Ok, we added a new feature called Complex Particles (or a gibs), it's a system that let's you spawn more effects when something dies or from the editor via the entity called PlayGibs.
More specific, it give you the choice of spawning a bunch if sprites with or w/o an added particle trail, down here are a few example xmls:
This first one here is a bomb, the item dropped from barrels and by the ranger.<gib speed="2" power="3" spread="0" life="0.8" particle="effects/particles.xml:bone-particle" particle-color="0 0 0">
<sprite scale="16">
<origin>1 1</origin>
<texture>effects/gibs/gib.png</texture>
<frame>45 0 3 3</frame>
</sprite>
<sprite scale="16">
<origin>1 1</origin>
<texture>effects/gibs/gib.png</texture>
<frame>48 0 3 3</frame>
</sprite>
<sprite scale="16">
<origin>1 1</origin>
<texture>effects/gibs/gib.png</texture>
<frame>51 0 3 3</frame>
</sprite>
</gib>
The bat has a very simple effect, it's only the trail and no gib-sprites:<gib speed="0.75" power="1" life="0.4" particle="effects/particles.xml:bone-particle" particle-color="100 0 0"></gib>
And these are the parameters controlling the behavior:speed = how fast the gibs travels from start
power = how many gibs, not the exact amount, it's a multiplier
life = how long they live, speed and life effects the travel distance
spread = so gibs won't all spawn from the same point, default is 0.5 here
no-rotation = gibs can have a slight rotation, or not
This is an option in the gfx menu, so even if default is ON, one should not expect everyone to see these effects.