See: https://forums.kronosaur.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=7260&start=15#p73268

Using the whiptail effect for weaponry can apparently result in a slowdown. I don't know the specifics because my system runs it just fine.

Here's my version of the weapon in question (SM&M++ xeno lancer):

	<ItemType UNID="&itXenophobeLancer;"
			name=				"Xenophobe ion lancer"
			level=				"7"
			value=				"55000"
			mass=				"4500"
			frequency=			"rare"
			attributes=			"EnergyWeapon; Military; MajorItem; NotForSale; NotStandard"

			description=		"The Xenophobes developed this powerful ion weapon for their Worldships."
			>

		<Image imageID="&rsItems7;" imageX="288" imageY="0" imageWidth="96" imageHeight="96"/>

		<Weapon
				type=				"beam"

				repeating=			"4"
				damage=				"ion:1d8"
				fireRate=			"16"
				lifetime=			"60"
				powerUse=			"650"

				sound=				"&snLaserCannon;"
				>

			<Effect>
				<Ray
						style=			"whiptail"
						animate=		"cycle"
						length=			"240"
						width=			"16"
						primaryColor=	"#e6ff6f" 
						secondaryColor=	"#d8ff00"
						>
				
				</Ray>
			
			</Effect>
		</Weapon>

	</ItemType>
assumedpseudonym 24 Apr 2017:

 I was the one complaining about lagging on that effect (and I readily admit that my hardware is… not great). It’s only while the effect is being created, interestingly enough; it runs just fine once it’s onscreen. Also somewhat puzzling is the fact that I use a cycled whiptail as a thrust effect for a TBR faction without causing lag. Here’s the code for that, just for comparison:

	<EffectType UNID="&efAESteelCorpsThrust;"
		instance=			"creator"
		>
		<Effect>
			<ParticleJet
				emitRate=			"15"
				emitSpeed=			"2-10"
				particleLifetime=	"3-8"
				spreadAngle=		"60"
				>
				<Events>
					<GetParameters>
						(block (lifetimeAdj)
							(setq lifetimeAdj 1)

							{
								particleLifetime: (cat lifetimeAdj "-" (multiply lifetimeAdj 3))
							}
						)
					</GetParameters>
				</Events>
				<ParticleEffect>
					<Ray
						style=			"whiptail"
						animate=		"cycle"
						shape=			"tapered"
						length=			"24"
						width=			"12"
						primaryColor=	"#EE6622"
						secondaryColor=	"#773311"
						xformRotation=	"180"
						intensity=		"15"
					/>
				</ParticleEffect>
			</ParticleJet>
			<ParticleJet
				emitRate=			"10"
				emitSpeed=			"4-20"
				spreadAngle=		"30"
				particleLifetime=	"3-8"
				>
				<ParticleEffect>
					<Ray
						style=			"whiptail"
						animate=		"cycle"
						shape=			"tapered"
						length=			"12"
						width=			"12"
						primaryColor=	"#EE6622"
						secondaryColor=	"#773311"
						xformRotation=	"180"
						intensity=		"10"
					/>
				</ParticleEffect>
			</ParticleJet>
			<ParticleJet
				emitRate=			"5"
				emitSpeed=			"6-30"
				spreadAngle=		"15"
				particleLifetime=	"3-8"
				>
				<ParticleEffect>
					<Ray
						style=			"whiptail"
						animate=		"cycle"
						shape=			"tapered"
						length=			"12"
						width=			"12"
						primaryColor=	"#EE6622"
						secondaryColor=	"#773311"
						xformRotation=	"180"
						intensity=		"5"
					/>
				</ParticleEffect>
			</ParticleJet>
			<Ray
				style=			"smooth"
				shape=			"tapered"
				primaryColor=	"#EE6622"
				secondaryColor=	"#773311"
				>
				<Events>
					<GetParameters>
						(block nil
							{
								length:	21
								width: 42
								intensity: 42
							}
						)
					</GetParameters>
				</Events>
			</Ray>
		</Effect>
	</EffectType>