tweak(particlesys): Decouple Particles render update from logic step

Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/GameDefines.h

@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@
 #define PRESERVE_RETAIL_SCRIPTED_CAMERA (1) // Retain scripted camera behavior present in retail Generals 1.08 and Zero Hour 1.04
 #endif
 
+#ifndef PRESERVE_RETAIL_PARTICLES
+#define PRESERVE_RETAIL_PARTICLES (1) // Preserve original look of particles present in retail Generals 1.08 and Zero Hour 1.04
+#endif
+
 #ifndef RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_CRC
 #define RETAIL_COMPATIBLE_CRC (1) // Game is expected to be CRC compatible with retail Generals 1.08, Zero Hour 1.04
 #endif

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/ParticleSys.h

@@ -178,8 +178,10 @@ class Particle : public MemoryPoolObject,
 
 	Particle( ParticleSystem *system, const ParticleInfo *data );
 
-	Bool update();												///< update this particle's behavior - return false if dead
-	void doWindMotion();									///< do wind motion (if present) from particle system
+	Bool update(); ///< update this particle's behavior - return false if dead
+
+	void draw( Real timeScale ); ///< render update
+	void doWindMotion( Real timeScale ); ///< do wind motion (if present) from particle system
 
 	void applyForce( const Coord3D *force );		///< add the given acceleration
 
@@ -226,7 +228,6 @@ class Particle : public MemoryPoolObject,
 	// most of the particle data is derived from ParticleInfo
 
 	Coord3D						m_accel;														///< current acceleration
-	Coord3D						m_lastPos;													///< previous position
 	UnsignedInt				m_lifetimeLeft;									///< lifetime remaining, if zero -> destroy
 	UnsignedInt				m_createTimestamp;							///< frame this particle was created
 
@@ -577,7 +578,9 @@ class ParticleSystem : public MemoryPoolObject,
 	void attachToObject( const Object *obj );									///< attach this particle system to an Object
 
 	virtual Bool update( Int localPlayerIndex );								///< update this particle system, return false if dead
-	void updateWindMotion();							///< update wind motion
+
+	void draw( Real timeScale ); ///< render update
+	void updateWindMotion( Real timeScale ); ///< update wind motion
 
 	void setControlParticle( Particle *p );			///< set control particle
 
@@ -661,6 +664,12 @@ class ParticleSystem : public MemoryPoolObject,
 
 protected:
 
+	struct VisibilityState
+	{
+		VisibilityState() : isShrouded(false) {}
+		Bool isShrouded;
+	};
+
 	// snapshot methods
 	virtual void crc( Xfer *xfer ) override;
 	virtual void xfer( Xfer *xfer ) override;
@@ -670,6 +679,14 @@ class ParticleSystem : public MemoryPoolObject,
 																		ParticlePriorityType priority,
 																		Bool forceCreate = FALSE );	///< factory method for particles
 
+	void updateTransform();
+	void updateParentTransform(const Matrix3D &parentXfrm);
+	void updateLocalTransform();
+
+	void updateLogicalPos();
+	void updateLastLogicalPos();
+
+	VisibilityState updateVisibility( Int localPlayerIndex );
 
 	const ParticleInfo *generateParticleInfo( Int particleNum, Int particleCount );	///< generate a new, random set of ParticleInfo
 	const Coord3D *computeParticlePosition();		///< compute a position based on emission properties
@@ -704,8 +721,10 @@ class ParticleSystem : public MemoryPoolObject,
 	Real							m_delayCoeff;										///< scalar value multiplied by burst delay
 	Real							m_sizeCoeff;										///< scalar value multiplied by initial size
 
-	Coord3D						m_pos;													///< this is the position to emit at.
-	Coord3D						m_lastPos;											///< this is the previous position we emitted at.
+	Coord3D						m_logicalPos;										///< this is the current logic position to emit at.
+																										///< Can be different from the actual emitter transform
+																										///< if the render update is faster than the logic step.
+	Coord3D						m_lastLogicalPos;								///< this is the previous logic position we emitted at.
 
 	ParticleSystem *	m_slaveSystem;									///< if non-null, another system this one has control of
 	ParticleSystemID	m_slaveSystemID;								///< id of slave system (if present)
@@ -735,6 +754,9 @@ class ParticleSystem : public MemoryPoolObject,
 /**
  * The particle system manager, responsible for maintaining all ParticleSystems
  */
+// TheSuperHacker @tweak The particle render update is now decoupled from the logic step.
+// The lifetime management remains coupled to the logic step.
+//
 class ParticleSystemManager : public SubsystemInterface,
 															public Snapshot
 {
@@ -751,11 +773,14 @@ class ParticleSystemManager : public SubsystemInterface,
 
 	virtual void init() override;									///< initialize the manager
 	virtual void reset() override;									///< reset the manager and all particle systems
-	virtual void update() override;								///< update all particle systems
+	virtual void update() override;								///< logic update for all particle systems
+	virtual void draw() override;									///< render update for all particle systems
 
 	virtual Int getOnScreenParticleCount() = 0;   ///< returns the number of particles on screen
   virtual void setOnScreenParticleCount(int count);
 
