RE: [GD-Consoles] question: Embedded scripting language on consol e

[Tom F. <to...@mu...>]

We tried that with StarTopia, and found that the designers have to learn the
basics of coding and syntax anyway. If you dress it up to look like English,
they'll try and use it like English. And that leads to all sorts of
misunderstandings. StarTopia's scripting language was pretty good, but
high-maintenance, and not as powerful as we'd have liked.

We now let ours use Python, but only with the really basic features of the
language, and a restricted view of the "world". This means we've got a
ready-made language, easily extendable, good debugging tools, etc. If a
complex function needs coding, one of the coders can do it (either in Python
or C according to choice). But more and more the gameplay _coders_ are
moving to Python anyway, because it's such a nice language to do
non-speed-critical gameplay coding in.

I suspect similar arguemnts apply to Java and Lua.

We chose Python because it's a lot higher-level than Lua, and has pretty
much every library you could ever want (want to read .ZIP files? Sure. XTML?
Certainly. Handy stuff like that). Java is out because we need it to run on
PS2, GC, XB, etc.


Tom Forsyth - Muckyfoot bloke and Microsoft MVP.

This email is the product of your deranged imagination,
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mickael Pointier [mailto:mpo...@ed...]
> Sent: 18 February 2003 17:37
> To: gam...@li...
> Subject: Re: [GD-Consoles] question: Embedded scripting language on
> console
> 
> 
> Ron Hay wrote:
> > Has anyone on the list actually thought deeply about which scripting
> > language they choose?  If
> > so, care to share your thoughts?  We're in the middle of 
> choosing the
> > language, and Lua seems
> > to be our current top pick.  The team member that is in charge of
> > scripting is the type of person
> > that just likes to pick and go, so I'm worried that there may be a
> > better alternative out there...
> 
> Well, I would not like to use a generic language to make 
> in-game scripting
> language. Instead I would better make a dedicated small minimalistic
> language specially made for that particular game.
> 
> The reason is that I think that asking to designers to use 
> some generic
> language with non intuitive syntax (what are these ";" "{" 
> and "}" ???),
> very non expressive content, side effects... is not really a 
> good choice.
> 
> 
>     Mickael Pointier
> 
> 
> 
> 
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