BRIGHT flag for rail attacks

[Ichor]

Would it be possible to make rail particles be fullbright, like maybe a new flag for A_RailAttack and similar functions? Some rail attacks, like lasers and lightning/tesla bolts would benefit from this, and as it is now, most rails look rather odd in dark rooms.

[Eriance]

It's been suggested before. I'm guessing it's floating in Limbo somewhere. In either case, second.

[NeuralStunner]

Thirded. It would greatly aid in using rail attacks to represent energy or magic.

[ChronoSeth]

Fourthed. Is that a real word?

I've been looking for a way of doing this for a long time.

[printz]

Thirded. It would greatly aid in using rail attacks to represent energy or magic.

Can you currently customize their looks? I can't be happy with them as long as they rip off the Quake 2 gun. Eww.

[Eriance]

I thought the support of custom particles was added a while ago?

[Xaser]

Not really. Customization options are very limited -- you can change the color of the spiral and trail, as well as make the straight trail all wobbly ("maxdiff" property), but... that's it. What gets me is there's no way to change the duration of the particles' lifetime, so they always fade out at the exact same speed and make rails nearly useless for continuous-fire lightning guns or some such. I made one or to feature suggestions about it, but they've been in limbo for a while.

I'm tempted to PM kgsws about it, since he's been active lately and actually added some railgun extensions to his custom build of ZDoom from way back. He's responsible for the "maxdiff" property, at least, and as far as I know is the only one willing to touch the particle code.

[NeuralStunner]

You can also disable the coil entirely.

[Eriance]

Hm, i thought Graf said he put in custom particles. Maybe I'm confusing that for the mage-wand missile. Cuz i thought I saw Enjay make some sort of laser gun with a continuous sprite 'beam'.

[kgsws-CZ]

I'm tempted to PM kgsws about it, since he's been active lately and actually added some railgun extensions to his custom build of ZDoom from way back. He's responsible for the "maxdiff" property, at least, and as far as I know is the only one willing to touch the particle code.

I was thinking about custom particle effects, but i have no idea how particle script file should look like.

It won't be hard to make support for custom particles = color, bright/dark, time, speed vector, lifetime, fadetime. This is not problem, i guess.
Problem is with particle generator scripting. I mean, script where you can define your own particle trail for railgun, or particle spawner that will spawn particles as you wish.

[Gez]

I was thinking about custom particle effects, but i have no idea how particle script file should look like.

DECORATE. Only, instead of starting the definition with "actor", you start it with "particle".

[kgsws-CZ]

That is not problem, but what about generators? (rail attack, particle fountain)

[Salad Viking]

That is not problem, but what about generators? (rail attack, particle fountain)

Well, if you don't want to do anything complicated, you could always just use DECORATE actor properties. Maybe ParticleType followed by a particle spawning pattern flag (Spiral (projectiles), Line (projectiles), or Fountain) and a list of particle types which it will randomly spawn. If you wanted more than one type, they could be additive. It's limited, but it's a start, at least until some more in-depth script is added.