What am I doing exactly when writing my first OOP Module?

[imnotaguest1121 (Diabolical_Subspace)]

Heya there.

I’m working on my first OOP Module for a fan recreation of a game called “Noobs vs Zombies: Relish Reborn”. The OOP Module essentially just handles the AI of the NPC’s. I’m using a module script from this DevForum post as reference.

The issue is that, since I’m new to OOP, I don’t exactly know what I’m doing exactly. What are these module scripts doing?

BaseNPC (Base Module)

--[[MODULE]]--
--//Actual module script stuff
local BaseNPC = {}
BaseNPC._index = BaseNPC

function BaseNPC.New(NPC_Character, NPC_Role, NPC_Type, Spawn_Location)
	-- Creating a new NPC
	local NewNPC = {}
	setmetatable(NewNPC, BaseNPC)

	NewNPC.Model = NPC_Character
	NewNPC.Role = NPC_Role
	NewNPC.Type = NPC_Type
	NewNPC.SpawnLocation = Spawn_Location

	return NewNPC
end

return BaseNPC

MeleeNPC (Subclass)

--[[SERVICES]]--
local PathfindingService = game:GetService("PathfindingService")
local CollectionService = game:GetService("CollectionService")
local Debris = game:GetService("Debris")

--[[MODULE]]--
--//BaseNPC
local BaseNPC = require(script.Parent)

--//MeleeNPC
local MeleeNPC = {}
MeleeNPC._index = MeleeNPC
setmetatable(MeleeNPC,BaseNPC)

--//Creating the NPC
function MeleeNPC.CreateMeleeNPC(NPC_Character, NPC_Role, NPC_Type, Spawn_Location)
	--//Creating new NPC & Positioning it.
	local NewMeleeNPC = BaseNPC.New(NPC_Character, NPC_Role, NPC_Type, Spawn_Location)
	setmetatable(NewMeleeNPC,MeleeNPC)
	
	local Character = NewMeleeNPC.Model:Clone()
	local Humanoid = NewMeleeNPC.Model:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Humanoid")
	local PrimaryPart = NewMeleeNPC.Model.PrimaryPart
	
	Character.Parent = game.Workspace
	PrimaryPart:PivotTo(Spawn_Location.CFrame * CFrame.new(0, 3, 0))
end

return MeleeNPC

[futurechairguy01234 (woah)]

Think of OOP like a hierarchy, where you shove functions and variables under an object. The stuff you’ve got here is modular programming combined with OOP, and probably not required if its your FIRST module/project.

(I am a little confused, assuming the module scripts are separate from the phrase “first module”)
I’m interpreting term module in “first module” as “first project”.

take the line below for example.

---

	local Humanoid = NewMeleeNPC.Model:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("Humanoid")

---

The object here is the NewMeleeNPC, and encapsulated under it, is the model, and then the Humanoid.

For my first project, I wrote a bank-account “simulation”
Object being Bankaccount, then have all these little things encapsulated under it rather than stored globally.

I’d look towards something like that if you’re a beginner. It becomes pretty intuitive at points.

Now, the nice thing about doing OOP in Roblox is EVERYTHING is object-oriented. Everything in your workspace are objects, with properties.
Ever seen someone change the color of a brick with a script? Thats OOP

Brick.Color = ...

hope this helps,

[imnotaguest1121 (Diabolical_Subspace)]

About the part where you are confused and assuming the module scripts are separate from the phrase first module, this is what I mean I guess?

[futurechairguy01234 (woah)]

Okay, If you need to write an OOP project, and It’s your first one, I wouldn’t implement modular programming, as it’s just another level of complexity. Look into the basics, I sent some stuff in my previous response.

---

I’m hoping you know how modular programming works, if not here’s a brief description.

• You write code in the module script
• You can reference that script in other scripts as a variable
• You can call functions variables or properties from this module script in your other scripts

---

You mentioned you’re a beginner to OOP, so again, I would start with something simpler.
Try rewriting any project at all, a simple one-
WITH the implementation of OOP.

You can start by categorizing all your variables and functions under different objects.