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In-game Lua Console
Posted by Data in Cortex Command - May 15th, 2008

Console KillContinuing the feature series.. Next up is something really powerful that will open whole new worlds of possibilities for you tinkerers and modders out there: There is now an in-game console that enables so much control of the engine that it’s almost scary.

Thanks to the Swedish geniuses at Rasterbar (recommended to us by Klei), we have managed to expose almost all of our internal classes and interfaces to the Lua environment now running in the system. This will eventually mean that some of you will literally be able to create entire new games with the Cortex Command engine by writing elaborate Lua scripts in addition to the content mods and addons you have been limited to so far.

Even if you’re not so ambitious, it’s still fun to play around in the console. Like making a guy instantly fly at 100 m/s to the right –>>

Documentation of all the commands and interfaces will eventually appear in the Data Realms Wiki, so you can easily harness this new power that has been unleashed!

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180 Responses to “In-game Lua Console”

  1. Ollieh - # May 15th, 2008 at 1:56 am

    Obviously awesome! Thanks Data :D keep it up…

  2. Predator King - # May 15th, 2008 at 2:18 am

    HELL YES! Now we can turn this into some weird deathmatch game, add teleporters, even add true zombies! WOOHOO! :D

  3. Leto - # May 15th, 2008 at 2:22 am

    UNLIMITED POWER!

  4. Jack73hRipper - # May 15th, 2008 at 2:30 am

    I LOVE YOU DATA REALMS!

  5. Khyour - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:28 am

    This is good. I’m happy to see that the game is coming along nicely.

  6. Shook - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:33 am

    *BEEP*

    Holy. I sense a whole shitload of lulz coming our way :0
    *Imagines launching own head towards enemy*
    Yes, lulz. BOOYAH! I’m hella glad that i spotted this piece of gold :D
    No, not piece, PLANET. I think it’s safe to say that Data Realms
    makes all major game companies eat dust. DUSSSST.
    Can’t wait for the next build, but by all means, take your time :)

  7. Mombasa - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:35 am

    Awesome, another fine addition making modifications and the like easier and further increasing the potential for amazing custom content.

    Yay for Data

    -Mombasa

  8. brinlarden - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:11 am

    AWESOME.

  9. Tendrop - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:19 am

    Yay4progress

  10. Tobeh - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:21 am

    Should make things more interesting xD

  11. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:53 am

    how to implement portal gun?
    function portal1
    set(portal1.rotation {0} )
    if “portal2″ onfield} then
    get “portal2″.pos and x==”portal2″.pos and print(x)
    end
    if Actor{MOCollision “portal1″} then
    Actor.pos==x
    end
    if HeldDevice{MOCollision “portal1″} then
    Actor.pos==x
    end
    if TDE{MOCollis… continue list of all possible things…
    end

    is this somewhere on the lines of how it would work?

  12. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:53 am

    ^screwed up tabbing^

  13. Tomaster - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:28 am

    I shat bricks and midgets.

  14. LordRolo - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:34 am

    OMG, i REALHEHEHELLY cannot wait till the next version now, all of my modding dreams come true!!

    one little request is the adding of animations to guns so you can have a decient length firing animation etc

  15. Fooby - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:38 am

    DUDE. SICK! This may mean bigger things.. like hurling a rocket into an enemy base. :D (I hope for Cortex Music Player)

  16. Bolter - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:45 am

    Cool, Lua opens lots of possibilities. I loved it when it came to Gmod ’cause there is a HUGE amount of stuff you can make with it.

  17. Octyl - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:47 am

    OH HELL YES. Cortex Command just got a whole lot better. I really need to learn Lua…

  18. Kallemort - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:50 am

    So, Lua seems to have more possibilities than we expected.

    Cant wait for the new build, but I understand if Data needs more time. I can wait.

    Oh god. Paradox.

  19. Electroclan - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:52 am

    Yeeesssss!!

  20. Seraph - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:58 am

    Oooh… Purdy.

  21. Skiv - # May 15th, 2008 at 7:11 am

    :D another update, hell yeah

  22. christopher - # May 15th, 2008 at 7:15 am

    At first I thought I’d have to learn Lua, but no! Data says He’ll put the actions on the wiki

    P.S. “He” is capatilized

  23. Electroclan - # May 15th, 2008 at 7:27 am

    The console will be an absolute essential modding tool, it looks like. I suppose it has the abilities to gib actor limbs and the like?

  24. Kevinmce - # May 15th, 2008 at 7:33 am

    Sound great!!

    So many games are turning to LUA now for its awesome power, Cortex Command will gain greatly with this addition.

  25. zalo - # May 15th, 2008 at 7:46 am

    I just need to learn Lua.

    So many “ends” and brackets. *Shudders*
    But if I can reload scripts in-game now… YES!

    Also, DOCUMENTATION! YES.

