Why Script?

Adding scripting capabilities to your program, or even just a simple external settings file, has several advantages:

On the downside, if you go beyond simple settings scripts and go into real-time scripting, you have to be prepared for a performance hit. However, computers get faster all the time (scripting is now a feasible option, wheras a few years ago only compiled programs would be fast enough) and I feel that the reduced development times and customisability is worth it. (Rule of Economy)