New explosion FXs (RK's Explosions)

[Frozen_byte]

Well, I play with minimal graphic settings (includes disabled Bloom)
I do feel the impact on your mod, although I don't see any major improvements.

I don't know much about modding, in your FAQ you told it is not possible to make the Mod UI-only.
But may it's possible to maximize the performance when the Game has minimum graphics enabled?

When I'm watching replays I like the mod really much it's somehow awesome how good the game is able to look *g*

[RK4000]

Well, I play with minimal graphic settings (includes disabled Bloom)
I do feel the impact on your mod, although I don't see any major improvements.

I don't know much about modding, in your FAQ you told it is not possible to make the Mod UI-only.
But may it's possible to maximize the performance when the Game has minimum graphics enabled?

When I'm watching replays I like the mod really much it's somehow awesome how good the game is able to look *g*

Yes, the mod doesn't even use 90% of the new effects on minimum settings, that's probably why you don't notice much

However, you've given me a good idea. I could make it not show any death effects at all on minimum settings. That would speed up the game a bit for people that play on minimum. Added to the list for the next version .

Good to know you like it when you're watching replays. Yea, by default the particle system used by the game isn't used to its highest potential. My guess is the developers simply ran out of time (and/or budget) to make really pretty explosions for unit deaths. Understandable of course, they spent that time on making the greatest RTS ever, I'm just trying to make it even better.

[E8400-CV]

I can think of plenty reasons not to use it. For one: I don't like a single aspect of this mod. The graphics look overblown; it's distracting, it's bad for performance, it blocks your view and it divides the already small playerbase.

It should just be an option in the graphics settings to everybody can decide for himself whether or not he wants overblown death animations.

Uh, I would appreciate slightly more constructive criticism please.

I made this mod to make the game look better in casts, mainly to bring more people into the game, since casts are, I think, the main source of new players. Just look at the lack of growth we've had since Gyle has been absent.

The absense of Gyle happens to coincide with summer; during summer there are always less players around.

Anyway, in short, I did it to bring more people in the community, not to split it. I also do not see how it splits the community at all. Some like it, some don't, but I don't see how someone that dislikes it can't play in a game with someone that has the mod on and likes it.

It splits off a part that doesn't want to play without it and a part that doesn't want to play with it.

Anyway, I still tried to make it not too distracting when you actually play. The game already looks quite good, especially for its age (texture detail on units, the modelling, the weapon effects), so I wanted to give it a final touch to make it really utilize the particle system to its full extent. Still, I understand not everyone can like the same style of explosions, that's normal. If you'd tell me which explosions in particular you find unappealing, I could change them for V8. That's the point of feedback, isn't it .

I don't like any of 'm compared to the standard game. That good enough?

What bothers me is that you say it's bad for performance. That is not true. The land unit explosions (aside from T3 UEF) run better than the current explosions do, proven by many testers. The other effects have a really negligible impact on performance, also based off many tests.

If anything, the new air unit explosions are the only thing that can make the FPS drop lower than the default explosions do (a roughly 20% FPS decrease was observed in a 700 vs 700 ASF fight in most of the tests). The naval and building explosions weren't observed to have any adverse effects on performance. If you don't like the mod and don't feel like even bothering to post constructive criticism about it, at least don't spread lies about it

You just said it's bad for performance. So no lies.

. And if you had bothered to check at least some of the previous posts regarding the mod, you would know that a toggle is pretty much impossible, due to the fact that particles are simulated, and if you emit on one client, and not on the other, you desync.

One more reason I don't like the mod; it changes the game. Yes, I know it's "pretty much impossible"; I've asked before.

I'd gladly fix whatever is making you not like the mod, but I'm afraid I cannot do that if your feedback is pretty much flaming it.

If it was flaming I would have used a shorter post. The only "fix" I'm looking forward to is that was has been named "pretty much impossible".

Another irritating thing is that whenever you have played in a game with the mod, it enables it next time you host without asking. I have solved that by simply never playing in a game that has it.

[---]

RK4000 I like your explosions mod, I regurlarly use it and I cannot name a single problem I have come across while doing so. Thanks for putting it together
As for E8400-CV - he pretty much has made up his mind, and that's ok. Not everyone likes the same. No problem here. I just wish he stopped constantly trying to convince others to share his point of view.