  26. Crav3r - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:02 am

    VERY VERY NICE!
    LOVE THIS GAME! =D

  27. wiplash - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:41 am

    whoa thats kewl

  28. Tea - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:47 am

    This is good.
    It’s nice to see you updating again, I expect this will Expand what we can do with mods.
    But I do realize that it wont let us do everything.
    Looking forward to the next build.

  29. lmsyhmic - # May 15th, 2008 at 9:20 am

    Awesome

  30. Lazyfaith - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:02 am

    Sounds great, looks rather confusing thoguh :/

  31. war_man333 - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:11 am

    Not so confusing if you know lua.
    I know abit lua, so hopefully I can make something with this.
    Or just fuck around with the console.
    Can you set gravity to ‘X’ with it?

  32. Data - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am

    War_Man: you can make gravity change direction and magnitude every second if you wanted to…

  33. Commander Cool - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:27 am

    OH FUCK YES.

  34. Kurrus - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:42 am

    Holy shit! ETA for next build?

  35. AtomicTroop - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:06 am

    So, I see we can activate scripts via the console but can we tie the scripts into object events like gibbing, movement, hittest with others?
    If that IS the case, I am gonna cry from happiness.

  36. Bolter - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:40 am

    @32:

    Is it possible to make 2 separate gravities, like a vertical one for wind?

  37. Kenny Compton - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:45 am

    It would be cool to have some user-created sequels/coincedental stories created and publishable.
    User-created missions would be a great way to test the game and the players simultaneously.

  38. capnbubs - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:46 am

    Very happy to see this post.

    Will Lua give us the ability to write to an external file?

    For persistant data purposes in campaigns etc.

  39. capnbubs - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:56 am

    also… will we be able to set gravity for individual MOs?

  40. XDevil - # May 15th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    Awesome!

  41. DiviX - # May 15th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    Now thats what I’m talkin bout!!

  42. Ctrl - # May 15th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    Looks like fun.

  43. DudeGuy - # May 15th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    OMNGWINEPICHAXORSYESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!

    Finally! So… there HAS been coding beyond Base.rte files and stuff, I was wondering where all the physics and stuff were. But with is amazing. You may need to make a whole new Sub-Forum on the DRFF that’s like, ‘Lua Edit’ or something like that, to share what you found out you could do (not like there’s anything that WON’T be able to be done now) with the Lua. Because that wouldn’t really be considered a mod because you can’t download it.

  44. Data - # May 15th, 2008 at 2:26 pm

    Dudeguy: the lua scripts will sit in the .rte data modules along with everything else, so yes they will be downloadable.

    AtomicTroop: you will be able to tie in to almost every type of event, and cause almost anything to happen as result..

    Capnbubs: In the name of safety, we have nullified the IO library in Lua, but we’ll provide a way to safely write and read from special save files for that purpose you mention. If we hadn’t, anyone could’ve written a script/mod that would nuke your OS system files!

  45. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 2:51 pm

    This is awesome.
    Amazing.
    I can’t wait to mess with this.

    Are the lua scripts in plain old .inis or will we need some new programs to view/edit them?

  46. Roy-g-biv - # May 15th, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    Can we make things spontaniously spawn?
    As in like, with the console?
    Not using the buy menu?

  47. Funtastic - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    Wow.
    Just wow.
    Do you remember when cotex command was supposed to be a relatively straightforward game about brains fighting eachother? I do.
    Now, Cortex Command has become so much more, to the point that CC isn’t just a game anymore, it’s a virtual lego set of physics and pixels that’s easy enough to access that pretty much anyone can make a good mod.
    Bravo Data Realms, Bravo.

  48. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    Also, the console, how does it work? The standard tilde to activate, pausing the game, select stuff with the mouse, type in commands of what to do, tilde again to go back into the game?
    Free-roaming camera?
    Selection drag boxes? Use of Shift and Ctrl for selection?

  49. Tomaster - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm

    Probably, also, does this mean that we can have rockets that gib and rockets that don’t?

  50. Tomaster - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    Data has been commenting alot lately, compared to his once a month comment, and sometimes more than that.

  51. Tomaster - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    Also, damnit Data, update the front page, CC is no longer game of the month.

  52. Jay - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    Now all we need is the actual release, and we’ll be gold.

  53. Daman - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

    Azukki, that doesn’t make sense. The entities would be named, so no you wouldn’t be selecting stuff. It seems that he has a command to name things already. Look at the myActor = MovableMan:GetMOfromID(1). I can only guess that each entity put into the game gets a sequential number(ID) attached to it. But this makes me wonder how we would assign preplaced objects in this way.

  54. Midna - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Funtastic - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:00 pm

    Wow.
    Just wow.
    Do you remember when cotex command was supposed to be a relatively straightforward game about brains fighting eachother? I do.
    Now, Cortex Command has become so much more, to the point that CC isn’t just a game anymore, it’s a virtual lego set of physics and pixels that’s easy enough to access that pretty much anyone can make a good mod.
    Bravo Data Realms, Bravo.

    Fuck yes.

