...and if you're using LuaJIT, 0-based arrays will even be optimized appropriately (i.e., array[0] will be stored internally in the array rather than in the has

...and if you're using LuaJIT, 0-based arrays will even be optimized appropriately (i.e., array[0] will be stored internally in the array rather than in the hash). But you'll still be fighting with the libraries and array literals, as you say.