Re: Scripting (Was First step or something)

[Chris <chris@starforge.co.uk>]

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#Sunday 13 January 2002 14:19# Message from Adam D. Moss:

> C (or even Python).  If they have a language that's syntactically
> simple and only just powerful enough to achieve 95% of the
> relatively simple things that they'd generally need to do then they
> get to enable and tweak relevant parts of the game-specific logic
> themselves and instant gratification of seeing their content
> in-context -- and the engine programmers get bothered less,
> and can just go in to tweak and improve the content-logic as
> necessary.

The counter-argument to this is that, unless you're using a VERY (as in 
practically english) simple scripting language, your content creators are 
going to have to learn at least basic programming, and basic programming is 
just about the same regardless of language. They're going to need to learn 
ifs, elses, conditions, possible whiles, arrays...

if something then 
   do_this
endif

is not all that much easier to learn than

if(something) {
    do_this
}

The chances are that you're going to be providing them with 
"fill-in-the-blanks" templates anyway, so there's not all that much difference
between teaching them how to use your built-in language, teaching them how to 
use someone else's scripting language that you're using or teaching them the 
basics of C. There's no need to go into how pointers, arrays and the rest 
work, just tell them what they need to do and give them the basic 
instructions. 

Put another way: the syntax of the language they are using is only as complex 
as the syntax you tell them. ;)

(All IMO, written from the point of view of someone writing a high-speed,
AI and graphics intensive game where interpretation overhead is the last 
thing I need)

Chris
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