  55. PlasmaNova - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    Wow
    nothing else just…
    Wow

  56. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

    @48 Tomaster

    That sounds downright simple in comparison to AI modes and missions and what have you, so I would certainly hope so.

  57. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    @53

    Yeah, the line said he just got the MOID, which means he just somehow selected the actor.

    I don’t see why clicking for selection of actors/effects/whatever would be improbable or difficult.

  58. TFSR - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:54 pm

    Wait- could this be used to freeze the in-game time without actually pausing the game, allowing for bullets to be redirected, etc? If so, could sticky particles only be made to stick to other particles?

  59. TFSR - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:56 pm

    Sorry, I meant certain other particles, as in something that only sticks when it hits dirt or something that will not stick to blood? Were that possible, could this mean Falling Sand Game-type lagfest interactions?
    On a note not high on console fumes, when will the new key system be implemented?

  60. Data - # May 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Yeah, the console is brought down in either main menu or in-game with tilde, although it doesn’t pause the game - will be a command to do that though. could also make a script to load and run other entire scripts when you hit certain keys, since you have full access to the input manager.

    Also, there will be easy ways to ‘tag’ and select actors and objects based on those tags or names.

  61. Aspect - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    Wow.
    Whenever I take out my iPod touch and click on the mail button I hope to see one of the Data Realms emails. Today I just had a feeling. I saw the email and I was like, “Fuck yeah!”
    But now I have a bunch of questions.

    How much does this change the .ini files that we have come accustomed to using? Will we have to convert them in to Lua script or are they still the primary modding files? Is there full compatibility with current mods? Have you added any more content to the campaign/single player, or is that in future builds?

  62. DudeGuy - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

    @Data: Seriously, they WILL be downloadable? That’s even cooler!

  63. DudeGuy - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    OH! And one more question, you won’t be changing any Material names again, will you?

  64. Octyl - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

    So I guess this means that there will be Lua for EVERYTHING. Fuck yes.

  65. Ryazard - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    What key would activate the console ` maybe? If so how would it be done on a controller?

  66. Sixteen - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    Nice. Nobody’s complained for a new update yet. I’m just curious, is there a command to freeze or place PinStrength to things? Can you put that onto a bullet? Can you make a person shot by said bullet freeze for a certain amount of time?

    If there’s a freeze command, I’ll be really happy.

    Is there a command to consistently stop all velocity of all objects in a certain area?

    If there is, I’ll need to get a new computer. My CPU is pretty good, but shuts off after game of Halo one trial. Or during it.

  67. Sixteen - # May 15th, 2008 at 4:50 pm

    New question. Yes, that was quick. Is there a command to make dropships create a layer of solid ground on top of it that disappears every millisecond and comes back? So it has an illusion of moving with the dropship? So you can ride on it to shoot rockets to other ones. Yes, I am obsessed with moving on dropships

  68. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:03 pm

    Ryazard; it wouldn’t work on a controller, you cannot type functions, silly.

  69. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

    …on a controller that is.

  70. Data - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

    Sixteen: to ‘freeze’ something, just have your script set the position to the same coordinates each update! Pinning also would do the job.

  71. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

    Oh, also, will Lua scripting give us more control over screeneffects? Like rotation along with what it’s attached to, animation, etc?

    Sure, there’s maintaining the retro look, but you might as well finish what you started with them.

  72. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    Also maybe the ability to make screen effects with 32-bit? For dark screen effects, etc?

  73. roy-g-biv - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    How about earthquake effects?

  74. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm

    azukki its a physics engine not a graphics program XD it cannot make screen effects.

  75. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    earthquake = move all actor pos either +/- 1,2,3,4 randomly, and move camera by +/- 5,6,7,8 (if you can move the camera).

  76. robolee - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:57 pm

    run the cycle about 20 times

  77. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 5:58 pm

    Then what do you call the glows around the exhaust of a rocket?

    ScreenEffect = ContentFile
    FilePath = Base.rte/Effects/Glows/YellowBig.bmp

  78. What - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

    Let me try and understand the amount of power Lua will be offering us.

    Is it possible to make a MOPixel lock onto an actor and head toward it’s direction?

    Portals?

    Also, any planning on mounted turrets on dropships?

    Also also, awesome.

  79. Anonymous - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:27 pm

    Building on #78 I think you should be able to essentialy make your own ship with being able to choose size, types of mountings (missle pod, buffs for ground troops, turrets) what goes in the mounts, type of drop bay doors (none, bomb, both) and save those designs for deployment. Or maybe even have moving bases that can be boarded with weapons/the ability to move troops around and deploy them and maybe the ability to transfer between such areas in a game…*keeps dreaming*

    Would any of this be possible with LUA BTW?

  80. whitty - # May 15th, 2008 at 6:29 pm

    ok Data what about:

    PORTALS

  81. Data - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:05 pm

    Portals are easy: Just declare Box, and each update check if anything’s position is inside of it ( myBox:WithinBox(myActor.Pos) ). If it is, then set the position of the object to wherever the exit portal location is (myActor.Pos = exitPortalPos). Can also spawn any kind of effects whenever teleportation happens etc.

