Re: Why do people still use bgt?
@32
I think that @31 is being much too harsh, because even learning to write a little program is actually very hard, especially for the age groups here (no matter how you slice it, being 15 doesn't work out so well with being able to think about huge projects methodically).
But there is a pretty big difference between Unity and BGT. The sighted gaming equivalent of BGT is something like RPG Maker. Unity enables you, by giving you a bunch of capabilities you don't otherwise have, and it doesn't lock you into the ecosystem by being niche--you have all of the C# ecosystem, bringing third party stuff in isn't hard (in fact it can be as little as clicking a couple buttons), etc. If Unity said "I know, let's use an incredibly niche scripting language, and all our 3D graphics engine is you can call draw_triangle", they might be equivalent. Unity also doesn't hand-hold you by simplifying itself for the sake of being easy to learn: in fact, if I'm not mistaken, using it pretty immediately makes you deal with learning about entity component systems, since that's the only way to be efficient on modern hardware (but I might be wrong--we can't actually try using it, after all).
But BGT gives you a bunch of subpar functions specifically aimed at newbie programmers that you can never, ever move beyond without leaving it; you can't call anything beyond the most basic of basic C libraries; you're using a niche scripting language; and these days, you have to explain to someone how they need to give you an exception to their antivirus. The language is even missing incredibly basic features like proper closures that even C++ has nowadays. Unity is like a lever: you can do a lot more with the same amount of effort. BGT is like an anti-lever: you do a lot less, instead.
I would say that it would be highly accurate to say that people who keep using BGT and aren't working on leaving it are happy with their skill level. It's a pretty low skill level. But this is a community that skews very, very young, and I think that to most people here, the sorts of basic games that get produced are actually entertaining. In fact, thinking about it, I'd be interested to see some sort of representative poll as to age groups: I'm betting we're at least 50% under 18, at least 25% under 16, and that it drops off relatively quickly starting around 20. In order to demand more complexity and power from your tools, you first have to demand more complexity and depth in what you produce, and this community isn't an audience that asks for such things--instead you get praise because we settle for what little exists for fear of losing it and discouraging young minds and new programmers, and no one is willing to say "You know, this isn't actually fun".
I know lots of people, myself included, who just don't play audiogames anymore. Because the thing is, the same forces that make everyone praise BGT also mean that audiogames are just a thing you age out of. You can't eat tiny appetizers forever, eventually you want an actual meal, to use a lame analogy.
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