So you decided a blue blob wasn't good enough so you went and did another blue blob and decided it looks better?
Right.
I don't mean to sound hostile here or anything like that. Its simply a fact that each style cannot please every single person. There are many ways to make weapon effects, below I will explain to what we will aim with R3 and later releases.
Being a B5 total conversion does not mean we have to stick with original outdated effects of Babylon 5 TV-show and possibly movies. If its possible to make a blue blob to look like a detailed plasma bolt, by gods it will be done. If it resembles the original effect enough to know what it is, thats enough. We will slowly improve every aspect of visual quality without being held back by B5's outdated early 90's CGI, which is very good in its own right but we can do better with fs2_open. If not now then eventually.
You didn't like R2 effects, thats all good. It was R2 which was using original FS2 engine, not fs2_open. And we will continue to use stuff from FS2 and R2 until it is replaced by something obviously better.
Sorry to say but your weapon effects aren't as good as you think they are. The obvious difference is in higher resolution and tga format. I would still prefer old R2 effects over yours if these would be in higher resolution and in tga format. That will happen in time, hopefully with clearly better effects than R2 ones.
However, we are still a bunch of looser modders with indivuals of great talent and skill. While above might sound like we can do miracles, it is not the case. Right now we have Lightspeed to upgrade our current weapon effects, but he is a busy man and we and neither should you to expect too much from him. I however would expect more or less like he did with original FS2 effects. Some may like it, some may not. Its a matter of personal taste.