The first spotlight of March focuses on a developer who, along with a great team, brought us Apple Picking Simulator: Sparklings! We had an opportunity to talk to her to get some insight behind the bright personality behind the game and how it came to be, as well as a look into Sparklings’ career as a Roblox developer.
Without further ado, let’s see what she had to say!
How did you initially get interested and involved in Roblox development, and what is it about Roblox development that captivates you?
My drive to begin developing stemmed from being inspired by my idols on the platform and my curiosity to explore the side of it that I had not yet ventured into: development. I’d been on the site since 2009, but it wasn’t until 2017 that I decided to have a go at developing, and my friends helped me tremendously to motivate and launch myself into the developing world of Roblox! I love to develop on Roblox because it enables me work with so many diverse groups of people and expand my creativity. I am able to create the worlds that I envision and the experience of completing and publishing a game is extremely rewarding.
In the past, many developers have said that Roblox has had profound impacts on their lives - has it had any impact on yours?
Roblox has been a part of my entire childhood and helped shape the woman I am today. The platform let me explore interests I never knew I had and let me form amazing bonds with people from all across the globe. I’ve grown enormously as a person as result of this platform and it’s taught me valuable lessons in maturity and professionalism that I wouldn’t likely have learned otherwise.
Earlier, you mentioned idols on the platform and friends who helped you - who would you say influenced your Roblox development career?
GrottyPuff and PixelatedCandy are two developers who inspired me in my early development days, and helped me find my way among the vast community. I must also give credit to the amazing friends and team members I’ve met along my development journey: Mimi_Dev and BonnabelleRose are both amazing developers who I’ve worked with; they made RDC Game Jam 2018 a rewarding and fun experience for me. But also, of course, I have taken great inspiration and have immense gratitude for my Apple Picking Simulator team: Aspernator and Rush_X. All of these developers, among countless others, have helped me become the developer I am today.
Speaking of the RDC 2018 Game Jam, your game finished in third place for that, didn’t it?
Yes, Altered Scapes, which I made with BonnabelleRose and Mimi_Dev, finished in third. Furthermore, I am currently working on upgrading and improving Apple Picking Simulator and continuing to develop and ship projects for later this year! Lots of great things are coming soon!
What do you foresee in the future of your development career on Roblox?
I hope to see my development career grow by perfecting the skills that I currently have and I hope to begin learning the art of building on Roblox so I can become a more well-rounded developer on the platform.
In a single sentence, how would you define yourself as a developer?
I see myself as a motivated developer, expressing my creativity through the development of UI and clothing design.
What would you say to anybody who’s new to Roblox development or considering getting involved?
My advice would be to stick with it and to take that leap of faith! You never know what you can accomplish until you try it, and the benefits of becoming a developer are definitely worth the time spent perfecting your craft. Many developers, such as myself, are eager to help newcomers to the developer community find their way and achieve and surpass their personal goals!
Thank you so much @Sparklings for giving us so much insight into your experiences as a Roblox developer! Catch her on Roblox and Twitter in between apple harvests or you’ll miss out: follow Sparklings on Roblox and Twitter!
