you're wondering which language you should use in GDO or why it has so many. By the end of the video, you'll have everything you need to decide. GDO offers three languages to code games: GD script and C for game scripting, and C/C++ for maximum flexibility and performance. All three are officially supported. The beauty of it is that you can use multiple languages in the same project, no problem. You can pick the best language for each task or stick to the one you're most comfortable with. The choice is entirely yours. So why are there three languages? Well, simply because people wanted them, and that's how GDO works. It's an open-source, community-driven project. If enough people want something, it will come to exist. GDO has its own gameplay-specific language, GD script, and thanks to a generous sponsorship from Microsoft, the team could also support the general-purpose language C. Finally, since GDO is written in C++, there is also support for it. C++ is a popular choice in game development for performance reasons. All three languages, GD script, C, and C++, are

here to stay. If you ask game devs which language you should use, you'll hear every opinion and its opposite. But in reality, it doesn't really matter. If you're already used to one, it's fine to stick to it. Both GDScript and C# are suitable for solo developers and teams alike. Most gameplay scripts call optimized engine code anyway, so there's little performance difference most of the time. But if you still want to weigh out your options, we'll have a closer look at each of the languages and the best use case for each. This video is sponsored by good old game devs like you who invest in learning with GD Quest. Make sure you catch the offer on our new bundle, the great Good4 starter kit. It includes our foundational courses: Learn 2D and 3D game dep from zero with Good4, and our interactive cookbook of popular game mechanics, Node Essentials Good4 edition. First things first, let's talk about the elephant in the room. What's up with GD having its own language? What is the

point when there are perfectly good popular languages out there like Python or JavaScript. General-purpose languages are just not designed for modern game development. Languages like Python and JavaScript have poor multi-threading and memory models for games. Godot was built to have something as friendly as Python but with reference counted memory management, which leads to a more stable performance. It's tightly integrated with Godot's built-in script editor so you can directly script in GDScript. It's also an interpreted language so it has virtually no compile times and it can reload code at runtime. This makes iterations really fast compared to some other game engines. You're not stuck waiting for your game to compile every time you make a change. Another important advantage is that GDScript is gradually typed. This means you can write simple dynamic code which is easy to read for beginners like Python but can use the optional type notation anytime to get much better error reporting and performance. Last but not least, the learning investment is both minimal and transferable. GDScript's syntax draws from Python and the language actually fits in the C and C

family of languages. Only, it's simplified for quick gameplay programming, so your existing programming knowledge and experience directly apply to GDScript. And vice versa, your experience with GDScript will transfer to other languages. You're not stuck. So, for efficient Game Dev, our vote goes to GDScript. If you're learning how to code, well, first good call because ultimately there's no real way around if you're serious about making games. Check out our free app, Learn GDScript from Zero. It's packed with practices and explorable examples that teach you coding in a way directly relevant to game dev. The link's in the description. [Music] Okay, so if GDScript is so great, why have C at all? C is an especially popular option among game developers, and having it makes good too much easier to pick up for professionals. Aside from that, there are use cases where C has an objective advantage over GDScript. It is currently faster for standalone algorithms due to its compilation step. It can use the .NET features and the C ecosystem and has mature development environments like JetBrains Rider.

while the large ecosystem of C may sound appealing G has extensive built-in features designed for games so you'll mostly use those without needing C's libraries. If your project doesn't require net libraries or optimized Standalone algorithms, you won't benefit from C over GD script. The main downsides of C are that it takes longer to iterate on your code as you need to compile each time you change it. Interfacing with the engine has a cost, making it a little slower than GD script when your code mostly calls engine functions. There are fewer learning resources than you'll find for grip, so it's really more adapted to people who know C already. Now let's move on to C and C++. These languages are for maximum control, and you can use them in two ways. One is to modify the engine's source code and recompile it, which you can very much do because GDO is open source and it's yours to modify and adapt to your needs. Also, you can use C or C++ code without recompiling the engine through

gd's GD extension technology. You can learn how to do so in the official documentation. You'll find links below the video. This said, using GD extension isn't beginner-friendly yet, but there are plans to make it more accessible as the technology matures. In terms of development, C and C++ are most suited to create plugins and libraries for GD. Or to modify the engine and adapt it to a specific project or workflow. Remember that you can combine multiple languages in a single project. You can call C code from GD script and vice versa when needed. And you can write small performance-critical parts in C++. This allows you to pick and choose the best language for each task, whether it's GD script for fast iteration, CN C++ for maximum performance and control, or C as the middle ground. If you're a programming beginner, I recommend GD script for its ease of use and numerous learning resources. To get started, check out our free course Learn to Code from Zero with GD. Link in the description. If you're already very comfortable with a specific language or

have a preference for it, go ahead and use it. Just keep in mind that, again, there are fewer learning resources for C currently. At the end of the day, you can choose the language that suits you best. They all work well. Maybe you're curious if Godot will support your favorite language like Python or JavaScript. The short answer is, it's not likely to happen out of the box again because most languages aren't adapted to game development. However, with GD extension, the community can independently support any language. Godot 3 got community support for Rust, JavaScript, Python, and more. This way, by now, you should have all the info you need to decide which language is right for you. At GD Quest, we focus on GDScript because it's the most intuitive for Game Dev, and it's easiest to pick up for beginners. Hit like to help people find this video more easily, and I'll see you in the next part of getting started with [Music] Godot.

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