>I have yet to see a "Visual" programming environment that is even close to as efficient as normal programming.
There are more than just programmers on modern game projects. I imagine visual scripting is an enormous boon to teams because a designer or someone who makes rules isn't blocked on a programmer implementing those rules. The non-programmer can get the basics down in the visual scripting tool, then the programmer can finish it and tighten it up. I'd love a tool like this in web development that let PM/BAs get started writing test cases they could hand off to me, for example. (I'm aware that tools like this do exist, was trying to be illustrative)
I would have to argue though that something like Unreal Engines blueprints really is like programming with a "lego block twist". The learning curve was steep for a few days but really after that, it's not all that much different then programming by hand. I will say it is a bit easier and it's amazing how fast you can get things done in it.
I'm not sure of a total "non-programmer" being super successful learning blueprints if they can't learn basic programming, but I would say it's a bit easier.
It doesn't have to be easier, it has to be more approachable. The most important part of programming is problem solving no matter how you're doing it, visual, imperative, functional, etc. Some interfaces are much more friendly to different people than others. Text programming often puts off non-programmers instantly, and they are able to reason about visual programming languages much easier than they would text-based ones without putting more time into them.
There are more than just programmers on modern game projects. I imagine visual scripting is an enormous boon to teams because a designer or someone who makes rules isn't blocked on a programmer implementing those rules. The non-programmer can get the basics down in the visual scripting tool, then the programmer can finish it and tighten it up. I'd love a tool like this in web development that let PM/BAs get started writing test cases they could hand off to me, for example. (I'm aware that tools like this do exist, was trying to be illustrative)