Projectile helpers that slows my frame rate

[TavAkuma]

Hi everybody. i wanted to ask some assistance with a character that i've been editing for some time by now. the char in question is Pots' Shin Akuma (how new right? ) and the problem is that i tried to modify his super moves that shoots like 20 projectiles towards the ground by increasing his launching speed to make it looks more smooth, but i've noticed that by doing so it slows the game when all the helpers are on screen. it doesn't happen every times, but still quite often and that bugs me cause i use others Pots Shin Akuma edited chars to add sprites and codes to my version, since i'm not good at editing, and the other versions that i've used as reference work just fine. i even have one that goes faster and uses like 50 helpers at once with that move, and it still doesn't have that problem. I've tried whatever i can think of: i've used the same sounds on the same channels, i've modified both the chars and the helpers animations by reducing the number of collision boxes to the minimum, i've tried to use the same codes for the helpers, i've added a variable that should prevent the next helper to hit the enemy untill the hit shake from the previous one it's over and i've tried to remove the hit sparks to see if that would help, but nothing worked. The only main differences that there are between my edit and those others that i can clearly see are that mine still uses the CvS hit sparks while the others uses those SF4 like that are helpers themself, but i tried to do it without hit sparks, as i've said, and it didn't change. the other difference is that my edit has more sprites and animations than the others and i don't know if that can slows my char down or not, but i don't think that's the case cause while my version, with all the files together, is 30mb big or so, the other one that shoots the greatest number of projectiles is more than 100mb big. the only thing that i haven't tried yet is to use the same sprites for the helpers, but since they're all edit of the same char i would think it's pretty much the same thing. apart from that, i'm out of ideas, so if anyone can explain me why my char has this issue and how do you think i can fix it, it would be much appreciated 

[Cyanide]

There is a limit on the number of helpers the game can display at once. This limit defaults to 56. If you are hitting that limit and receiving slowdown, you can't display that many helpers at once.

There is no solution to this, use less helpers. It's probably why the attack is set up as it was.

Yes, you can increase the limit, but it's not going to solve your performance issues.

[TavAkuma]

Yes, Cyanide, i know about the helper's number limitation in the configuration file, and i've already tried to increase it, but what i found strange is that one char uses more than double the projectiles that my version uses without slowing down the game, as i've said in my first post. if my char hits that limitation by using so many less helpers at once, then why the other doesn't? this fact made me think that that wasn't the cause of the problem either.

[Cyanide]

Some helpers do more than others. Did you check the code for the other attack? If it's using projectiles these take up far less memory than helpers do. Different methods of creation can also cause slowdown. Unshared palettes might be an issue as well.

I would not consider 50 helpers excessive, but if you try and create too many at once it does cause issues. For example generating 1 per tick nets you 60 helpers in a second.

You're going to have to play with stuff if you think this should work. First step would probably be to duplicate the attack with blank helpers that do nothing at all, and die after 20 ticks or so.

[TavAkuma]

ok, i think i've found out what the problem was. usually i use fighter factory ultimate to edit chars, so this time i tried the 3.0 version instead and i saved the sprites converting them to 8 bits (mugen beta configuration when it gives you the choice) and i've noticed that the new file size was slightly smaller than the old one, so i think that the slow down was caused by some sprites that probably weren't in the same format than the others. to test it, i've added more helpers to the move and it worked anyway, so the thing must be solved by now. anyway, i didn't know that projectiles are less expensive than helpers in memory usage. i may consider to convert them then... if i'll be able to do it without f***ing things up, that is 
in any case, thanks for your help. i'll remember your tips for the future