Re: RPG easier/harder to use than other languages?

Brad, thanks for the example.

What strikes me about it is that it's largely a showcase for some good
libraries. This is not meant to be dismissive of RPG, because I think
the situation is basically the same for almost any language: The pros
and cons of various syntax and "language features" and so forth are
pretty much trounced by the availability (or lack thereof) of
libraries that do what you need, today. (So in a way, I'm kind of
being dismissive of all languages, and emphasizing libraries.)

More broadly, if we take "ecosystem" to include not only libraries but
documentation and examples and other resources for learning (like
forums, tutorial videos, etc.) and tooling (editors, debuggers, source
control, etc.), then to me there is an extremely strong case that the
ecosystem matters much, much more than anything that is designed into
the language itself.

I do think the RPG ecosystem is improving, but it's still at an
extremely undeveloped stage. Even the libraries it does have are not
that well-known.

All that said, I personally still pay attention to and enjoy
discussing language design. If two languages are starting out with no
ecosystem, the one that is designed better certainly has an advantage
when it comes to building/attracting an ecosystem. And when two
languages both have a well-developed ecosystem, I am definitely
inclined to pick the one that I personally find more enjoyable or
attractive.

John Y.