  82. whitty - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  83. whitty - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:15 pm

    Data one more thing:

    http://datarealms.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11215
    (by Falcon X) Depth

    My idealist idea is a 3 layer depth. Really, 5 layers, the 1st and 5th being walls.

    The 2nd layer is the left [or right, shut up] side of a room. 3rd is duh, middle, and 4th is the other left or right.

    Each level is independent of the next in terms of gunfire, small objects, rubble, debris, and actors. Explosions, Grenades, weapon spreads, and the like will affect other layers though.

    Hallways would be wide, narrow, half narrow, of anything in between. This would enable insanely cool pseudo-3D environments, without ruining game play.

    Now, unless CC gets an intense memory reduction [Meaning it gets less intensive on the RAM and Processor] this will be usable on only good rigs or small maps.

    But, think of the possibilities! Barriers would be usable, but not ruin mobility. Grenades would actually matter more, and destruction would be more intense!

    Actors in a deeper standing could be darkened [Glows maybe, no idea] Actors in the foreground would be transparent, as indicators of depth. Actors could independently change depth via AI programming, or ect. for intense cover oriented firefights.

    This is a far off dream, but a good one I think.

  84. Turunen45 - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:40 pm

    O _ O tool of gods for modmaking THE CONSOLE!

  85. Mooseral - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:45 pm

    Want.

    Yeehee, so many more content possibilities. Now I want to make a cannon so hueg that it inverts gravity when it fires 8).

    Why thanks there, Data.

  86. Omni - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:50 pm

    OH CRAP.

    I came. And now I can’t find my mouse. Too much of the stuff.

    Well looks like you’ve provided quite a toolset here. Can’t wait to see it in action. If you haven’t already, make sure the effect rendering is nice and detailed, so we can render to the foreground and background easily, as well as particles in the solid layer which can collide and be destroyed but don’t actually do any particle physics.

    Best possible setup for effect layering would be five layers.
    1. Far Background: Completely behind the solid layer, no collision. Possibly parallax scrolling.
    2. Close Background: Behind all actors, particles, and moveable entities. Still collides with bunkers and terrain.
    3. Solid Layer: Collides with everything, actors, guns, dropships, anything. These particles would probably provide a “OnCollide” function for doing damage or providing momentum to actors. Most of the time, however, they would be just effects. (Spawning splash effects when they hit will be fun to play with though.)
    4. Close Foreground: In front of actors, dropships, and other moveable entities. Still collides with bunkers and terrain.
    5. Far Foreground: In front of everything, including terrain. Rarely used as it would make the particles essentially go through walls.

    Also, to Whitty about the multiple layers of movement, it’d probably be simplest if it was just made so that up to three friendly actors can occupy a space, and actors can go through friendly small barriers. Barriers are terrain objects, so who knows if that’s worth the trouble. Another possible method would be for actors to “fortify” into the background, where they become slightly darker and don’t move around. When in this mode, they wouldn’t collide with friendly actors on the normal layer, and wouldn’t be able to move. (But still be able to be crushed by dropship chunks or shot to death.)

    Oh, and Data, here’s a minor request from me. Turn up the concrete and metal strength slightly, and turn down the debris strength. Give debris a little give so debris crushes into old debris to make more compact piles. This will make debris less of the dynamic armor it is now. Right now, debris is so dense and strong, it’s less like debris and more like a coat of hard metal snow. XD

  87. Foaboegik - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:52 pm

    Hoorah, god powers!
    Hope it includes bunker construction ingame!

  88. Daman - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

    I dislike the layer proposal myself.

    Also hey guys asking if specific things can be done isn’t practical.

    I’m wondering the different functions we will have. Would we be able to trace a line from an object to a position and check if there’s anything there? Will we be able to modify the offsets real-time, effectively creating a way to make somewhat-animated scenes? I suppose that the variables such as the myActor.vel example comes along with the variables from the old .RTEs, which would allow us to change offsets too..

  89. Omni - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    Sorry, in my excitement, I forgot to reiterate how COMPLETELY AWESOME this is.

    Bravo. Bravo. I only wish some of the bigger game making companies had the same enlightened sense of what’s needed that you do. They should be ashamed after seeing what you’ve made.

    Except Will Wright. That guy is amazing. And Epic Games gets noted for being somewhat less lazy than the others. But everyone else, shame.

  90. BakedNoodle - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:56 pm

    This is why I paid for the Support Edition of Cortex Command, because they still keep throwing surprises. This game is so awesome, explosions?, guns?, mods?, great physics engine without having flashy graphics to get the point across? Great community? YES PLEASE!

  91. Lord Tim - # May 15th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

    That layer idea is pretty lame, but guess what!

    You can do it in Lua! :D D: :D D: :D

    Probably.

