[goldfeld]

Why the hell force me into LoomScript when Lua would have given a readily available source of learned game developers? Delegates, are you kidding me? I refuse to program in a language that doesn't treat functions as first class citizens.

[bengarney]

Valid LoomScript:

var f = function():void { Console.print("Hello world!"); }; f.call();

Not sure how much more first class it gets, but I'm open to your suggestions!

[goldfeld]

The only examples readily available in the linked page are with onSomeEvent, which may have been of a special function accepting type, so that you could do what you did above was not immediately clear. "Delegates" and "C#" also strike the wrong chord with me. And if you run on the LuaVM, why would you not allow Lua interspersed or replacing LoomScript? I'd be that much likely to look into this framework, as I'm always looking for more reasons to use Lua, and less reasons to learn new languages (currently I already have VimScript, R, Awk and possibly Rust on the pipeline.)

[bengarney]

If using Lua is the primary factor in your technology choices, you may want to use Corona, Love, MOAI, or another high quality Lua-based game engine product.

That said, we went with LoomScript over Lua because we did not want to use a language where OOP is an idiom. And we support one development path because, in our opinion, it is the best option - and because, in our experience, great platforms choose a "right way" to do things and run with it.

You do get the full source code, so if it really bothered you it would not be hard to "fall back" to plain old Lua. But I think that would be overlooking a lot of benefits.

[tomlu]

What are the benefits though? I wouldn't say using Lua is a "primary factor", but Lua is:

* Simple yet powerful

* Supports multiple paradigms

* Fairly concise

* DSL friendly

* Very robust

* Small footprint

* About as quick as they come in this language space, even without LuaJIT

* Supported by tools, debuggers and a community

If I were contemplating building my own dynamic language to support something like a game engine there would have to be some pretty compelling arguments not to just use Lua. I'm sure you've thought about it - so what's the reasoning?

[EwanG]

The main benefit I see (though I am amused not to see it mentioned here or on their site) is that a lot of Flash programmers will see it's almost like AS3, and be willing and able to get comfortable with this since they "know" how it works.

However I hope the $500/license doesn't show that they are planning to emulate Adobe too closely...

[knaught]

The Engine Company is a small company (5 of us) based in Eugene, OR. We are self funded so we don't have any VCs that we have to please.

We feel our licensing terms are very fair: http://theengine.co/license