Heath Haskins - The Advanced Roblox Coding Book: An Unofficial Guide, Updated Edition: Learn How to Script Games, Code Objects and Settings, and Create Your Own World!

Includes updated Code, Scripts, and Instructions for Creating with New Game Features!

The Advanced Roblox Coding Book

An Unofficial Guide

Updated Edition

Learn How to Script Games, Code Objects and Settings, and Create Your Own World!

Heath Haskins (a.k.a. CodePrime8)

Adams Media

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

100 Technology Center Drive

Stoughton, Massachusetts 02072

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2022 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Adams Media Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

This Adams Media trade paperback edition May 2022

ADAMS MEDIA and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or .

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

Interior design by Erin Alexander

Layout by Colleen Cunningham

Art credits listed alongside the images

Cover design by Erin Alexander

Cover illustrations by Kathy Konkle

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Haskins, Heath, author.

Title: The advanced Roblox coding book: an unofficial guide, updated edition / Heath Haskins (a.k.a. CodePrime8).

Description: Updated edition. | Stoughton, Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2022. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021055553 | ISBN 9781507217887 (pb) | ISBN 9781507217894 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Roblox (Computing platform) | Lua (Computer program language) | Video games--Design. | Internet games--Design.

Classification: LCC GV1469.35.R594 H37 2022 | DDC 794.8/3--dc23/eng/20211215

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021055553

ISBN 978-1-5072-1788-7

ISBN 978-1-5072-1789-4 (ebook)

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Simon & Schuster, Inc., was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

The Advanced Roblox Coding Book: An Unofficial Guide, Updated Edition is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by the Roblox Corporation. Roblox is a trademark of the Roblox Corporation.

Youre already pretty good at playing Roblox games, but have you ever wondered how the game maker created the sword you have or the pets that follow you? Maybe you have a little bit of knowledge about the development environment in Roblox Studio, but do you want to know how to:

• Teleport a character?
• Keep track of a players inventory?
• Make a customized leaderboard that matches up with your specific game?
• Write your own code when Roblox doesnt have a specific script you want?

Youll learn all that, and a bunch more, in The Advanced Roblox Coding Book: An Unofficial Guide, Updated Edition. Well make it all happen using Robloxs version of the Lua coding language. (Dont worry, writing code is actually not that hard!) Ill break down the basics of coding in easy-to-understand examples that you can use right away in your games. After you see how my examples work, youll be able to use your imagination to add your own style to them. Before you know it, your games will be so much fun that people will want to play them again and again!

In this book, youll learn:

• The basics of Lua scripting: Youll become familiar with code itself and will learn what the basic structure of code looks like.
• The power of coding with variables and loops: These are simple Lua features that can help your game execute tons of commands.
• Tricks for managing player health: You have many options for player health, from giving a character more power to taking it all away.
• Moving characters around within your game: Youll learn different techniques for teleporting players.
• How to save player data: Ill show you how to set up a scoreboard and save information from one playing session to the next.
• The steps for creating a game, from start to finish: Youll learn how to brainstorm your game concept, identify what codes youll need, and use programming to accomplish your goals.
• Important security measures: Its essential to protect your games as you create them.

The great thing about making games for Roblox is that it gives you the freedom to create almost any game or experience you can imagine. Once you understand coding, nothing will hold you back. Whether you just want to fool around with Roblox Studio on the weekends or start a career as a professional video game creator, The Advanced Roblox Coding Book: An Unofficial Guide, Updated Edition will start you off on the right foot. Lets get coding!

START WITH THE BASICS

FOR BEGINNER INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET STARTED PLAYING ROBLOX, CHECK THE ULTIMATE ROBLOX BOOK: AN UNOFFICIAL GUIDE, UPDATED EDITION BY DAVID JAGNEAUX AND HEATH HASKINS. THIS BOOK CONTAINS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT ROBLOX, BUT ITS NOT A DEFINITIVE GUIDE ON ABSOLUTELY EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF THE ENTIRE GAME. LIKE ANY GOOD GAME MAKER, THE FOLKS WHO MAKE ROBLOX ARE ALWAYS ADDING NEW FEATURES AND WAYS TO PLAY, SO ITS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A SINGLE BOOK TO COVER EVERYTHING.

THIS BOOK WILL ALSO NOT INCLUDE ANY GET RICH QUICK SCHEMES FOR MAKING LOTS OF MONEY (ROBUX) QUICKLY OR FOR HOW TO BECOME RICH OFF OF CREATING AND SELLING THINGS IN ROBLOX. NO MATTER WHAT YOU READ OR SEE ON THE INTERNET, THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE MONEY IN ROBLOX IS THROUGH HARD WORK, CREATIVITY, AND DEDICATION. THATS IT.

T his chapter will go over how to use the Roblox Studio program to manage scripts, and how to recognize and write some very basic coding. I know, I know, this beginner information is not always the most exciting, but we gotta get it under our belts before we can move on to the fun stuff.

A quick note about Experiences. Roblox officially changed the word Game to Experience. I will use both Game and Experience when referencing what we develop in Roblox Studio. You can refer to what you create in Roblox as either one. The main reason Roblox removed the word Game is because not all of the Experiences that are created inside Roblox follow the definition of what a game is.

Im going to assume that you already have a Roblox account. (If you need a rundown of how to set one up, grab