaled_size.z))
+	_cells.clear()
+	scaled_points.clear()
+	
+	var idx := 0
+	for boid in boids:
+		var scaled_point := _scale_point(boid._get_boid_position())
+		_add_body(boid, scaled_point)
+		scaled_points[boid.get_instance_id()] = scaled_point
+		idx += 1
+	
+
+func _scale_axis(point: float) -> float:
+	return floorf(point / _scale)
+
+
+func _scale_point(vector: Vector3) -> Vector3:
+	var scaled_point = (vector / _scale).floor()
+	scaled_point.x = minf(maxf(scaled_point.x, 0), size.x)
+	scaled_point.y = minf(maxf(scaled_point.y, 0), size.y)
+	scaled_point.z = minf(maxf(scaled_point.z, 0), size.z)
+	return scaled_point
+
+
+func _add_body(body: Node, scaled_point: Vector3) -> void:
+	var boids := _cells.get(scaled_point, [])
+	boids.append(body)
+	_cells[scaled_point] = boids
+
+func _get_cell(x: float, y: float, z: float, write_to: Array[Node]) -> void:
+	write_to.append_array(_cells.get(Vector3(x, y, z), []))
+
+func get_nearby_boids(boid: Node) -> Array[Node]:
+	var scaled_point: Vector3 = scaled_points[boid.get_instance_id()]
+	
+	# keep the points in bounds
+	var x := minf(maxf(scaled_point.x, 0), size.x)
+	var y := minf(maxf(scaled_point.y, 0), size.y)
+	var z := minf(maxf(scaled_point.z, 0), size.z)
+	
+	var results: Array[Node] = []
+	var gb := func(x, y, z): _get_cell(x, y, z, results)
+	gb.call(x, y, z)
+	
+	var up := y - 1
+	var down := y + 1
+	var left := x - 1
+	var right := x + 1
+	var forwards := z - 1
+	var backwards := z + 1
+
+	# up
+	if up > 0:
+		gb.call(x, up, z)
+		if left > 0:
+			gb.call(left, up, z)
+		if right <= size.x:
+			gb.call(right, up, z)
+		if forwards > 0:
+			gb.call(x, up, forwards)
+			if left > 0:
+				gb.call(left, up, forwards)
+			if right <= size.x:
+				gb.call(right, up, forwards)
+		if backwards <= size.z:
+			gb.call(x, up, backwards)
+			if left > 0:
+				gb.call(left, up, backwards)
+			if right <= size.x:
+				gb.call(right, up, backwards)
+	# down
+	if down <= size.y:
+		gb.call(x, down, z)
+		if left > 0:
+			gb.call(left, down, z)
+		if right <= size.x:
+			gb.call(right, down, z)
+		if forwards > 0:
+			gb.call(x, down, forwards)
+			if left > 0:
+				gb.call(left, down, forwards)
+			if right <= size.x:
+				gb.call(right, down, forwards)
+		if backwards <= size.z:
+			gb.call(x, down, backwards)
+			if left > 0:
+				gb.call(left, down, backwards)
+			if right <= size.x:
+				gb.call(right, down, backwards)
+	
+	# forwards
+	if forwards > 0:
+		gb.call(x, y, forwards)
+		if left > 0:
+			gb.call(left, y, forwards)
+		if right <= size.x:
+			gb.call(right, y, forwards)
+	
+	if backwards <= size.z:
+		gb.call(x, y, backwards)
+		if left > 0:
+			gb.call(left, y, backwards)
+		if right <= size.x:
+			gb.call(right, y, backwards)
+	
+	# left and right
+	if left > 0:
+		gb.call(left, y, z)
+	if right <= size.x:
+		gb.call(right, y, z)
+	
+	return results
diff --git a/examples/boids/2d/simple/example.gd b/examples/boids/2d/simple/example.gd
index 0a0a621..cc82b19 100644
--- a/examples/boids/2d/simple/example.gd
+++ b/examples/boids/2d/simple/example.gd
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ extends Node2D
 
 func _ready() -> void:
 	for flock in get_children():
-		for i in 1000: spawnBoid(flock)
+		for i in 100: spawnBoid(flock)
 
 func spawnBoid(flock: Flock) -> void:
 	var boid: Boid2D = preload("../example_boid.tscn").instantiate()