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[WxTech]

Fellow rebels, from a 4.08 dinosaur.

Of late I've been inspired by the variety of effects in the later game versions. For but just one example... Where my stock game has just a single fontain.eff for bullet hits on water, newer game versions have several effect elements contributing to a much more realistic look. And in numerous other areas have similar, more complex effect groupings evolved over time.

And so I've been adding more effects to the explosions.class, and of course adding the corresponding .eff and .tga files to my much-tweaked Uranium effects mod by Holy Grail and Potenz lo those many years ago.

More and more, in *certain* respects, my 4.08 game is looking a little like a more recent game.

My question is this. Has there been an already released effects mod of greater complexity for we obstreporous Luddites who cling tenaciously to our long-surpassed and long-in-the-tooth game versions?

If not, might my efforts be of fruitful benefit for more than just me? Perhaps not as a stand-alone mod in its own right, for it must be lacking in some areas. But rather, to be picked over by another suitably capable modder who can incorporate whatever of my bits might be of use into some extant, highly regarded mod.

[greybeard]

May I ask why you do not upgrade at least to game version 4.09? In that case you would benefit of the support and assistance of one of the most qualified member here, Epervier, and could tap into the vast offer of dedicated and compatible mods sporting the tag 4.09 (there's nothing tagged 4.08, AFAIK).

[Epervier]

4.09/UP2.01
I use many Mods that improve the Effects.
Two particularities:
- a mod modifying the impact of bombs in the water. The author is a certain "WxTech" (WxTech resized WaterRing.tga, to slow the rate of expansion). Do you know him? 
- a very old mod from the C6 pack that has a lot of effects. A gift from Claymore (Bruno)!

[WxTech]

Greybeard,
In so many areas the Java code for 4.09 and 4.08 are essentially the same. This applies to the great bulk of effects.

Epervier,
Do any of your mods touch the Explosions.class? This compiles as 15 classfiles. Listed below, with just the first four characters (typing this on my phone ):

4D88...
15E1...
32E5...
64B1...
72DC...
88B6...
925C...
3582...
A7E6...
B139...
B160...
DF2E...
DF60...
EE4B...
F87D...

If so, I'd be curious to see this, for it would show just what new effects would have been added.

In other news, I've been rationalizing the weapons, or more specifically machineguns and cannons. For example, the gun classes have had their bullet "power" values brought into a more uniform standard, which permits full control over the hit effects. (Note that "power" has nothing to do with damage inflicted, only the visual hit effect.)

For aircraft hit effects, I now have two effect types for light MG and heavy MG hits. For each round type, most hits invoke a brief flash, while a few will also cause a smoke puff. The HMG hits are larger than the LMG hits.

In some cases I've added more bullets to the 'belt' (usually by doubling up the existing list) in order to introduce my occasional second hit type via a different power value.

This power rationalizing has provided improved control over the hit effects on land and water as well.

Another change: The intensity of the ambient lighting for explosions has been reduced by a factor of three. (And the color has been altered from the stock radioactive yellow to a more orange-ish hue). Where before an explosion would light up your cockpit from a kilometer away in full sunlight (!), It doesn't do such stupid stuff now.

One area where I'm still struggling has to do with 'house' explosions (buildings, fuel tanks, trees, and the like). There seem to be underlying limitations in other game code that I cannot access. For instance, it appears there is a limit to how long a period in which particles can be generated (like a couple of seconds); this restricts one in the variety of effects possible.

[Epervier]

Epervier,
Do any of your mods touch the Explosions.class? This compiles as 15 classfiles. Listed below, with just the first four characters (typing this on my phone

No, I don't have any mods that modify this Explosions.class ! 
I only have changes to the "eff" files.

[WxTech]

Epervier,
Do any of your mods touch the Explosions.class? This compiles as 15 classfiles. Listed below, with just the first four characters (typing this on my phone

No, I don't have any mods that modify this Explosions.class ! 
I only have changes to the "eff" files.

Do you do Java? Remember, I'm just an ignorant, knuckle-dragging hack who knows nothing more than aping what I see in existing code and stumbling along until stuff works.  . (I only started down this path a few months ago, and have yet to actually read more than a few paragraphs about Java. *Anyone* is better at this than me.)

In any event, do I take it that no one has got round to porting, say, 4.12 effects to 4.09? Are the rebels still back in the dark ages, suffering the smaller effect element numbers in stock code?

Here I was, thinking that I was super late to the party in beefing up the 4.08 (and 4.09, they being essentially identical in stock) effects, thinking everyone was long ago already enjoying the good stuff.

[Epervier]

I'm tinkering with Java! 
This kind of Class is not within my reach....