Players Characters being cloned whenever they load in

Help and Feedback Scripting Support
1

Im using a Character shop from a tutorial made in 2020, Character Shop Tutorial (Part 4 Final) | Roblox Studio - YouTube (Link to it if need to see it), the problem is that when players load into the game, there is a chance of them spawning a clone of themselves
Proof: https://gyazo.com/3a7cd33ca615470574436b3858b8daf0
I have no clue what the cause of it, im assuming it is something with this script since this is what loads and updates the Characters:

local StarterCharScripts = game.StarterPlayer.StarterCharacterScripts

local ChangeCamSubject = game.ReplicatedStorage.Remotes.ChangeCamSubject

local new = Instance.new

local datastore = game:GetService("DataStoreService"):GetDataStore("Characters")
local updateAsync = datastore.UpdateAsync

local loadData = function(player)
	local id = player.UserId
	local data

	local success,output = pcall(function()
		data = datastore:GetAsync(id) 
	end)

	assert(success,output)

	if not data then
		data = {
			Characters = {},
			EquippedCharacter = "",
			leaderstats = {}
		}
	end	

	if not data.leaderstats then
		data.leaderstats = {}
	end

	for _,v in pairs(data.Characters) do
		local value = new("StringValue")
		value.Parent = player.Characters
		value.Name = v
	end

	for _,v in pairs(player.leaderstats:GetChildren()) do
		if data.leaderstats[v.Name] then
			v.Value = data.leaderstats[v.Name]
		end
	end

	player.EquippedCharacter.Value = data.EquippedCharacter
end

local saveData = function(player)
	local id = player.UserId
	local data = {
		Characters = {},
		EquippedCharacter = "",
		leaderstats = {}
	}

	for _,v in pairs(player.Characters:GetChildren()) do
		table.insert(data.Characters,v.Name)
	end

	for _,v in pairs(player.leaderstats:GetChildren()) do
		data.leaderstats[v.Name] = v.Value
	end	

	data.EquippedCharacter = player.EquippedCharacter.Value

	local success,output = pcall(updateAsync,datastore,id,function(old)
		return data
	end)

	assert(success,output)
end

local ChangeChar = function(player,charModel)
	player:LoadCharacter()
	local currentChar = player.Character
	local pos = currentChar.PrimaryPart.CFrame
	
	
	local Animate = charModel:FindFirstChild('Animate')
	local health = charModel:FindFirstChild('Health')
	
	local curAnimate = currentChar:FindFirstChild('Animate')
	local curHealth = currentChar:FindFirstChild('Health')
	
	if not health and curHealth then
		curHealth:Clone().Parent = charModel
		curHealth:Destroy()
	end
	
	charModel.Name = player.Name
	charModel.Parent = workspace
	player.Character = charModel
	charModel.PrimaryPart:SetNetworkOwner(player)
	charModel.PrimaryPart.CFrame = pos
	
	if not Animate and curAnimate then
		curAnimate:Clone().Parent = charModel
		curAnimate:Destroy()
	end
	if not charModel.Humanoid:FindFirstChildOfClass("Animator") then
		local Animator = new('Animator')
		Animator.Parent = charModel.Humanoid
	end
	
	currentChar:Destroy()
	print(currentChar)

	for _,v in pairs(StarterCharScripts:GetChildren()) do
		if not charModel:FindFirstChild(v.Name) then
			v:Clone().Parent = charModel
		end
	end

	ChangeCamSubject:FireClient(player,charModel.Humanoid)

	charModel.Humanoid.Died:Connect(function()
		wait(game.Players.RespawnTime)
		updateChar(player)
	end)
end
	
updateChar = function(player)
	local UpdatedChar = game.ReplicatedStorage.Remotes.UpdatedChar
	local equippedChar = player.EquippedCharacter.Value
	local chars = player.Characters
	local curChar = player.Character or player.CharacterAdded:Wait()
	local changing = player.ChangingChar
	

	if changing.Value then
		repeat wait(0.1) until not changing.Value
	end

	changing.Value = true

	if chars:FindFirstChild(equippedChar) then
		local module = game.ServerStorage.Characters:FindFirstChild(equippedChar)
		local Smodule = game.ServerStorage.Skins:FindFirstChild(equippedChar)
		if module then
			local CharMoves = module:FindFirstChild("CharacterMoves")
			local char = module:FindFirstChildOfClass("Model")
			UpdatedChar:Fire(player, equippedChar)
			
