Lua lifecycle and debugging

Lifecycle

A ScriptComponent points at a Lua file. The script must return a table. The engine calls, if defined:

• onCreate(entity) - once, when the script is loaded.
• onUpdate(entity, dt) - every frame, dt in seconds.
• onDestroy(entity) - when the entity is destroyed.
• onCollisionEnter/Stay/Exit(self, other) and onTriggerEnter/Stay/Exit(self, other) - when connected via Component.connect.

Each entity gets its own table, so self is never shared between entities. Store per-entity state on self in onCreate.

Load order

Scripts load during the game's first frames. ScriptSystem stays idle in the editor (the EditorMode resource is present), so Lua only runs in the game process started by Play.

Auto-reload

ScriptComponent.autoReload defaults to true and reloads the file when it changes on disk. There is no hot reload inside a running process: save the file, close the game window, and click Play again.

Where logs go

log.info, log.error, log.debug, and print write to the engine's log buffer. In the game process this appears in the terminal where you launched it (or the Console if launched from the editor, since build/play output lands there).

Debugging tips

• If nothing happens, check that the game actually ran (click Play, then click the game window). The editor never runs Lua.
• A Lua error prints to the log with the file and line; read the terminal/console.
• Use log.info(tostring(value)) to inspect values.
• Entity.find("Name") returns nil if no entity has that Name; guard with if.
• Time.deltaTime() is a fallback 1/60; prefer the dt argument.
• Scene.load is ignored on clients in multiplayer.

What runs where (multiplayer)

Call	Server	Client	Single-player
onCreate	yes	yes	yes
onUpdate (guarded by shouldSimulate)	yes	no	yes
Net.isServer()	true	false	false
Net.isNetworked()	true	true	false
Scene.load	applies	ignored	applies
Net.input(entity) for a player	that player's input	local player only	controller input