+	virtual Bool isDummy() const { return false; }
+
 	ParticleSystemTemplate *findTemplate( const AsciiString &name ) const;
 	ParticleSystemTemplate *findParentTemplate( const AsciiString &name, int parentNum ) const;
 	ParticleSystemTemplate *newTemplate( const AsciiString &name );
@@ -827,7 +852,6 @@ class ParticleSystemManager : public SubsystemInterface,
 	UnsignedInt m_fieldParticleCount; ///< this does not need to be xfered, since it is evaluated every frame
 	UnsignedInt m_particleSystemCount;
 	Int m_onScreenParticleCount;                ///< number of particles displayed on screen per frame
-	UnsignedInt m_lastLogicFrameUpdate;
 	Int m_localPlayerIndex;	///<used to tell particle systems which particles can be skipped due to player shroud status
 
 private:
@@ -836,14 +860,21 @@ class ParticleSystemManager : public SubsystemInterface,
 };
 
 // TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 31/01/2026
-// ParticleSystemManager that does nothing. Used for Headless Mode.
+// ParticleSystemManager that does nothing. Cannot create particle systems and templates. Used for Headless Mode.
 class ParticleSystemManagerDummy : public ParticleSystemManager
 {
 public:
+	virtual void init() override {}
+	virtual void reset() override {}
+	virtual void update() override {}
+	virtual void draw() override {}
+
 	virtual Int getOnScreenParticleCount() override { return 0; }
 	virtual void doParticles(RenderInfoClass &rinfo) override {}
 	virtual void queueParticleRender() override {}
 
+	virtual Bool isDummy() const override { return true; }
+
 protected:
 	virtual void crc( Xfer *xfer ) override {}
 	virtual void xfer( Xfer *xfer ) override {}

Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/ReplaySimulation.cpp

@@ -86,8 +86,6 @@ int ReplaySimulation::simulateReplaysInThisProcess(const std::vector<AsciiString
 			UnsignedInt totalTimeSec = TheRecorder->getPlaybackFrameCount() / LOGICFRAMES_PER_SECOND;
 			while (TheRecorder->isPlaybackInProgress())
 			{
-				TheGameClient->updateHeadless();
-
 				const int progressFrameInterval = 10*60*LOGICFRAMES_PER_SECOND;
 				if (TheGameLogic->getFrame() != 0 && TheGameLogic->getFrame() % progressFrameInterval == 0)
 				{

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/Drawable/Update/BeaconClientUpdate.cpp

@@ -94,9 +94,7 @@ static ParticleSystem* createParticleSystem( Drawable *draw )
 			AsciiString templateName;
 			templateName.format("BeaconSmoke%6.6X", (0xffffff & obj->getIndicatorColor()));
 			const ParticleSystemTemplate *particleTemplate = TheParticleSystemManager->findTemplate( templateName );
-
-			DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(particleTemplate, ("Could not find particle system %s", templateName.str()));
-
+			DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(TheParticleSystemManager->isDummy() || particleTemplate, ("Could not find particle system %s", templateName.str()));
 			if (particleTemplate)
 			{
 				system = TheParticleSystemManager->createParticleSystem( particleTemplate );
@@ -107,7 +105,7 @@ static ParticleSystem* createParticleSystem( Drawable *draw )
 			{// THis this will whip up a new particle system to match the house color provided
 				templateName.format("BeaconSmokeFFFFFF");
 				const ParticleSystemTemplate *failsafeTemplate = TheParticleSystemManager->findTemplate( templateName );
-				DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(failsafeTemplate, ("Doh, this is bad \n I Could not even find the white particle system to make a failsafe system out of."));
+				DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(TheParticleSystemManager->isDummy() || failsafeTemplate, ("Doh, this is bad \n I Could not even find the white particle system to make a failsafe system out of."));
 				if (failsafeTemplate)
 				{
 					system = TheParticleSystemManager->createParticleSystem( failsafeTemplate );

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/FXList.cpp

@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ class ParticleSystemFXNugget : public FXNugget
 		}
 
 		const ParticleSystemTemplate *tmp = TheParticleSystemManager->findTemplate(m_name);
-		DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(tmp, ("ParticleSystem %s not found",m_name.str()));
+		DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(TheParticleSystemManager->isDummy() || tmp, ("ParticleSystem %s not found",m_name.str()));
 		if (tmp)
 		{
 			for (Int i = 0; i < m_count; i++ )