[GD-General] I just don't get it (Was: Scripting Systems)

[Garett B. <gt...@st...>]

Design folks,

	Ok, sorry to distract you all, but I just don't get it.  After reading
about Brian's problems with his scripts (and additionally having considered
the problem at length without actually implementing any scripting system
myself [except for my pitiful attempt at *writing* a scripting system for
Deer Hunter 3, which we won't go into here for fear of grave embarrassment
to myself]) it seems to me that "scripting" is being used to solve problems
that could just as easily be solved by real code.

	Please enlighten my heathen mind: Why not simply compile your "scripts"
into C/C++ .DLLs?  These are the arguments I can vaguely recall for
scripting, but I just don't think they hold up:

1. You don't have to compile scripts.

	I mean, ok, yeah, you gotta spend a few seconds on compiling some C/C++
into a .DLL (holy mother of poo!), but that serves a handy purpose: the
compiler checks a variety of error and warning conditions that give you
immediate feedback before you even try the script.  And if it is so
difficult to arrange a test case for the script's performance, are you
really saving any time by not using a compiled language?

2. Scripting code is easier for designers to write.

	Um, really?  Is Lua any easier to write than C?  Ok, it's more verbose, but
verbose just means more symbols to remember and use correctly.  At work I'm
stuck using Visual Basic, and while it is pretty handy for our problem
domain (RAD w/ database and native GUI), it also really confuses some of my
C++ instincts (and vice-versa).

3. The security of a sandbox.

	Ok, you've got me there, if your primary goal in scripting is to allow your
fanbase to create new content without exposing other users to a variety of
security scenarios, then I suppose you've found your holy grail.  At the
cost of 15x performance of course.  I seem to recall the user community
(PlanetQuake et al.) doing a pretty good job of filtering through the
security of mods, in fact, I don't recall any news of blaster or welchia
worms arising from Q2 mods, but you know, whatever keeps your paranoid heart
skipping happily along, go for it.  Even if it is a huge pain in the ass.

	All that aside, I do believe there are some C-syntax scripting languages
out there these days (http://csl.sourceforge.net/csl.html).  In the realm of
other ideas, Battlefield 1942 uses a "scripting" language that is really
more along the lines of a gameplay balancing dataset.  You can code up new
vehicles in plain text by combining engines and meshes and various
attributes in new and interesting ways, but you can't really change the core
gameplay mechanic.

	I'm just not significantly compelled to go beyond dynamic library-based
extendability for the time being.  However, I am significantly compelled to
find out why the higher minds of my time think otherwise.  Please excuse my
dear Aunt Sally.

Regards,
Garett Bass
gt...@st...