Normally, you'd use bones and events to control an attached particle system in your game engine or particle system package of your choice where it's likely also more optimized into the engine's render pipeline. And this is possible right now. But it does involve the animator understanding the limitations, and preferably knowing how to use the particle system controls in the engine being used (they're usually not that hard to learn).
I would definitely not recommend making 50 bones to make a splash. (i don't think you need 50 bones, but I think 50 slots is also terrible).
Right now, for a variety of reasons including that, particle stuff should be done in-engine.
For the future, I do see the value of being to emit a few simple particle things right in Spine and being able to see and animate and adjust it right there. Not my call to make though.
@owen. Distortion stuff is definitely a game-engine specific thing. I don't think we could possibly support such a feature right inside Spine.
