When I first started Roblox game development, I had no absolutely clue what I was doing. I didn’t know anything at all. Eventually, I learned game development and since then have been working on several projects. However, I made many mistakes that I wish I watched out for when I first started developing. I am making this guide so that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did whenever I first started out.
1. Your game probably won’t be the next front page game (And that’s Okay!)
When I first started game development, I wanted to create a game. I always had big ambitious ideas that were unrealistic for my skill level at the time. Many developers try to make their dream game with little to no knowledge of game development. Your game likely won’t be the next Pet Sim X. Instead of trying to make your dream game when your first starting out, try working on simpler projects. Make simple games. Work your way up, then, you will be able to create your dream game when you are experienced enough. I thought my game was going to be the next big hit. It turns out, trying to make a game with no knowledge of scripting isn’t exactly the best idea. I ended up scrapping the project and giving up on it. Even if your game won’t be the next big hit, don’t be discouraged. You just need to sharpen your knowledge and come back later.
2. Don’t be Afraid to Fail
You heard that right. Failure is how you learn. Every time that you fail, you learn from your mistakes. Don’t give up because just because you run into a bug. Even the best scripters don’t get things right the first time. When I was developing one of my games, I ran into a bug that took me 3 days to fix. Whenever I finally found the solution, I learned from that mistake and now know what to do if I encounter it again. Nobody is perfect, and no scripter is either. It’s okay to make mistakes. If you learn from your mistakes, then you will become a better scripter.
3. Don’t Rely on A.I.
I get it. Its easy to rely on AI. I see AI slop games, icons, and thumbnails all the time. AI generated art makes your game look like low-effort slop. I do admit that when I first started game development, I used AI generated art. I understand why people use AI art. It’s because they might have a low budget, or maybe they just want something fast, but I promise that if you put in the extra effort into a good thumbnail, people will appreciate it. It can also be easy to rely on AI for scripting. While it may be convenient and time saving, AI commonly makes mistakes and can be unreliable. I think that AI can be an amazing resource, but AI is your assistant, not your replacement.
4. Don’t Rely on Free Models.
I’m not talking about modules. I think that modules and frameworks can be amazing resources. I’m talking about the types of free models that you see in every shovelware game. The infamous treehouse. When I see a model in one game, I don’t think much of it, but when I see models in several games, I assume that it’s probably just another free model. Using free models can make your game look shovelware, but it can also open your game up to backdoors. This is how hackers and exploiters can gain admin in your game without you knowing. If you do decide to use free models, be sure to check for any backdoors or viruses.
5. Don’t get stuck in Tutorial Hell
Follow along tutorials, don’t just copy and paste code. If you follow along and actually think about what the code does then you will become a better scripter. Don’t just copy and paste code without actually learning from it. I made this mistake many times when starting out. You also shouldn’t use tutorials on specific topics, such as how to make a tycoon game, or how to model a castle. Follow general scripting tutorials and then try to make games. I will link below some amazing tutorials and resources to learn from.
Bonus: Don’t be Afraid to Look things Up
When I first started out, I thought looking things up made me a bad developer. But here’s the truth: even the best developers don’t know everything. Seriously. You don’t need to memorize everything. The Roblox documentation and DevForum are amazing resources for learning. Every developer needs to look things up. By looking things up you will become a better developer.
I really hope that you found this tutorial helpful and can avoid the same mistakes that I made. Please feel free to give me any feedback or suggest any improvements.
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