Scripting - what is it? What is it used for?

[Intoxicatedowl8]

I have no idea what scripting is used for. I have read that it is to "give you complete control over the game" or whatever but I have no idea what that means.

The only instance in which I have seen scripting useful in the manual was for text dialogue and text trees, etc.

[Phemar]

- Look at hotspot
  - Game - Display a Message
    - Edit Message
      - New Message etc.

That's how you'd do it in the interaction editor.
With scripting it'd look like this:

- Look at hotspot
  - Run Script
    - Edit Script
      - Display ("Your message here.");

Basically it's a lot easier and faster if you have a whole bunch of problems to solve. If you need some help, don't feel afraid to PM me.

[passer-by]

You will find uses for it as the game progresses and you have an idea you can't realise with the commands.

Basically it's a lot easier and faster if you

...if you know what you are doing...
I don't use it very much because I need to scan the forums and the manual for hours for a single line of script... :-[Ã,  I mainly use it in dialogues or when I have to do the same thing many times (like losing many inv items at once) or fiddling with enable/disable many thingsÃ,  at once. Or when there is no command in the interactions panel , of course...
I don't do more complicated things, anyway...

[monkey0506]

The best way I have found of learning how to script is to just start.  Set a goal to do something, using only scripting, then search the manual, ask in the forums, do whatever is necessary to get it done.  Then set another goal.  If you really don't know anything, then you may want to look at the tutorial first, that will set you in the right direction, but then after that, it really is easy.  You just have to "keep your eyes on the ball" so to say...

[RickJ]

I don't use it very much because I need to scan the forums and the manual for hours for a single line of script...

This, of course, gets easier and less time consuming the more you do it.  The new version of AGS makes good use of an auto-complete editor feature that makes this process a lot easier than it has been in the past. 

I have no idea what scripting is used for. I have read that it is to "give you complete control over the game" or whatever but I have no idea what that means.

It's an alternative and more powerful way of programming your game.  The Interaction Editor can be very cumbersome at times and many of us find it much easier to do everything in a script program. 

The new version Ags 2.7 can be downloaded from a sticky in the Technical Forum.

[PsychicHeart]

but almost no games have ever been made without at least a tiny bit of scripting. It's needed for almost every aspect of games. But as said before, it takes skills. Why do you think that Game Programmers get a killing working in the games business? Scripting is essential. I know how you feel, when i began i didn't know what the hell scripting was. But as i learned more in the forums, help etc, i began to become more proficent. Now i know a fair bit of scripting. Trust me, these forums are great. You'll know all about every aspect of scripting in no time.

[Intoxicatedowl8]

....once i stop being lazy and finish the damn tutorial.

[monkey0506]

Well all you really have to do is read over it.  Going through it and actually typing the code and w/e will give you experience in working with AGS, but other than that it's really just all about the reading.

[nihilyst]

And the tutorial isn't a "damn tutorial". It's one of the best I've ever seen; everything is written down step by step, and you can easily follow, even if you haven't done anything with scripting before.

[Intoxicatedowl8]

sorry..

but excuse me mr nihilyst...you have a little brown spot on your nose...wait..no...a little up...almost..

[Ponch]

The best way to learn scripting is to dig into the technical archives here or read the BFAQ.

At first, just try to use scripts to accomplish simple things that you could use the interaction editor for: making the player walk to a certain place or prick up an object and add an item to inventory.

It seems pretty obtuse at first but once you play around with it for a bit, it's amazing how easy it becomes to use.

[Scummbuddy]

@Intoxicatedowl8

A) how do you expect to get anywhere if you are too lazy to even read a tutorial? I can see it now, you are going to be one of the best game developers...
B) Yes, do not call it a damn tutorial, or knock anything about the editor. If you want to, well then write your own game engine, so we can come on your forums and knock that one.
C) You definitly need to mature up some. nihilyst was just trying to help, and he certainly wasn't brown-nosing.

It would be different if you used any sarcasim emoticons, or even wrote "Sarcasim ahead", but you didn't, so you came across as being rather rude, which we will not tolerate.

[Gilbert]

* Gilbot V7000a is confused...

Did you mods accidentally clicked the wrong button so this thread is now sticky instead of being locked?

[PsychicHeart]

That probably did happen. Whoops. Anyway, i know how Intoxicate feels. The Lone Ranger admist an army that even Agent Smith from The Matrix would dub huge, and them trying to tell you that your "not mature enough". But trust me, i learnt something from my battle against Moderators. And that was that Moderators.... hmmm how do i put this.... aren't as much jackasses and morons and ignoramuses and dickheads and floppies and nOOb-Haters and evil monsters who are against you as they seem at first. You're obviously pretty new, and i know how it feels. Heck, pretty much everyone here at these forums has been a noob at some stage in their AGS Life*
So, in a way, learn as i did. Okay, maybe that's not such a good idea.
* Cept CJ of course.