thanks a lot for the kind words guys!
mercuryus, I agree with you on both those points, yeah. but the O2 problem was solved by broozar ... so I'll leave it this way, i guess. your second point: do you mean that it should be the same way for my explosion? cause... right now what it does is: it moves out in all directions, randomly, when it is generated. the reason it's one big long trail is that the ship's still moving (it actually moves faster, being thrusted forward by the explosion of the engines, which are at the back of the vessel)...

phemox, you're right... explosion ring... I've been holding back on that, because it's hard to make that look cool, i think. I mean, i've seen 3d explosion rings, a simple sphere with a skin on it, it never looked cool. 2d might be easier, but... i don't know, how would I make it fit with the "fire" look? do you know any example clips?
thx,
Micha