  92. Daman - # May 15th, 2008 at 9:21 pm

    I guarantee that from Data’s suggestion to making portals(Shows that you can change the position of things) you could make a layer-like affect, not too sure about shading it etc.

  93. Foaboegik - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    Can we make the enemies suddenly go from Brain Hunt to MyActor Hunt?

  94. Azukki - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    @93

    I don’t know if their path finding could update it’s self with your movement. But maybe that changed. Because now, if you have a brain AHuman, enemies just go to where you were originally placed.

  95. Leevizer - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:38 pm

    UNNNLLLIIIMMMIIITTTEEEDDDDD…. PPPPOOOOWWWWEEEEERRRRR!!!!

    Oh, and thanks, Data! Awesomeness awaits!

  96. ChJees - # May 15th, 2008 at 10:49 pm

    Wow, even more reason to start playing Cortex Command again :P.

    Now just wait for next build…

  97. Data - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:43 pm

    OMNI: regarding the debris issue: wait for next devlog post :) (already taken care of)

  98. Sheezy - # May 15th, 2008 at 11:45 pm

    And whens the next dev log post supposed to be?

  99. Azukki - # May 16th, 2008 at 12:20 am

    Haha wow, this post is getting replies a lot faster than the sticky particles. But then again, it is much more important.

    And he probably won’t tell us when to expect the posts. I can’t recall him ever giving a specific release date or whatever.
    I can’t really say I blame him, I don’t like giving myself deadlines either.

  100. Shook - # May 16th, 2008 at 4:04 am

    Also, Data, will it be possible to make shots/rounds attach emitters to the actor they hit?
    I think i’m gonna explode (In happiness) if it is…
    It would make for some pretty neat mods, i think. Like, healing guns (TF2 *Innocent whistling*),
    burns from fire or just plain incineration. Right now, the fire
    is more like ultra-dense air :P

  101. Skiv - # May 16th, 2008 at 5:40 am

    holy cow, this is getting better and better, Dear Data please come to IRC someday, some time, so we could discuss the upcoming features, and worship you even more :P

  102. zacness - # May 16th, 2008 at 5:45 am

    zed oh em jee

    LOVING THE DEVLOG UPDATES!
    my god i am loving them.

  103. blipflip - # May 16th, 2008 at 7:52 am

    Thing is..I have no idea how to use Lua. It will make all my CC modding skills completely redundant, and I don’t have time to learn it.

    I suppose this is a good thing, but it’s also the end of an era.

  104. GranPC - # May 16th, 2008 at 8:02 am

    Data, what you can do regarding IO with Lua scripts is make a folder (luafiles, etc) which contain all the Lua files.

    Maybe they could also read even if the files are out of luafiles folder.

  105. Electroclan - # May 16th, 2008 at 8:20 am

    Don’t worry about it blipflip, Lua is easy to learn by just fiddling and experimenting with the code.

  106. Numgun - # May 16th, 2008 at 9:20 am

    Data, about the “tilde” key (~).

    As you live in America, the keyboards there have the tilde in a good place on the keyboard while us europeans have it at quite nasty places. I need to use Alt Gr to get to it.

    What im suggesting is that could you please make the forward slash (/) as the command console key instead of the tilde. I’ve just had this problem with most american games when I want to enter the console.

    Soldat uses the / for example. Please.

  107. Shook - # May 16th, 2008 at 9:25 am

    Heh, i don’t think your modding skills will get redundant. If there is nothing to script,
    then Lua doesn’t do a whole lot. Which is why we can make those things.
    A schwatload of Lua scripted AK-47’s probably wouldn’t be as cool as a schwatload of well made
    custom guns, with or without Lua. Probably. Unless the Lua person is very proficient.
    But far from everybody are that, so no worries.

  108. carpet_ninja - # May 16th, 2008 at 11:10 am

    looks nice

    i dont really like the depth idea, it would spoil the game a bit

  109. Octyl - # May 16th, 2008 at 11:11 am

    Well, MY guess is that the next update will be on May 22nd, because this one was a week after sticky particles. An update a week? Yes please!

  110. Data - # May 16th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    Numgun: ok now both slash and tilde activates the console!

    Regarding extra layers for the actors.. thanks for the suggestion, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. It’d add a lot of confusion and complexity.

  111. robolee - # May 16th, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    http://oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/images/UK-KB.JPG
    uk keyboard
    http://oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/images/USA-KB.JPG
    us keyboard
    …
    …
    I don’t see why it can’t be the same button, regardless of what it actually inputs. all the games I have played use that button for the console and I use the UK keyboard.

  112. robolee - # May 16th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    I have played american games that only say the “tilde button” but that button next to “1″ seems to work whereas the actual tilde button doesn’t.

  113. Daman - # May 16th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    @Shook/107: What. “If there is nothing to script.” What are you even talking about, why would there be nothing to script?

    And no shit bullet sprayers will still be the same annoying stuff, Lua just gives you the power to make good stuff. Hurr I could say the same for custom-made or whatever the .rte variable editing is.

