YOU Should use Packages. Yes, YOU!

HealthyKarl · October 4, 2024, 5:43pm

The only difference is that on Roblox they’re on a Cloud. They spam my inventory. Though I like them I will use them.

But I wish that I could have Local Prefabs.

The title of this guide is making it look like as if Packages would be perfect. I don’t even know if Roblox fixed the issue where Packages have to Sync.

I almost want to create a Bug Report for Package Links calling the API for non rbxassetid:// URLs. Realizing that they call two things, the package and then some side info for the package.

Because yes, I was trying to use the local asset scheme out of curiosity, but the Package System IS DEEPLY working with the API, but I see potential for PackageLinks to get expanded and have it split up from Cloud and Local.

Prefabs, or in Hammer Editor “Instances”, are so useful, but yet lack so many features. And I believe with each Package update from Roblox, they’re wrapping the Package Feature into a Box. They never ever open the Box ever again. They put the Box in even more Boxes at the end the Core Code of Packages themselves are never seen ever again.

Will we ever get Local Packages, will we ever get the ability to make changes to Packages individually without overriding things, but inheriting updates?

Right now, I could actually create a working simulation of Local Packages I think.

Packages are sorta like Pointers, and one of the cool things that exist are ObjectValues. Referncing an Instance to another. Do they work properly? Yes and no: ObjectValue Instance Problems. Properties that hold an Instance require innovation, RefPropDescriptor

When will it get fixed?

Original CFrames? Colorable things that you can see in Studio after changing? The only thing I know is that you can change Attributes, that’s all I don’t even know if there’s more except the Attributes. Attributes don’t do a lot.

A Script that changes the color based on Attributes of a Package may will do the thing, but this is not great. A Script needs to run for the changes to apply. But WE need visual.

Most of these can be done with Plugins but… I am not using UniqueId, that one changes too much. ObjectValue’s and the way they work sound more reliable but there’s a few bugs with it. Soo…

But with Local Packages, I mean Instance LINKED not through local file paths. As a Studio Utility. And yes I’d find it very epic if you can have Local Packages linked through an Instance that is a Cloud Package. That sounds very epic.

ShinsokuDev · October 4, 2024, 5:44pm

Packages are trying to accomplish the right thing, they just don’t do it well enough yet. Buggy behavior, lack of features, loss of data, etc.

C_Corpze · October 4, 2024, 5:58pm

The post title startled me a little, I feel pointed out.

USE PACKAGES! I DON’T KNOW HOW ANY OF YOU MAKE ANYTHING AT ALL WITHOUT THEM!!!

Well actually, I usually just write a script that automatically replaces every part/object in a game with a model of my choice.

I might consider trying packages because I do agree it seems like a SUPER useful feature.
Though one of the reasons I didn’t use them had to do with that it feels weird to me to have many duplicated assets in a game.

I care a lot about memory and over optimization.
Instead of having many trees and houses, I like to typically just have a bunch of boxes or invisible parts and when a player gets near then I can Clone() a model of a house or a tree where it needs to be.

This also results in a much smaller Roblox place file.
Though I’m not sure whether packages have this same effect.

I’ll definitely look into packages though.
I’ve been looking for an easier way to have scripts and frameworks in ReplicatedStorage and ServerScriptService auto-update.

Is this possible with packages too?

desserts_yumyum · October 4, 2024, 6:16pm

hey @HealthyKarl quick clarification here - when you say “local packages”, I think you want these abilities:

Continuously receive updates from the “source” package while keeping the customizations you’ve made (right now, packages will require you to pick between receiving an update vs. keeping your modifications).
Be able to apply a certain override (e.g. apple tree package with override of apple color from green to red) at the place level to all instances in a place (i.e. “local” to a place)

Is this right? Am i missing anything?
We’re actively working on how we can enable these for packages! Let me know if you have any additional asks here.

desserts_yumyum · October 4, 2024, 6:22pm

hey @Daw588 have you run into any of these issues recently? we’re trying to address these quality issues for packages.

desserts_yumyum · October 4, 2024, 6:25pm

we’re working on an API that enables you to push content from repos (e.g. Github repos) into the Roblox asset system as packages! we’ll share more

HealthyKarl · October 4, 2024, 6:44pm

Current Packages do the following… that I can’t even replace it.

Too much Cloud Involved.

It calls:

https://develop.roblox.com/v1/assets/?assetIds=
https://assetdelivery.roblox.com/v1/asset/?id=
https://apis.roblox.com/asset-permissions-api/v1/assets/check-actions
/v1/assets/latest-versions

Didn’t expect.

<Content name="PackageIdSerialize"><url>rbxasset://test.rbxm</url></Content>

That would result in AssetID 0. But I wanted it Instance based anyways.

My attempt was this, but that’s not what I meant with Local Packages. Even though eventually some might will find it interesting.

My fake local packages… I give it an invalid ID and create my own result

Which was this.

It was difficult to simulate Local Packages, and I made it “file system based”, while I was seeking Instance based.

Thing is I can’t re-replace it Roblox caches what it calls, so yep… But that is a “unstable” yet working Local Package method, just that the steps needed to achieve it break the rest of the features. But it’s proof that it is possible.

I meant this:

Have a new property that is not PackageId that is the same thing that ObjectValue can hold. A referent.
Instead of calling the APIs mentioned above, it will DIRECTLY compare the Referenced Instance and mirror the changes.
Changelogs and etc. aren’t needed it can be quick and fast.
Every other features from Packages, e.g. different Attributes and etc. should inherit just like Cloud based Packages.

