diff --git a/data/shader/particle.frag b/data/shader/particle.frag
index f492427..1c3307e 100644
--- a/data/shader/particle.frag
+++ b/data/shader/particle.frag
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ vec3 hsv2rgb(vec3 c)
 
 void main()
 {
-    gl_FragColor = vec4(0.5+0.5*vertex.x, 0.5+0.5*vertex.y, 0.0, 1.0);
     float r = length(vertex);
     if (r > 1.0) {
         discard;
@@ -26,8 +25,6 @@ void main()
     float v = max(0.0, (1.0-log(d)));
     float s = max(0.0, min(30.0 * sqrt(decay) * explCenterDist, 1.0));
 
-    //v /= decay * 10.0*length(vertex-explCenter);
-    //v /= 1.0+2.0*length(vertex-explCenter);
     //v /= 1.0 + max(0.0, min(35.0*(decay-0.2), 1.0)) + 10.0 * explCenterDist;
     v /= 1.0 + 10.0 * explCenterDist;
 
diff --git a/data/shader/particle.vert b/data/shader/particle.vert
index 641d628..aecc600 100644
--- a/data/shader/particle.vert
+++ b/data/shader/particle.vert
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ void main()
   decay = age / halfAge;
 
   // faster particles are smaller
-  //float s = size * (1.0-length(in_velocity)/maxVelocity);
-  float s = size;
+  float speedScale = (1.0 - 0.8*length(in_velocity)/maxVelocity);
+  float finalSize = size * speedScale;
   vec2 base = in_vertex;
-  vec3 p = s*vec3(base, 0.0);
-  vec3 offset = (0.1*age + log(1.0+age*5.0)) * in_velocity + in_position;
+  vec3 p = finalSize*vec3(base, 0.0);
+  vec3 offset = (0.2*age + log(1.0+age*5.0)) * in_velocity + in_position;
   p += offset;
 
   gl_Position = vec4(p, 1.0);
diff --git a/game/main.cpp b/game/main.cpp
index d28c5e6..da4a2cf 100644
--- a/game/main.cpp
+++ b/game/main.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     asio::io_service io_service;
     Server s(io_service, game.state(), atoi(port) );
 
-    GameWindow window(500, 500, &game);
+    //GameWindow window(500, 500, &game);
+    GameWindow window(750, 750, &game);
     window.set_maxfps(60.0);
     window.open();
 
diff --git a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/particle_batch.cpp b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/particle_batch.cpp
index 70d366f..7d63ab4 100644
--- a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/particle_batch.cpp
+++ b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/particle_batch.cpp
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
 
         glUniform1f(m_shader.location("age"),         m_age);
         glUniform1f(m_shader.location("maxVelocity"), m_maxVelocity);
-        glUniform1f(m_shader.location("halfAge"),      m_halfAge);
+        glUniform1f(m_shader.location("halfAge"),     m_halfAge);
         glUniform1f(m_shader.location("size"),        m_particleRadius);
-        glUniform3f(m_shader.location("center"),      m_center.x, m_center.y, m_center.z);
+        glUniform3f(m_shader.location("explCenter"),  m_center.x, m_center.y, m_center.z);
 
         bind();
 
diff --git a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp
index f7616cb..25b996b 100644
--- a/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp
+++ b/game/renderer_polygon_3d/renderer_polygon_3d.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
     {
         //float particleRadius = 0.005;
         //float particleRadius = 0.003;
-        float particleRadius = 0.01;
+        float particleRadius = 0.007;
 
         // TODO: use this as shader input too and make the area 2x around this
         // so that it stays hot/yellow for 2/3 of the time
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
             //glm::vec3 v = 0.5f*glm::vec3(sin(t), cos(t), util::randf_m1_1());
 
             glm::vec3 v = glm::ballRand(maxVelocity);
-            v *= util::randf_0_1() * util::randf_0_1();
+            v *= util::randf_0_1() * util::randf_0_1() * util::randf_0_1();
 
             batch->setParticle(i, glm::vec3(pos, 0.0) + glm::ballRand(explSize), v);
         }
@@ -141,12 +141,12 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
             }
 
             if (!gotIt) {
-                addExplosionEffect(expl->id, expl->position, 500, 5.0);
+                addExplosionEffect(expl->id, expl->position, 1000, 2.0);
             }
         }
 
         if (m_particles.size() == 0) {
-            addExplosionEffect(0, glm::vec2(0.0, 0.0), 1000, 5.0);
+            addExplosionEffect(0, glm::vec2(0.0, 0.0), 1000, 2.0);
         }
 
         std::vector<ParticleBatch*> rm;
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ namespace endofthejedi {
                 fade_out = 1.0 - (trace->age / trace->maxAge);
             }
 
-            glColor3f(0.0, 0.0, 1.0*fade_out);
+            glColor3f(0.0, 0.5*fade_out, 0.5*fade_out);
             glBegin(GL_LINE_STRIP);
             for (const game::Trace::TracePoint &tp : trace->points) {
                 glVertex2f(tp.position.x, tp.position.y);