    Plus proficiency in Lua would not change the fact that the ak-47 is just a bullet sprayer. You make no sense.

  114. Shook - # May 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm

    @Daman: “What are you even talking about, why would there be nothing to script?”
    Well, technically there’s always something to script, but don’t you think that
    it’ll get just a little boring if there’s no new content to script? If there’s
    only the default weapons to fiddle around with, you’ll eventually start feeling
    that you need something new to code. Unless Lua can change the basic variables
    of a gun, they will stay the same, pretty much. One can’t make a Lua scripted
    orbital laser if one doesn’t have said laser, right?

    “Plus proficiency in Lua would not change the fact that the ak-47 is just a bullet sprayer.”
    True, but seeing how many possibilities there could be with the console, i think
    that a sufficiently proficient Lua coder could make some kind of “OSHI-” effect,
    that a newbie coder wouldn’t have a chance of doing.
    I hope this made a bit more sense, i tend to be a little… I dunno what word.
    Full of non-sense?

  115. Anonymous - # May 16th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    Data: Any word as far as content? (maps, actors, bunker pieces ect)

  116. Sixteen - # May 16th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    Well, I hope all the good modders learn Lua and combine both scripting and modding.

    Once Lua comes in, there will be much better mods. But also more bad ones. People will do little tests with Lua and think that it is completely original and release them by the dozens.

  117. Dan - # May 16th, 2008 at 4:47 pm

    Will you be able to save the written code out of the console. So you can develop as you go and save to a transcript or something. That would be pretty awesome.

  118. Nick Fury - # May 16th, 2008 at 5:09 pm

    I can describe this in only one word.

    SEX.

  119. Omni - # May 16th, 2008 at 6:32 pm

    Fixed the debris?

    Well, awesome. I guess I’ve got nothing to say then, except… when will we see it? :)

    Nah, take your time. But really, I’m gonna love this update.

  120. Metroid48 - # May 16th, 2008 at 10:51 pm

    The gmod age has begun! Entirely new gamemodes - Check! In-game modification - Check!

    Completely chaotic - Check!

    After this version comes out (even if it’s a limited demo) I’ll take a look. Might buy it - I’ve been holding off because money is important for non-gaming needs, but still, this looks very promising.

  121. Omni - # May 17th, 2008 at 12:07 am

    Gmod age? Haha, it’ll be better than Gmod, baby. This is Data’s engine. Instead of Garry, who just redirects a couple functions, Data can actually rework things as he sees fit.

    This is gonna be sweeeeeeeet. Zombies are high on the list. Also, rain and snow. Also wheeled vehicles, and combat oriented flying ships. And that’s only the beginning. :3

  122. war_man333 - # May 17th, 2008 at 1:59 am

    And garry is a lazy bastard, unlike Data, who isn’t :D

  123. xtortion1980 - # May 17th, 2008 at 3:09 am

    This. Is. Epic.
    This opens up a new age of CC.
    Less limitations, more possibilities!

  124. spider96 - # May 17th, 2008 at 7:13 am

    Data could you estimate the time the realese? :P

  125. GranPC - # May 17th, 2008 at 7:33 am

    @WAR_MAN333: I second that.
    Any release date?

  126. J23 - # May 17th, 2008 at 8:57 am

    OMG DATA JUST WON THE INTRENETS SO HARD.

    Space scenes can now be easily implemented, just turn off gravity!
    (Or make it really strong)

    Release…soon…plox.

  127. Foaboegik - # May 17th, 2008 at 10:01 am

    I wonder if it comes with a team color edit menu in the future?

  128. digitalstick - # May 17th, 2008 at 10:57 am

    j23: you can already alter the gravity
    foaboegik: that would be so cool

    im so good at c++!
    common lua

  129. starcraftguard - # May 17th, 2008 at 11:36 am

    im not hatin but it would be better if the newest post was at the top instead of the bottom data, any1 agree?

  130. Foaboegik - # May 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

    Hell even a paint shop!
    This guy will be all green, you will have flame decals, and that guy will have some more yellow tint!

  131. Lord Tim - # May 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    Hey Data, if you open the console, will it give you a cursor so you can read mouse input? That would be nifty for making scripts that let you select objects by clicking on them, instead of having to do it by searching through an array or whatever you use to store the objects.

  132. FinDude - # May 17th, 2008 at 3:33 pm

    Oh god luanation is upon us.
    Awesome, ME LEARN LUA NAOW!
    Just keep up the great work!

  133. FinDude - # May 17th, 2008 at 3:35 pm

    Oh, my exact toughts too 103.
    sry double

  134. Omni - # May 17th, 2008 at 5:09 pm

    @131
    Mouse input would be good. It might already be implemented via Lua.

    As far as space scenes go, Lua will allow us to make characters who, when in 0 gravity, (or less than 0.1 gravity or something) have light boosters on all sides instead of the current setup. (Walkpaths for left, right, and down, and jetpack up.) Having directional boosters for space missions would be excellent. :) Don’t know how the AI will respond. I hope the per-actor AI is at least somewhat controllable, though there’s no rush on that now that we’ve got a VAST EXPANSE of new possibilities.

