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[Saniblues]

I just randomly noticed that there is a LUA wrapper for Game Maker, unsurprisingly called gmlua. It can apparently call into GML functions by using the dark magic of GMAPI, so a relatively tight integration between LUA and GML is possible. However, GMAPI only works with GM up to version 8.0 and doesn't seem very active, so if we did use it, we might not be able to switch to GM 8.1. GMAPI is LGPL licensed, so we could always do the porting ourselves, but I don't really feel like taking on yet another GM extension projekt at the moment.

On the upside, having coroutines could dramatically simplify the netcode. If I understand them correctly (I never actually used coroutines yet), they would allow writing netcode almost as if the calls were blocking. That is, you could have a function receiveOrYield(socket, size) that will only return once the requested ammount has been read, and in the meantime it wouldn't block the thread, but allow the game to continue running. It would also improve the possibilities of script-based modding. And if done well, the game logic might be translated to LUA bit by bit, until we only have the bare "engine" in GML, which could then be recreated in a different host language to migrate completely away from Game Maker.

I didn't spend any time actually planning this so there might be glaring flaws. Just putting it here as an idea. I still won't have time to do this kind of thing for a while now.

I hear GM 8.1 is awful, anyway.

[Phantom Brave]

it is

[Psychopath]

I have a few friends who have used GM8.1, they agree with the statement Sani just made.

It's far less stable than 8.0 is from what they've experienced. And the only noticeable improvement they've acknowledged is the ability to grep through object events in addition to scripts instead of only being limited to grepping through scripts. Add on top of that the (if I'm not mistaken) doubled pricetag from 8.0, it's as if there's no reason to even want to get it, let alone pirate it.

[NAGN]

We can't even port Gang Garrison 2 to 8.1 let alone a library

[Vindicator]

Hm, Lua should be interesting. I've had somewhat experience with Lua, although only related to the source engine, I used to be a huge into modding stuff for GMOD back in the day.

[AcidLead]

hey

a language change that means none of the years of work has to be lost now?

and might result in more efficient program structure?

in fact eventually so ridiculously efficient that we'll wonder why we used the slow buggy crap of today?

wow i hate this the old ways are better everyone knows that new things are bad

[Vindicator]

hey

a language change that means none of the years of work has to be lost now?

and might result in more efficient program structure?

in fact eventually so ridiculously efficient that we'll wonder why we used the slow buggy crap of today?

wow i hate this the old ways are better everyone knows that new things are bad

Just because there's a checkbox that says "Enable Something" doesn't mean everything will magically become super efficient without us doing anything.

[MedO]

I think it's more of an issue that a minor version change introduces breaking changes, i.e. argument count checking (though that can be disabled now) and removal of raster font support. Also, breaking stuff again with an update of the third order version number by suddenly re-interpreting everything as UTF-8, with no apparent support for converting old files, so everything that used non-ascii characters has to be re-typed. This one was plain silly, seriously.

[NAGN]

On the topic of Game Maker 8.1, does anyone else have trouble installing it on multiple computers? Or is the key a one-time use thing, which would really make me upset

[Meower]

hey

a language change that means none of the years of work has to be lost now?

and might result in more efficient program structure?

in fact eventually so ridiculously efficient that we'll wonder why we used the slow buggy crap of today?

wow i hate this the old ways are better everyone knows that new things are bad

Just because there's a checkbox that says "Enable Something" doesn't mean everything will magically become super efficient without us doing anything.

You obviously have never traveled here

[AcidLead]

wow did everyone miss that i was joking

[notajf]

I just randomly noticed that there is a LUA wrapper for Game Maker, unsurprisingly called gmlua. It can apparently call into GML functions by using the dark magic of GMAPI, so a relatively tight integration between LUA and GML is possible. However, GMAPI only works with GM up to version 8.0 and doesn't seem very active, so if we did use it, we might not be able to switch to GM 8.1. GMAPI is LGPL licensed, so we could always do the porting ourselves, but I don't really feel like taking on yet another GM extension projekt at the moment.

On the upside, having coroutines could dramatically simplify the netcode. If I understand them correctly (I never actually used coroutines yet), they would allow writing netcode almost as if the calls were blocking. That is, you could have a function receiveOrYield(socket, size) that will only return once the requested ammount has been read, and in the meantime it wouldn't block the thread, but allow the game to continue running. It would also improve the possibilities of script-based modding. And if done well, the game logic might be translated to LUA bit by bit, until we only have the bare "engine" in GML, which could then be recreated in a different host language to migrate completely away from Game Maker.

I didn't spend any time actually planning this so there might be glaring flaws. Just putting it here as an idea. I still won't have time to do this kind of thing for a while now.

I'm supposed to be retired, but I'm visiting for 5 minutes again.

This sounds like a good idea - In fact, I've suggested this before (although not using Lua). If you were to do this, you could eventually go to "LÖVE", a lovely Lua 2d engine for games.

[free crzy]

ay yo when this board get here???