Why couldn't just devs implement a "use old-fashioned swarm tail" switch which is off by default?

Jestatis:
<Incarnate> The old trails were a proof of concept and extremely inefficient, they will not be returning. The new trails will be tweaked and improved as we go forward.

the old trails caused frame rates to drop into the single digits or below especially on dx8 and earlier cards, also some people with geforce 5200's wich are dx9 were experiencing elshito framerates

I meant the relly old trails. The one thats was on swarms a few years ago?

They were ugly and made swarm missiles look more like a train than a swarm.

thats the best description ive heard yet scuba

Will all missiles be getting a variant of this effect? It would look great I think, and be very consistent.

I can see two little thin white trails whizzing a hundred or so meters behind my gems. That would be sweet.

Personally I thought that the ex-new swarm trails looked really cool, even if they were inefficient. I for one would like the option to toggle back to them in graphic controls so that those with the beefier systems can still enjoy them in all their glory.

If Incarnate wants a hell of a lot of swarms on screen, I don't think I'd like to go back to the old trails. Only six or so spamrags managed to noticeably slow down my computer :/

Well halo-ing roids still works. It's different but still kinda cool. Will be even better once the trail time gets shortened.

halo-ing roids?

I assume smittens means the firing of Swarms at a target at such an angle that they will keep circling the target, without actually hitting it. By targeting yourself, you can get a similar effect. First discovered by someone in alpha, IIRC, but I forget who it was.

You mean something like:

http://www.glendale.org.uk/~sam/pictures/vendetta/dump0021.png

I'll wait to see what the effects turn out like after they've been tweaked. Sounds like there's some good solid reasons for wanting to change them.

It used to be a good way of training yourself to dodge swarms, in fact.