The bonus of using the built in 3d sprites is the auto-facing of the sprite towards the camera. I have an emitter-based particle engine that uses pools of pre-created sprites. You attach the emitter to an entity and set basic parameters like lifespan, smoke size, particles per second, and fade rate. VERY realistic looking and a breeze to use. Are you interested in this?
I would NOT recommend using a catch-all particle engine but many different ones that are specific in their purpose. For instance, you should have a separate particle engine for smoke, fire, rain, snow, etc. Much more efficient that way.
I would NOT recommend using a catch-all particle engine but many different ones that are specific in their purpose. For instance, you should have a separate particle engine for smoke, fire, rain, snow, etc. Much more efficient that way.