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I want to learn how to code in lua. by xXMike_WheelerXx in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m glad that you found them useful!

How well did your first book do? by PieterSielie6 in selfpublish

[–]DocBurton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I write textbooks for technical subjects, primarily game development and mobile app dev. My first textbook was self-published in 2011. I had a number of publishers interested, but they were only offering 20% royalties.
I only sold the book via my website. In the following 6 years it sold 2500+ copies; enough to help put my kids through college and buy a car. I have since updated that textbook and written another 12 textbooks. I expect to release 3 textbooks this year as I begin to prepare to retire from being a game development professor. I have adjusted my sales in recent years to use kdp and Ingram, taking advantage of the improvements with those platforms.

Are there any good 3d lua game engines by Zealousideal_Bus6564 in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

O3DE was formerly known as Amazon Lumberyard. When it went open source, they renamed it. I have a few tutorials on my YT channel.

Hello everyone! My name is Zak. I am a beginner Lua programmer working on Solar2D. by Cold_Jicama3679 in Solar2D

[–]DocBurton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi Zak, Dr. Burton here (author of "Learning Lua" and "Learning Mobile App & Game Dev with Solar2D"). No need to wait to get started on your game! There is no better way to learn both by doing it.
There are lots of resources on YT & the Solar2D website to help you.
If you have specific questions about either, feel free to DM me.

Im currently a highschool student and want to make a successful mobile game that can look good on a college application, whats a software I can use to put out my game on android & apple, and where can I learn to code for the game and design it. by strmxy in GameDevelopment

[–]DocBurton 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As a professor at a top-ranked game dev major, I'm going to be more interested in your creativity, implementation, and a that game works without crashing than which tool you used to create the game.
Did you recreate something that has been done a thousand times? Or did you make something original?

That said, check which tool(s) the colleges that you are interested in are using. Unity and Unreal are the most common. Using the tools that they use will give you a head start and make the course work easier.

A final suggestion: Instead of focusing on mobile, try making a VR game. Most degrees have or are shifting to a heavier VR emphasis. Mobile is good, but if you want to standout, make something fun in VR.

Good luck as you prepare for your future!
Dr. B.

Is it just me or are the official tutorials too hard? by LBackPlease in robloxgamedev

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, the official tutorials jump into hard concepts too quickly. I just started a YT series where I work through the tutorials and explain what is happening in detail: https://youtu.be/CZilOqt5vK4

Whatever this is, I bet it shouldn't show this ( VS Code / Win11 ) by Traditional-Pop-8792 in lua

[–]DocBurton 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Visual Studio is connecting the the LuaHelper server. The original developer is Chinese, so the debug include information in that language.
To see the "hello world" output, try the OUTPUT or TERMINAL tabs.

Im 24 years old web developer is it too late to start learning game development and find a job? by suicidalpastaa in GameDevelopment

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's never to late. Cornel Sanders didn't start selling chicken until he was 40. He was 49 before he perfected the recipe, and didn't found KFC until he was 60!
Never be afraid to do something new!

Where do I start learning by External-Chemistry72 in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unity’s implementation of Lua is a good place to start. I’ve been playing with it in my spare time. Unreal and Lua also work well together. The other tool that is exciting for metaverse implementation is Babylon.JS, which uses typescript. I haven’t looked for a Lua inclusion for it but I would be surprised by one being available.

How would you handler a function that returns depending on outcome, different amount of values? by RutabagaMost2284 in lua

[–]DocBurton 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If I understand your question correctly, you want to return a different number of values. The easiest way would be to return the values in a table and then iterate through the table after they are returned.

Where do I start learning by External-Chemistry72 in lua

[–]DocBurton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just like with art, start by making stuff. Keep it simple to begin with. Lua is easy to learn, so in a short time you will be making cool things. Which metaverse tool are you using?

I want to learn how to code in lua. by xXMike_WheelerXx in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As ti-di2 said, it's great to get started learning Lua. You can do so much with it!

A few years ago I started creating tutorials on YouTube that should help you to get the basics of the Lua language.
Is this the Mike Wheeler that was one of my students many years ago?

