Its not Lua that is a gimmick, its the people who are using it that may be gimmicks. Same goes for C++ B) .
Like I said before, C++ wont make you a game, only your dedication will.
Who cares if C++ is faster or may be industry standard....
As stated before I never claimed to be good at art just because I use 3,500.00$ 3dsMax. I claim to be good because I went and studied the theory behind art. And believe me, anyone who is uber awsome at using Lua who understand things such as metatables and metamethods, can breeze right through C++. I will bet you any amount of $ on that.
I mean think about it, whats the #1 question that people ask when they want to know about an engine...."Can I make a GTA style game in this engine?....Can I make an MMO in this engine?(lol)....Can this engine make my RPG?". Granted some engines may be better than others, but its NOT any particular engine that is lacking.....
Soooooo basically....Its not Lua or C++ thats the gimmick
Btw im not trying to offend anyone with this post, im actually just trying to help, I know I can come off strong sometimes, but sometimes thats what it takes for people to see reality. We all want to accomplish our dreams.