Thus would be completely new additonal features to customize Packages that would be cool. But local packages are more interesting.

HealthyKarl · October 4, 2024, 6:55pm

Local Packages, but it should be instance based:

Here is the simulation:

See how it says:

Published package The_Local_Source_Of_Packages has an older metadata format. Please republish it for better version control related supports.

Since it’s cloud based, thus would be something that the current PackageLink needs to be able to differentiate to give it different behavior.

But that video effectively has demonstrated a Local Version of Packages. The Feature is right infront of us, it just needs to be implemented.

Local Packages would not have version differences. If one wants that, use Cloud Packages. Local Packages serve only for Local purposes and faster and dynamic use while retaining other Package abilities.

yipiokay · October 4, 2024, 7:06pm

I’d use it if we can have a Cloud API for downloading, modifying, etc

I want to be able to use this in CI/CD for deployment

Stay tuned, this is in our plans! Thanks for sharing this.

bluestann · October 4, 2024, 7:50pm

can you share one or more specific examples of how you would use packages with the cloud? we are working on something along the lines of CI/CD deployment and interested in your use cases to make sure its covered.

itsVoidcrusher · October 4, 2024, 8:04pm

Wait, so what is the moral of the story? JK, this guide is super useful and detailed

Maplestorm_0 · October 4, 2024, 9:03pm

or you could say… “Crate” a package.

i recently found out about what packages actually did, theyre incredibly useful for experiences with multiple places so ill definitely get into them sometime…
this post really shipped packages for me, i think it wrapped the uses up pretty well!

i do mean everything i said though this post is very cool

foodeggs7 · October 5, 2024, 2:39pm

I found out what packages are this year it’s really useful since I was working on a game what should get much places and I also use it along with stylesheets modules for systems like admin system and custom leaderboard

If Roblox could add a feature where when you publish a package it automatically publish in live experience without first publiching that place

And maybe a possibility to get an not saved version (I forget always to publish changes when made) to fetch it from the package let’s we say I. PlaceX we have a cube of 6x6x6 as in the example and then in placeY we a decal on it then next time you work on placeX bit you forget to update so we could Click getdecelopmentvetsion and we get how it is in that place what it should update itt automatically on placeY or just love syncing packages I don’t know what my other teamembers think cuz what if you break the package but now if someone will add something it conflict the package another thing could be like how files work if it’s duplicated where you manually choose the version of a file like we say scriptx is edited then overwrite it but idk what does the community think

The b3st option could be a prompt what popup and let’s you publish packages if you edited it if it’s broken you could just click no what if not update maybe you can add a note then

alexinite · October 5, 2024, 3:02pm

this thread should be named “Packages - what are they? Why arent you using them? Who even are you? Do you think you’re better than them? Are you even real?” for clarity

I’ve known about packages for a while but it would be nice to have a “sub-package” system that worked somewhat like a Git branch where when the super (original) package is updated it would not update and instead show you the differences visually and in properties. I think this should be true for packages in general to easily tell what has changed without committing it, but would be especially useful for sub-packages

RuizuKun_Dev · October 5, 2024, 11:38pm

Hello,

For my use case, I’d like the ability to download a Package as a .rbxm (model file) and then use a tool like Lune to insert it into the .rbxl (place file) that we’re deploying to our live game.

It would also be extremely helpful to have the capability to publish updates to the Package. We use Rojo and VS Code, so whenever our asset files are added, removed, or modified, I’d like to automate this process. Ideally, we could use a Lune script to interact with the Package API and publish these changes, possibly as part of a GitHub Action workflow.

The reason for this is to maintain separation of concerns for different asset types. For example, in one game, we have separate workspaces for DEV, Environment, UI, etc., and we use Packages to sync and share assets between these workspaces.

Having access to the Package API for downloading, creating, and updating (publishing) would make this process much easier and more efficient. We would continue using Packages to share assets between workspaces as static backups, to sync in Studio, and to insert the latest updates during runtime.

Adding a Cloud API for these functions would provide an additional layer of automation and improve our workflow significantly.

I also acknowledge that nested Packages are buggy so I always avoid it

I’d use Package API to do automated changes within my game, for example a Reusable Base Package, upon change I can use Lune to find all with a given tag then replace them with the newest version

metatablecatmaid · October 7, 2024, 1:08am

Packages are very useful and I do recommend using them, but please implement an AutoUpdate where the game will always download the latest version.

Being forced to publish multiple games for a package change to also be published is a logistical nightmare.

ziyezide · October 12, 2024, 10:16am

Why package sometimes duplicate instance, we use package for ScreenGui and scripts, we use auto-update, publish to package and update to all place, maybe because team creation and different members in different place when we update?

rinyafii · October 19, 2024, 4:23pm

My biggest thing with packages is that at the end of the day, they’re just models. I can’t prevent my devs from simply ungrouping them and losing all the package functionality.

This is also something that gets me too, as someone who has a game that has MANY sub places that use the same assets & game systems, having to go through all of these and re-publish just to get package changes is annoying.

Daw588 · October 27, 2024, 7:27pm

I wasn’t able to reproduce the issue I experienced, but if I do, I will file a bug report.

Though I will say, I find it time consuming and annoying to have to Publish, select another package, click Update All, and then wait about 5s for the Studio to finish updating the packages. I wish there was an option that allowed me to Publish & Update All with one or two clicks (depending whether the confirmation modal is enabled), and it should take less than a second.

R9_P9 · October 27, 2024, 7:40pm

when I update a package will places that use it get updated without publishing them?