			ChangeChar(player,char:Clone())
			for i, Moves in pairs(CharMoves:GetChildren()) do
				if Moves:IsA("Folder") then
					Moves:Clone().Parent = player.Backpack
				end
			end
			for i, Gui in pairs(CharMoves:GetChildren()) do
				if Gui:IsA("ScreenGui") then
					Gui:Clone().Parent = player.PlayerGui
				end
		end
		elseif Smodule then
			local CharMoves = Smodule:FindFirstChild("CharacterMoves")
			local char = Smodule:FindFirstChildOfClass("Model")
			UpdatedChar:Fire(player, equippedChar)

			ChangeChar(player,char:Clone())
			for i, Moves in pairs(CharMoves:GetChildren()) do
				if Moves:IsA("Folder") then
					Moves:Clone().Parent = player.Backpack
				end
			end
			for i, Gui in pairs(CharMoves:GetChildren()) do
				if Gui:IsA("ScreenGui") then
					Gui:Clone().Parent = player.PlayerGui
				end
			end
		else
			player:LoadCharacter()
		end
	else
		player:LoadCharacter()
	end

	wait(0.1)
	changing.Value = false
end
local onJoin = function(player)
	
	-- // This is where we stored player money.
	local stats = new("Folder")
	stats.Parent = player
	stats.Name = "leaderstats"
	
	-- // This is where we store the purchased character.
	local characterfolder = new("Folder")
	characterfolder.Parent = player
	characterfolder.Name = "Characters"
	
	-- // This is where we store the purchased Skin.
	local Skinfolder = new("Folder")
	Skinfolder.Parent = player
	Skinfolder.Name = "Skins"
	
	-- // Player's currency for the character shop.
	local money = new("IntValue")
	money.Parent = stats
	money.Name = "Money"
	money.Value = 0
	
	local Wins = new("IntValue")
	Wins.Parent = stats
	Wins.Name = "Wins"
	Wins.Value = 0
	
	-- // Equipped Character Value
	local EquippedCharacter = new("StringValue")
	EquippedCharacter.Parent = player
	EquippedCharacter.Name = "EquippedCharacter"
	
	local Changing = new("BoolValue")
	Changing.Parent = player
	Changing.Name = "ChangingChar"
	
	loadData(player)
	
	updateChar(player)
	EquippedCharacter.Changed:Connect(function()
		updateChar(player)
	end)
end

game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(onJoin)
game.Players.PlayerRemoving:Connect(saveData)

A small part is edited to get my character’s attacks, but nothing that would cause the cloning, Does anyone have any clue what’s causing it?
(Also the characters are grey because I turned LoadCharacterAppearenceOff

2

The following is theoretical, I haven’t tested this.

When a player joins the game we could check if there is another instance in the workspace that has the same name as our player but is not an actual player.

Something like this might work:

local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local function CheckPlayerInstance(Player)
	local PlayerName = Player.Name
	local SecondInstance = workspace:FindFirstChild(PlayerName)

	if SecondInstance:IsDescendantOf(workspace) and Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(SecondInstance) then
		-- Code here
	end
end

Again, this is in theory, let me know if you need any more assistance!

3

When i use this, I get the error
attempt to index nil with ‘IsDescendantOf’
im guessing its because it gets the dummys but counts them as nil for some reason?

4

Just try

if object.Parent = target or target:FindFirstChild(object) then
5

Sorry im still sorta new to scripting, what would be the object and what would be the target?

6

Edit: I thought it worked, now they ended up spawning again, coding can be a pain sometimes

local function CheckPlayerInstance(Player)
	local PlayerName = Player.Name
	local SecondInstance = workspace:FindFirstChild(PlayerName)
	if SecondInstance then

		if SecondInstance:IsDescendantOf(workspace) and Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(SecondInstance) then
			SecondInstance:Destroy()
		end
	end
end


game.Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(CheckPlayerInstance)