Factorio Forums

Just my 2 cents, if the Factorio modding API was in C++ and not Lua I would never have created any mods. Having to setup a compiler tool chain just to make a quick mod would have turned me off in a heartbeat. Sure there are limitation in the Factorio Lua API but those limitations are half the fun of modding.

zerotheliger wrote:like i was talking about earlier its doesn't seem possible to make something like buildcraft item pipes or logistics pipes or even something like applied energistics, or completely overhaul the rail portion to add features and tracks from a mod like railcraft.

You can do most of this with a little bit of imagination and some Lua hacking. Sure it would be easier if you could write your own entity definitions in C++ and compile them into the game but just because it is a little harder doesn't make it impossible. I think there is a mod doing something similar to everyone of your examples.

Yes, the Lua Api framework has all the advantages that would the direct C++ framework miss.

• Safety (no virus coming form lua based mod, at least theoretically).
• Very well defined data definition/modification so differnt mods can alter contents of other mods with ease.
• Well defined which mods changed/created some content.
• Well defined which mods are slowing the game down.
• Well defined which mods are crashing the game.

Some of these things are not very reliable, but it is a work in progress.

Also note, that we plan to do the project of more universal lua entity. The entity could have custom draw/update method. The idea is, that we would allow the entity to use whatever graphics from the game and the entity could be drawn using the lua code, this would allow a big amount of freedom to the way the entities work.

kovarex wrote:Also note, that we plan to do the project of more universal lua entity...

Are you talking about a new blank class or updating the current base entity so we have more flexibility and control of the in game entities?

JamesOFarrell wrote:

kovarex wrote:Also note, that we plan to do the project of more universal lua entity...

Are you talking about a new blank class or updating the current base entity so we have more flexibility and control of the in game entities?

I'm talking about making a new blank entity.