    And to think, some people were complaining about me wanting the next build because they said we hadn’t explored all possibilities in the current one. I’M NOT HEARING THEM NOW, AM I? HAH.

    Keep up the good wo- actually, keep up the AMAZING work, Data.

  135. roy-g-biv - # May 17th, 2008 at 5:21 pm

    Can we try our CC Lua scripts outside of CC?

    Could we also make pinned rockets, but make them rotate via side thrusters?

    That’d seem to be the perfect setup for a aimable aircraft laser.

  136. Sixteen - # May 17th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Or a spinning cleaver of death. Or baseball. I can see how you can make entire new games.

  137. Predator King - # May 17th, 2008 at 6:43 pm

    @44 Data

    “Capnbubs: In the name of safety, we have nullified the IO library in Lua, but we’ll provide a way to safely write and read from special save files for that purpose you mention. If we hadn’t, anyone could’ve written a script/mod that would nuke your OS system files!”

    GMod version 9 comes to mind here.

  138. Foaboegik - # May 17th, 2008 at 8:39 pm

    @The Rotation Discussion

    How about suggest Hinges?
    And extra attachable moving limb?

  139. TFSR - # May 17th, 2008 at 11:31 pm

    @134: Oh hey, that’s me! STILL HAVEN’T FULLY EXPLORED CRABS/ATTACHABLES/EMITTERS.
    Just to be a bitch.

  140. 3 Solid isn't dead - # May 18th, 2008 at 6:05 am

    MUST
    MAKE
    ACTOR
    THAT
    FIRES
    HIS
    OWN
    LIMBS

    MMATFHOL

    Now try to pronounce the acronym.

  141. Omni - # May 18th, 2008 at 10:54 am

    @139
    It’s okay, I love you.

    Physically.

  142. Foaboegik - # May 18th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

    @140
    Like the Hamburgers in Food War, where they shoot their contents at things?

  143. koniferus - # May 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

    cool beans

  144. Alejandro - # May 18th, 2008 at 2:51 pm

    Screw portals…

    Is this possible?
    ———-
    Box1: Covers the whole scene.

    Box2: It’s in the brain chamber of green team.

    Box3: It’s in the brain chamber of red team.

    [Event]: “(Red actor) dies within (Box1)”
    [Response]: “Spawn (Red actor)in (Box3)”
    ———-
    Or: “Bomb the base” “Single flag CTF” “Multi-CTF” like halo?

    Or control the hill like TF2 in Well?

    5 Hills total,

    [R]—[R]—[N]—[G]—[G]

    3rd hill is unlocked for both and the winner goes unlocking the next hill from the opponent…

    IS IT POSSIBLE!?

  145. Azukki - # May 18th, 2008 at 10:52 pm

    @140
    matt - fall

    Also rotational stiffness of attachables.

  146. Azukki - # May 18th, 2008 at 10:59 pm

    And aimrange in relevancy to the actor/turret.

    (just mentioning stuff where data might hear and think about it)

  147. trolleydude - # May 19th, 2008 at 5:19 am

    Hey. I made you guys a thread.

    http://forums.facepunchstudios.com/showthread.php?t=538435

  148. whitty - # May 19th, 2008 at 6:15 am

    data, when can we expect the next “feature” post?

  149. Numgun - # May 19th, 2008 at 9:29 am

    Data, is there going to be any other resources besides gold and (possibly) oil? If so, are we able to create custom resources?

    Think of the rag-tag human faction, they are humans and they might need stuff like food, water and other stuff like that. Now the food and water resources dont give you any $$$, but instead these could be resources around the map in the form of a juicy worm that a human could dig to and eat it to regain health or restore his gib limits.

    Just a wicked idea. : )

  150. Octyl - # May 19th, 2008 at 10:20 am

    Whitty: They’ve both been on thursdays, one week apart. My guess is the 22nd.

  151. Omni - # May 19th, 2008 at 11:07 am

    @147
    That’s what Lua is for. :)

    I do hope it’ll be easy to add new resources. Then again, all you have to do is say “On touch, add resource” and add a counter in the corner. If the buy menu is at all dynamic, bam, good to go.

    Just waiting for the next build. Just… drooling thinking about the next build. Innovating in NWN2 modding can only minimize my desire to murder on a large scale for a short time. I want to crush some wetware!

  152. Tomaster - # May 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

    Please Data, update the front page, it’s no longer game of the month.

  153. The Adviser - # May 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pm

    @150
    I agree, but i did think you had made it automatically update itself but I guess not.