[Domino]

Hi RK,

do not worry pal, i personally think your mod is awesome if it means anything.

[Shai-Hulud]

The reason why I like the mod is because the new explosions feel "right". Do they look overblown? Not in my opinion. I thought so when I watched a game with an older version of the mod running - eplosions were way too massive but with the current version they look legit. It doesn't make much sense that different factions have the same explosions when using different kind of technologies. I already mentioned the cybran explosion and even in the middle of a battle I have to watch the animation of an exploding cybran factory because it looks so natural and increases the immersion of the game (+ it is so much more rewarding to see a t4 unit that wrecked half of your base go down with a spectacular explosion).

I also like the trail of smoke damaged planes produce. To me that is what the game is about: massive, chaotic battles. If u want some clear, strategic view of the battle zoom out and there you go. =)

RIght now I cant think of anything that could be improved - mainly because i dont know where the limits of this mod are...

[RK4000]

The reason why I like the mod is because the new explosions feel "right". Do they look overblown? Not in my opinion. I thought so when I watched a game with an older version of the mod running - eplosions were way too massive but with the current version they look legit. It doesn't make much sense that different factions have the same explosions when using different kind of technologies. I already mentioned the cybran explosion and even in the middle of a battle I have to watch the animation of an exploding cybran factory because it looks so natural and increases the immersion of the game (+ it is so much more rewarding to see a t4 unit that wrecked half of your base go down with a spectacular explosion).

I also like the trail of smoke damaged planes produce. To me that is what the game is about: massive, chaotic battles. If u want some clear, strategic view of the battle zoom out and there you go. =)

RIght now I cant think of anything that could be improved - mainly because i dont know where the limits of this mod are...

Heh, no worries, request anything you like, and I'll try as much as I can to make it happen. VoR_Tex also made me exceed what I thought the limits were for particle effects with the core breach effect on the CZAR and Ahwassa, so if you request something really ludicrous, it might push the boundaries of what is possible with the mod.

Glad to know you think the explosions feel natural. That was one of my main goals, to make it feel natural for the faction that uses it.

The plane trails were initially a "one off" try at making an effect for planes when they are shot down, but now, I am glad I kept it. Many people seem to like it a lot

As far as performance is concerned, I guess I was not clear enough before. Land, building, and naval explosions run better than the default ones do, at least in my tests. Only ASF explosions have a slight decrease in performance, but not until you have ludicrous amounts (600 vs 600 ASF is when you start noticing a performance drop compared to the default game). Hope that clears things up.

[Totaltuna]

Ohai thread, quick updatey!

Since my last post there has been quite a few need changes, almost all of my points were touched on in the update, nice!
I really like the new aeon EXP. explosions... especially donut of doom looks cooler then ever!
I would, if possible like to see SCU explosions vary more from factions, that's my only pointer that wasn't updated
Keep up the good work!

[TheRedViper]

My suggestion about adding a pressure wave to the nukes where done in V7 for UEF and Sera (However Sera T4 is not a big deal). Very nice work on that and the rest of the version. Now I'd like to see them nukes get more badass! xD It should be possible to add more smoke to the smoke cloud effects, maybe make it slightly darker, (Maybe darker for Cybran, since the smoke effect is so lame?).

UEF have to be the most bad ass ofc with that epic mushroom cloud. Looks like a 20 MT nuclear bomb went off in the desert! Maybe even considering making it last for a few seconds longer and then fade out into nothing? (We don't want the smoke effect to make last for 10 minutes because of gameplay, or DO :O WE????:)

Nukes got me into this game, lets improve the clouds from them and we have the greatest nuclear explosions ever made in a game.

[RK4000]

Well, I haven't touched nuke explosions before because those are much more complicated than the simple effect I've made so far.

I will see what I can do with these, but if I'm not satisfied with how I made it look, I'll have to delay it until V9 after I've learnt a few more things. Who knows, I learn more about how effects work every day when working on this, so it's fully possible I'll figure out how to make these as epic as they deserve to be before V8 is out