Random numbers in Love

[Buddy4point0]

To get a random number in Love, should I just use:

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math.random()

offset by the time on the computer or something, or does Love has it's own, better, function for getting a random number?

[nevon]

First you set the seed:

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math.randomseed(os.time())

And then you just get random numbers as usual:

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math.random()

[Buddy4point0]

Okay, thanks. Yeah, that's what I meant by offset it by the time.
Something to add in future builds of Love would be a math module!

[bartbes]

There's a fork by itsnotabigtruck which contains just that.

[EMB]

If you want a REALLY random seed (Or want to change the seed more than once a second) then use this:

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math.randomseed(os.time()*math.random())

[Buddy4point0]

If you want a REALLY random seed (Or want to change the seed more than once a second) then use this:

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math.randomseed(os.time()*math.random())

Haha, I might just do that.

[kikito]

If you want a REALLY random seed (Or want to change the seed more than once a second) then use this:

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math.randomseed(os.time()*math.random())

What is the benefit of changing the seed every second (or less)? Will the random numbers you get with that method differ from the random numbers you get with nevon's? I mean, will they be "more random" somehow?

[Taehl]

I've found that changing the random seed too often /reduces/ the randomness of the numbers overall. Set it once at the beginning of the program, then leave it alone. It's fine for anything short of hardcore cryptography (but why would you be doing that in Love, anyway?).

[vrld]

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math.randomseed(os.time()*math.random())

Since an unseeded math.random() will always return the same value, this will do nothing more than what math.randomseed(os.time()) already did.
Seeding more than once in a game is not necessary (and as Taehl mentioned, it can even be destructive), unless you want predictable "random" numbers, i.e. a the same chain of numbers after the math.randomseed().