Lua: where the heck do I begin? D:

[Moosader]

I have a school project this semester with a group, and pretty soon I need to implement scripting into the game.
Except I don't know where to even begin, or anything about scripting.
Besides just sample code, I kind of need to figure out the theory, and I'm not even sure what to ask there.
Pretty much for the game, I'll be doing all the actual C++ code, then hand off scripting to the others.

First off I'm thinking of binding the collision and warping functions, not even sure how to implement warping, and then having to implement characters walking around and having some talking, and I have no idea how to do that either :P

So far the only tutorial I've read is by my friend Claus... http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=3149.0

Need more tutorials



Also, hopefully I can convince the scripter to use Lua instead of Python >_>

[aamesxdavid]

Whoa, why the hate on Python? Haha, as I understand it, it's not quite as efficient as Lua, but especially if what you're making is for PC, it shouldn't matter unless you're doing some really heavy shit in your scripts. So you're talking about implementing Lua into the engine? I assume Falco can assist you with that. How much functionality do the scripters need exactly?

[Moosader]

I don't know anyone who uses Python, though. I have three friends who use Lua.
I think mainly we're going to use scripting for NPCs walking around and what they say when you talk to them, and I guess stuff like warps. I honestly have no idea what to expect as I have never used it before.

[trufun202]

I'm sure you've watched this video in the past, but check out Falco's Dev Marathon: Day 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjS-tVm_AJE

Watching this video I finally had my "ah-ha" moment with Lua.

[Trask]

http://lua-users.org/wiki/TutorialDirectory

Hope this helps!

[M_D_K]

http://lua-users.org/wiki/TutorialDirectory

Hope this helps!

I go there regularly(I mirror'd the whole site to my hard drive )

[Trask]

Yeah, I haven't reached LUA yet, but I'm hanging on to that site as well.

[Falco Girgis]

I don't recommend doing something like warps on Lua. Anything systematic like that should be in the level editor.

I specifically reserve Lua for special logic. We even have default AI in the engine, so that everything Lua does is truly unique. You have to make sure that Lua is doing useful things without making it do things that the engine should handle.

If done correctly, you come up with a Lua system that compliments and adds on to the capabilities of your engine, but your engine doesn't need Lua. If you go overboard, you create a weak, shitty engine that is completely Lua dependent. Lua is slower than the engine. You don't want to go crazy, scripting is not free.

Lua is also slower (coding time and run time) than just doing something in a level editor (laying warps).

Scripting design is just something you have to learn for yourself. It becomes intuition after screwing up a few times. I had to rewrite ours at least twice before it became anything like what it is now.

[M_D_K]

I don't recommend doing something like warps on Lua. Anything systematic like that should be in the level editor.

I specifically reserve Lua for special logic. We even have default AI in the engine, so that everything Lua does is truly unique. You have to make sure that Lua is doing useful things without making it do things that the engine should handle.

If done correctly, you come up with a Lua system that compliments and adds on to the capabilities of your engine, but your engine doesn't need Lua. If you go overboard, you create a weak, shitty engine that is completely Lua dependent. Lua is slower than the engine. You don't want to go crazy, scripting is not free.

Lua is also slower (coding time and run time) than just doing something in a level editor (laying warps).

Scripting design is just something you have to learn for yourself. It becomes intuition after screwing up a few times. I had to rewrite ours at least twice before it became anything like what it is now.

Hell yeah! I totally agree

Anything speed critical should be in the engine. You do not want to be running a physics engine written in Lua. You write it in C/++ and give Lua access to it.

[Falco Girgis]

Yeah, that's the mistake the kiddies make. We gentlemen have mainstreamed Lua, and the first thing that they want to do is basically write the entire game in Lua...

[M_D_K]

OK Arce told me show you this.

[Trask]

I'm clearly missing something, unless its an inside gag. Then I'm fine.

[M_D_K]

Arce actually said shove it her face. Cause I have a flexible lua system, that I can modify to any extent in real time. See the last command.

[Ginto8]

Arce actually said shove it her face. Cause I have a flexible lua system, that I can modify to any extent in real time. See the last command.

Meaning you can change the lua files dynamically? That's some cool stuff.

[Trask]

Arce actually said shove it her face. Cause I have a flexible lua system, that I can modify to any extent in real time. See the last command.

Ha.. I forgot to scroll down, just saw the picture. Forgot about that being yours... sorry!