Particle effects
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Particle effects are used frequently in Team Fortress 2 to serve as decorations or visual cues for both various in-game events and cosmetic purposes. Any particle effect can be attached to any item or model theoretically, however, some effects appear exclusively on items of a particular quality; for example, the Unusual effects only appear on items with the Unusual quality.
Contents
- 1 Status effects
- 2 Weapon effects
- 3 Gameplay effects
- 4 Decorative effects
- 5 Demonstration
- 6 Update history
- 7 Bugs
- 8 Notes
- 9 External links
Status effects
Status effects are used to indicate a change in player state to other players. A common example would be the overheal particles emitted from an overhealed player or one that recently picked up a health kit.
Overheal effect
When a player is overhealed by the Medic, the player will emit medical crosses. The Overheal effect is also emitted when injured players pick up Health kits. It is also used on the Medi Gun beam itself.
In-game screenshot
The healing particle emitted for RED players.
The healing particle emitted for BLU players.
Critical spark effect
The Critical spark effect is used to indicate that a player's weapon will deal critical damage. This is usually accompanied by a team-colored overlay on the weapon itself. It is also used on the Medi Gun, Kritzkrieg and Quick-Fix to indicate that a charge is ready to be deployed.
In-game screenshot of a weapon charged with critical hits.
In-game screenshot of a fully charged Medi Gun.
Spark sprite
Burning Player effects
The Burning Player effects is used during the burning of players.
In-game screenshot
Marked For Death effects
The Marked For Death effects are used to indicate that the player is marked for death. A player that is marked for death receives Mini-Crits from all oncoming damage.
Icon displayed above a marked player.
HUD Icon displayed when 'marked for death'.
Weapon effects
Most non-hitscan weapons have particle effects. These include the Rocket Launcher and Flamethrower.
The Flamethrower fire effect sprite sheet.
The Rocket trail effect sprites.
Gameplay effects
Particles are used to indicate gameplay events.
Intelligence paper trail effect
While the Intelligence is being carried, it emits a stream of papers.
In-game screenshot.
The papers emitted from the Intelligence carrier.
Australium laundry trail effect
While the Australium is being carried, it emits a stream of boxer shorts and socks.
- In-game screenshot of Australium carrier particles.png
In-game screenshot.
- Particle Boxers animated.png
Boxer shorts with a heart motif emitted from the Australium carrier
- Particle Socks animated.png
Socks with a checkered pattern emitted from the Australium carrier.
Balloon effect
While birthday mode is activated, players will spurt balloons instead of blood.
Birthday mode gibs
The balloon sprite emitted.
Decorative effects
Decorative effects are not used to indicate any gameplay changes and are used purely for aesthetics.
Holy glow effect
The holy glow effect is attached to the Cheater's Lament.
In-game screenshot
Community sparkle effect
The Community sparkle effect is attached to Community or Self-Made items.
- Selfmadedalokohs.png
In-game screenshot
- Sparkle sprite.png
Sparkle particle sprite
- Sparkle sprite2.png
Sparkle particle sprite
Treasure Hat effect
There is no known localized name for the Treasure Hat effect, but it is attached as a new particle system defined as "coin_spin". The particles from this effect are influenced by the movement of the wearer and will only be emitted when the player is in motion.
In-game screenshot
The sprite sheet used in the effect's spinning animation.
Genteel Smoke effect
The Genteel Smoke effect is attached to the Lord Cockswain's Novelty Mutton Chops and Pipe, Outback Intellectual, Bubble Pipe, Aladdin's Private Reserve, Nine-Pipe Problem, Waxy Wayfinder, Gentle Munitionne of Leisure, Bearded Bombardierand Soldier's Spark Plug. The Spy also has a thinner version of this while undisguised.
- Genteel Pipe Smoke.png
In-game screenshot
Map Stamps effect
The map stamps effect is attached to the World Traveler's Hat. These render similarly to the purple and green Unusual confetti effects, but use stamp sprites instead. Like the Treasure Hat, the effect is influenced by the movement of the wearer and will only be emitted when the player is in motion.
In-game screenshot
- Stamp sprites.png
The sprite sheet used for the effect's spinning animation.
Musical notes effect
The musical notes effect is attached to the Earbuds and Noise Maker (see below section).
In-game screenshot
The music note sprite.
Noise Maker effect
The Noise Maker effect emits musical notes or ghost particles when used. Noise maker particles are colored to distinguish them from Earbuds.
"Noise" particle effect.
"Noise" particle effect.
Flying bits effect
Intended to be used for rendering flames on gibs, the flying bits effect is also attached to certain Valve weapons.
In-game screenshot
Nemesis burst effect
Nemesis burst effect
Unusual effects
Unusual effects are attached to Unusual quality items. The first 14 effects were added to the game with the Mann-Conomy Update, 8 more unusual effects were added with the August 18, 2011 Patch. 4 more Halloween only effects were added with the Very Scary Halloween Special, and another 5 with the Spectral Halloween Special. Those can only be obtained during Halloween events.
The different particle effects are viewable in this animation, as well as in this video.