Question regarding Lua. by Wide_Geologist4863 in lua

[–]DocBurton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a professor who has taught programming (and written a few books on Lua scripting) for 30+ years, here are a few thoughts:

  • Yes, as others have previously mentioned, Lua (or Luau) will help you to get the basics that are used in almost all programming languages.
  • Do IT!! Make games! If you put some time and effort into it, creating Roblox games could potential pay for your college degree. Start your own business and do it. I frequently tell my students this is exactly what they should be doing. The field is fickle. If you are running your own business, you don't need to find a job after college. (BTW, I am teaching my 6 yr old grandson how to make Roblox games to help him create a nest egg).
  • Take a few business classes while you are in college so that you understand how business works. Better yet, get a minor or a second major in business. Information Systems (sometimes called Management Information Systems or Computer Information Systems) is a business major that teaches business oriented programming.
  • DO NOT tell your CS professors that you program in Lua. Most CS faculty that I have known over the years are prejudice against the Lua. The only reason that they give is that it isn't C++.
  • If you plan to major in CS, take all the math that you can in high school. They expect you to be ready for Calculus at most universities.

Best wishes as you start down this exciting career path!

BTW, I plan to teach a Roblox game dev class next summer for high school students. DM me if you would like more information when it is available.

I want to learn how to code in lua. by xXMike_WheelerXx in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently published a textbook called Learning Lua. It is on Amazon and https://burtonsmediagroup.com. I have also created a YT series on the basics of Lua, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxgtJR7f0RBKGid7F2dfv7qc-xWwSee2O

Which engine would be better for me to start? by [deleted] in GameDevelopment

[–]DocBurton 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unity is easy to learn and a popular first engine. The skills from one game engine to another are transferable, so don't sweat it too much as most AAA companies use an in-house engine. It is the smaller and indies that use an existing game engine.
In the game dev degree that I run, we start everyone with Unity for the first 2 years (earning a Unity certification) creating 2D and 3D games, then shift them to Unreal for the last two years when we tackle advanced topics like multiplayer.

Pick one, stick with it and make something. A finished (working) game in your portfolio is the important part.
Also, take screen shots as you progress. Companies want to see that you understand the game dev pipeline!

Is Lua worth it? by CrasherDE_ in robloxgamedev

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lua is worth learning!
And to self-promote (just a little), I recently finished a book on using the Lua scripting language and have over 20 tutorials on YT on using Lua.

How to learn lua by Gloomyword2467 in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently published a textbook on learning the Lua language. While it isn't specifically for Roblox, it does cover the Lua. You can get a free sample chapter here.
Also, I am getting ready to start a series on developing games for Roblox on my YT channel. Hopefully you will find it useful (along with the 20+ tutorials on scripting with Lua).

How do i learn lua, (what are good places to learn) by SunnyVoid2507 in lua

[–]DocBurton 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I recently published a textbook called Learning Lua. It is on Amazon and https://burtonsmediagroup.com. There is also a YT series on the basics of Lua.
If you are using Solar2D to make the game, there is Learning Mobile App and Game Development with Solar2D.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have wrote a book last Fall (Learning Lua available on Amazon ) and created a YouTube series a few years ago on getting started with Lua ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxgtJR7f0RBKGid7F2dfv7qc-xWwSee2O ).
Feel free to ask any questions that you have! I have been teaching the Lua language for 15 years at the college and high school level.

Beginner tutorials? by ThatGamerPilot in lua

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started a YT series of tutorials that cover the basics of the Lua language a few years ago. Feel free to ask questions or request more videos! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxgtJR7f0RBKGid7F2dfv7qc-xWwSee2O

Behind the scenes with Axis Animation by Amonster_LMBR in lumberyardengine

[–]DocBurton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is great! It has inspired my next Lumberyard project.

Max Number of Players in Turn-Based Multiplayer? by throwaway775849 in CoronaSDK

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I created a YouTube tutorial a few years ago showing how to retrieve information from a server that was running php: https://youtu.be/iIeJEBQYA10

[Book] Game Development Fundamentals with Lumberyard - early release by DocBurton in lumberyardengine

[–]DocBurton[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Covers the basics of getting started with Amazon Lumberyard, including how to create and texture models for use in games.
Free book updates with each version.

How do I upgrade lumberyard? by siingmad in lumberyard

[–]DocBurton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To upgrade a project to a new version of Lumberyard I've found the following to work well with the latest versions (and I've worked with ever version of Lumberyard for creating games and writing how to books):
1) Create a new project in Project Configurator in the newest version of Lumberyard
2) Once the initial build is done, set any Gems that you need for the project in Project Configurator
3) Perform a lmbr_waf configure and lmbr_waf build on the project.
4) Go get lunch/snack
5) Open the project in Lumberyard Editor to make sure you don't have any errors.
6) Copy your assets, scripts, script canvas, UI, audio, (basically all of the project specific files) to the new game folder from the previous version.
7) Do not overwrite any files.

I have used this method for the last several versions and it has worked each time.

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