  154. Omni - # May 19th, 2008 at 8:58 pm

    @150
    Actually, go check their website. It still is. XD

  155. Anonymous - # May 20th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

    @ 146 He hinted at something that includes debris…

  156. Matt - # May 20th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

    Can’t wait for next update! I can think of a whole list of things I could make with lua. Homing missiles, teleporters, catapults, fireworks, fighterjets etc…

  157. Anonymous - # May 20th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

    @ 154, speaking of jets, air strikes would be very feasible…

  158. Foaboegik - # May 20th, 2008 at 8:15 pm

    Airstrikes have been feasable in this game for a long time!
    Though it’d be easier if you can use the Lua console in-game and be allot more fun!
    Heh, calling down an army of free Crabs :)

  159. Anonymous - # May 20th, 2008 at 9:03 pm

    You can use it ingame…

    And I mean like an actual jet coming in and dropping bombs, firing guns+missles ect, not just muzzle offsets in the sky…

  160. Foaboegik - # May 20th, 2008 at 11:54 pm

    Muzzle Flash spawns a hovering Body with a lifespan of # time and has an emitter that drops bombs on it’s underside.

  161. Meloen - # May 21st, 2008 at 12:55 am

    data, can you make regrowing grass and plants with this?

  162. Creed - # May 21st, 2008 at 3:17 am

    @ 154,

    homing missles have been made already as well as fireworks and fighterjets. Catapults would be fun put a clone in it and fire! Teleporters have never really worked.

  163. robolee - # May 21st, 2008 at 5:57 am

    yeah creed, but they weren’t that good due to limitations in .ini modifications, with lua hopefully someone can create actually good homing missiles.

    fireworks are probably as good as it’s going to get at the minute. I don’t really see how you could improve upon them, it’s just no one has made very good and sparkly explosion effects for them yet… I bet capnbubs would make an awesome explosion effect :).

  164. robolee - # May 21st, 2008 at 5:59 am

    Also I got really hyped up today, thinking a new update was going to be up, but then I realized it was the 21st and not the 22nd :(

  165. Omni - # May 21st, 2008 at 10:19 am

    Just one day off. Just hold your horses for 24 more hours. :)

    Also, I’d love to see some fireworks. Lua fireworks will be 300x sexier than what we have now.

  166. Kallemort - # May 21st, 2008 at 10:52 am

    Waaaaaaaiiiittt…
    When did Data say that the new build will be out at the 22nd?

  167. Tea - # May 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am

    So what kind of things exactly will Lua allow modders to do?

  168. STone - # May 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am

    Hello, I buy Cortex Command since a long time now but didn’t play with it a lot because the game wasn’t very complete.

    Can you tell me please if i can expect a much complete version before the end of summer time ?
    Maybe a quick status of it’s development ?

    Thanks

  169. Sheezy - # May 21st, 2008 at 11:36 am

    Kallemort, probably in the chat

  170. Tomaster - # May 21st, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    I don’t think it’s a new build, just one of the feature updates.

  171. The Adviser - # May 21st, 2008 at 3:22 pm

    Just a little more… god… give… me.. strength…………

  172. Anonymous - # May 21st, 2008 at 3:40 pm

    @ 159

    Would it spawn a gibbable “body” with health? Would the “body” be able to move? Would it be able to do more than “spawn bombs on its underside” as in fire missles or shoot cannons/.50 cals/lasers?

  173. Anonymous - # May 21st, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    Woops meant comment 158…

    Could you also have flying/moving bunkers? The only thing that would be hard would be transferring the inertia to the actors but still allowing them to move around. I also see more complex traps and doors. Speaking of flying bunkers, what would be cool is the ability to switch between subscenes in a single game, like maybe an air battle raging above a ground war.

  174. Aspect - # May 21st, 2008 at 6:32 pm

    @170

    That totally would be cool, or even just 2 ground wars on separate sides of a mountain or something. A lot like Tim’s Endurantism but not being able to see between them

  175. whitty - # May 21st, 2008 at 8:03 pm

    i expect an update tomorrow.

  176. Lord Tim - # May 21st, 2008 at 9:11 pm

    You can expect all you want. It’s Data’s choice.

    [11:44:09] No B21 ETA’s?
    [11:44:23] when it’s done! dun dun dun
    [11:44:36] I’ll take that as a tomorrow.
    [11:44:46] Don’t disappoint me.
    [11:44:57] you’ll disappoint yourself

  177. Xera - # May 24th, 2008 at 8:40 am

    Holy crap. I remember when I asked for Lua support and got flamed into the ground.

    Thank you data. :)

  178. Billi999 - # May 27th, 2008 at 11:18 pm

    Hehe, its like every once in a while Data does an amazing magic trick and now they will be less frequent but better and he is giving us little hints about it.

    And I’m typing this from an internet terminal from my room in a hotel on a school trip on a bike ride from somewhere north of Austria to Vienna, about 300km :<

  179. custom lego guns - # July 9th, 2008 at 3:07 am

    custom lego guns…

    Do you have a newsletter to sign up to?…

  180. Anonymous - # July 15th, 2008 at 11:17 am

    Problem here
    when i press the slash or neither the tilde button…the console doesnt pop out for some reason. i need help on this
    thanks

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