Here's a short dev-diary on how we do effects in #sparklite.
Our effects can be pure spritesheet animations, particle systems, or any combination of the two. We chose this approach because particle systems can add a lot of world feel by accounting for things like gravity and velocity in a way that pure animation usually can't. At the same time, there are occasions when the charm of a hand-made pixel animation is needed. Getting particle systems to look harmonious with our pixel-art style is a bit challenging, but with some self-restraint and meticulousness it's doable.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/943140/Sparklite/
An effect be in any of the following states (among other sub-states).
- Spawn
- Idle (looping or not)
- Die
They can also trigger rumble, fire off other effects when they die, and play sounds. It's a fairly robust system that does about 80% of what we need it to.
Keep up to date by joining our Discord Server and following #sparklite
https://discord.gg/merge