Green Confetti
- Unusual purple Confetti.png
Purple Confetti
- Unusual Ghost.png
Haunted Ghosts
- Unusual green energy glow.png
Green Energy
- Unusual purple energy.png
Purple Energy
- Unusual tf2logo.png
Circling TF Logo
- Unusual Flies.png
Massed Flies
- Unusual Chieftain's Challenge normal burning fire effect.png
Burning Flames
- Unusual Green Flame Effect.png
Scorching Flames
- Unusual plasma effect 2.png
Searing Plasma
- Vivid Plasma.png
Vivid Plasma
- Unusual sunbeam.png
Sunbeams
- Unusual Peace.png
Circling Peace Sign
- Unusual Heart Effect.png
Circling Heart
Bubbling
Steaming
Orbiting Fire
Orbiting Planets
Nuts n' Bolts
Smoking
Stormy Storm
Blizzardy Storm
- Unusual Cloudy Full Moon.png
Cloudy Moon
- Unusual Orbiting Dark Fire.png
Eerie Orbiting Fire
- Unusual Orbiting Jack O' Lantern.png
Flaming Lantern
- Unusual Green Bubbles.png
Cauldron Bubbles
- Cloudy knives.PNG
Knifestorm
- Misty skull.PNG
Misty Skull
- Cloudy green.PNG
Harvest Moon
- Cloud skull.PNG
It's A Secret To Everybody
- Purple cloud skull.PNG
Stormy 13th Hour
- Phosphorous.PNG
Phosphorous
- Sulphurous.PNG
Sulphurous
- Memory Leak.PNG
Memory Leak
- Overclocked.PNG
Overclocked
- Electrostatic.PNG
Electrostatic
- Power Surge.PNG
Power Surge
- Anti-Freeze.PNG
Anti-Freeze
- Time Warp.PNG
Time Warp
- Green Black Hole.PNG
Green Black Hole
- Roboactive.PNG
Roboactive
Unused effects
Unused Unusual effects
In addition to the unusual effects introduced in the Mann-Conomy Update, the following effects were added at the same time, and are unused.
'Beany green'
'Beany hearts'
'Beany target'
'Circling skull'
'Sparkles1'
'Sparkles2'
'Sparkles3'
The following unused unusual effects were introduced with the Very Scary Halloween Special, and are unused.
Orbiting Cloudy Full Moon
Orbiting Shells
The following unusual effect was introduced with the Spectral Halloween Special, and is unused.
Blood Rain
G.R.U. skull effect
The G.R.U. skull effect was emitted when the Gloves of Running Urgently were wielded by the player.
In-game screenshot
Rotating Birthday Cake
Currently Unused
Demonstration
Update history
- Added effects: Green Confetti, Purple Confetti, Haunted Ghosts, Green Energy, Purple Energy, Circling TF Logo, Massed Flies, Burning Flames, Scorching Flames, Searing Plasma, Vivid Plasma, Sunbeams, Circling Peace Sign, and Circling Heart.
- [Undocumented] Added effect: G.R.U. skull.
- Added effect: Treasure Hat particle effect.
October 27, 2010 Patch (Scream Fortress Update)
- [Undocumented] Added effect: Marked For Death.
December 17, 2010 Patch (Australian Christmas)
- Added effect: Map Stamps particle effect.
August 18, 2011 Patch (Manno-Technology Bundle)
- [Undocumented] Added effects: Stormy Storm, Blizzardy Storm, Nuts n' Bolts, Orbiting Planets, Orbiting Fire, Bubbling, Smoking, and Steaming.
- Fixed the Sunbeams effect.
October 27, 2011 Patch (Very Scary Halloween Special)
- [Undocumented] Added effects: Cloudy Moon, Orbiting Cloudy Full Moon, Eerie Orbiting Fire, Flaming Lantern, Orbiting Shells, and Cauldron Bubbles.
- Fixed a rare case where the offensive/defensive buff particle effects could get stuck on players.
- Fixed cases where some clients didn't receive broadcasts about long continuous particle effects being started or stopped.
- Fixed missing DX8 particle effects.
October 26, 2012 Patch (Spectral Halloween Special)
- [Undocumented] Added effects: Knifestorm, Misty Skull, Harvest Moon, It's A Secret To Everybody, and Stormy 13th Hour.
- Increased the particle limit.
[Unknown Date]
- Added effect: Rotating Birthday Cake.
Bugs
- The Nuts n' Bolts particle effect has a visual problem. When circle strafing around a player, the Nuts n' Bolts appear to slow right down or even stop moving. This is much easier to detect if crouched.
- On certain graphics drivers, particles no longer appear to have a distinct bright glow. This applies on the medibeam, unusual effects and energy based weapons. It has also has been reported by DirectX 11 users.
- Upon death or disconnect, particle effects often stay in the spot the player was, fully animated.
- The 'Marked for Death' particle effect sometimes appears when the user is not marked for death.
Notes
- Particle effects that are attached to an item will not be visible to the player wielding it in first-person view, unless the player is using the
cl_first_person_uses_world_model 1console command. - Miscellaneous items with particle effects can create multiple effect combinations.
- Particle effects get hidden by Wheel of Fate big heads effect. However, if being watched as the head expands, the effect will be repositioned and be visually correct.
