Question: Is it possible to run GDScript at runtime instead of LUA ?

[EloiStree]

Question: Is Lua supported in Godot? (#23)
Answer: Kind of — it’s possible, but it requires C++ and some extra maneuvering.
Since Godot runs everywhere, why not just use GDScript here?

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🤖 GPT
Yes — it is possible to run GDScript at runtime to modify or extend a game, but it depends on how you structure your game and the capabilities of the Godot engine. Let me break it down clearly:

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1. GDScript and Runtime Loading

Godot allows you to load and execute scripts dynamically at runtime. You can:

• Use load() or preload() to load scripts.
• Use GD.load() (Godot 4) to load .gd files dynamically.
• Instantiate scripts and attach them to nodes during runtime.

Example:

var script = load("res://mods/my_mod.gd")  # Load script at runtime
var node = Node.new()
node.set_script(script)                   # Attach the script to a node
add_child(node)

This lets you add new functionality without rebuilding the game.

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2. Modding Games with GDScript

Many games allow mods by exposing certain hooks or APIs:

• You can design your game to read scripts from a mods/ folder.
• Mods can extend existing classes using extends.
• You can call functions from these scripts safely if you design a sandboxed API.

Example structure:

res://mods/
  mod1.gd
  mod2.gd

Runtime loader code:

for file in Directory.new().list_dir_begin("res://mods"):
    if file.ends_with(".gd"):
        var mod_script = load("res://mods/" + file)
        var mod_node = Node.new()
        mod_node.set_script(mod_script)
        add_child(mod_node)

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3. Security Considerations

Running arbitrary GDScript from mods can be dangerous:

• Mods can access all parts of your game, potentially modifying the save system or game data.
• Consider sandboxing, such as providing only certain APIs for mod scripts.
• In Godot 4, you can use GDScriptFunctionState and GDScriptCallable to better control script execution.

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4. Hot-Reloading

You can also reload scripts while the game is running for development or mod support:

var script = load("res://mods/my_mod.gd")
node.set_script(script)  # Update the behavior dynamically

This allows live testing of mods or GDScript changes.

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✅ Summary

• Yes, GDScript can run at runtime.
• Use load() to dynamically attach scripts to nodes.
• Design your game to support mods safely.
• Hot-reloading and sandboxing can enhance flexibility and safety.

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If you want, I can write a full example modding system in Godot that lets players drop GDScript files into a folder and automatically load them at runtime. This is exactly how some moddable Godot games work.

Do you want me to do that?