Dear fellow Roblox scripter, it sounds like you’ve been trying to learn scripting and you feel lost. In this article, I’ll tell you what you can do if you feel lost learning Roblox scripting.
Maybe you feel this way because Roblox scripting seems so complicated and you really want to make a great game, but you’re having a hard time understanding it.
I’m here to reassure you that it’s okay to feel this way, and at some point, everyone does.
Do you know why everyone has to feel this way at some point?
Because you can’t give a testimonial without a test.
This process of you feeling lost learning scripting is just a test.
For you to pass this test, you can’t give up.
I have been scripting on Roblox since 2016.
At the time of writing this article, I’m 9 years into the game.
I was given the same test that you’re given, where I felt lost trying to understand some code.
It’s just a plain old test.
To get past this test, you have to:
- Not give up and continue learning
- Find someone who can explain very well and have them mentor you.
Nothing more than that.
Let me tell you a story about a chatting system that helped me when I was feeling lost learning Roblox scripting.
Chatting System
When I was a 13 year old learning scripting, I had a lot of inspiration because I was close friends with someone who knew how to script.
Every time he made and shared something, it always blew my mind. I wanted to write my own scripts to be able to do that as well.
One of the things he made was a chatting system, similar to this advanced Roblox chatting system that I made when I was 15-16.
From the video, you can see that there’s all sorts of stuff, like emojis and gradients.
This was made before Roblox announced RichText.
And well, he had his own chatting system that he made when I was 12.
His chatting system had emojis too.
And when I was 13, I would see this in action and I’d be super confused.
How is he displaying emojis in the middle of a chat message like that?
I wanted to make my own chatting system at the time, because it made me seem powerful to display my level, and to be able to send system messages.
I knew enough to make a super basic one, but to make rainbow colors and emojis like that? No way.
So, I paid him. I figured out that I needed to learn string matching and string substitution and I paid him to hop on a call with me and explain it.
And he did.
After about 30 minutes, I understood it.
That was the foundation for me to make elegant chatting systems as you saw above.
It was a matter of not quitting and finding a better way to learn the topic.
Instead of giving up, I used my resources and made it work.
Why You Are Lost Learning Roblox Scripting
So, why might you feel lost learning Roblox scripting in the first place?
My guess is that it falls into one of these categories:
- You’re jumping into advanced topics too early (like OOP or metatables).
- You don’t know what order to learn things.
- You’re copying scripts without understanding.
- Tutorials don’t explain the “why”, just the “what.”
- You don’t have a fun, guided project to follow.
- You’re stuck in tutorial hell, watching tutorials but never applying them.
Can you do me a quick favor and identify what the case might be?
Thank you.
Now that you know why you’re lost, let me give you a solution for every case.
You’re Jumping into Advanced Topics Too Early
Chances are that you’re probably trying to bite more than you can chew.
If you are still unfamiliar with variables, try not to start learning something super advanced for your level, like object oriented programming.
Solution: Try to script on your own and when you get stuck, use your resources. Don’t just aimlessly try to learn everything. Learn when you get stuck. This will prevent you from jumping into advanced topics too early.
Don’t Know What Order to Learn Things
This is a big problem that heavily depends on whatever you’re trying to learn scripting for.
For example, to learn how to make an obby system, you might need to learn things in a certain order than to make a combat system.
Solution: Ask yourself what are the steps needed to make whatever game you’re trying to make.
For example, if I’m making an obby, what are the features that are needed?
- Player joins the game
- Player has to have obstacles to avoid (red bricks that kill them)
- Player has to be able to touch another spawn location in order to progress
- Player’s stage has to save
- Player has to be able to buy in-game products and game passes
So, now that you have a list of features your game needs, you just go down the order.
After a player joins the game, they need obstacles, which are red bricks that kill them.
Okay, so that’s what you need to script.
You just have to do this process for every game you want to make for a very long time, and that’s how you’ll understand the order of how to learn things.
If you’re looking to generally understand scripting first in a way where you can understand other people’s code, I recommend this:
Better Solution: Get a book or course, like my Beginner’s Guide to Roblox Scripting book.
The book will have a structure for you to follow, so that you don’t get lost and fall behind.
You’re Copying Scripts Without Understanding
If you’re copying scripts without understanding, I understand.
The important thing is that you’re not alone.
In all of my YouTube videos, there are always countless beginners who try to copy things without understanding.
It’s okay that you’ve been doing this.
The important part now is that you’ve realized it, and it’s time for a change, don’t you think?
From now on, whenever you look at a script, you should try to understand every line of code, and why it was written.
If you can’t understand, find someone who can explain in a way that you understand.
A lot of people nowadays use AI, but even AI may confuse you. AI isn’t always right, either; especially, with Roblox Lua.
There are a lot of people who use AI to learn and then come to me feeling lost learning Roblox scripting because they aren’t understanding as much.
The best solution for you to understand what you’re coding is to find a human scripter who can:
- Script much better than you
- Explain it in a way you can understand
If you want a quick and premium solution, you can purchase my coaching services here.
I’ve studied the science of learning for 3 years and developed an app based off it.
I have also been teaching scripting over YouTube videos, discord calls, and live classes to 12+ year olds. If a 12 year old can understand me, I’m sure you can.
If you are looking to purchase my Roblox scripting coaching services, you can go to the link here and book a call.
Tutorials Don’t Explain the “Why” Just the What
It’s true that Roblox scripting tutorials hardly ever explain why the code is written. Just the what.
Solution: Lucky for you, I have some videos you can watch. I explain everything.
I recommend you start here.
Also, please have a look at the previous section on copying scripts without understanding.
You Don’t Have a Fun Guided Project to Follow
A very important part of learning scripting is your why.
If you feel lost learning Roblox scripting, you might not have found a good reason to learn it in the first place.
Why are you learning scripting in the first place?
Please have a look at this article on how to motivate yourself to learn scripting.
You’re Stuck in Roblox Scripting Tutorial Hell
You might feel lost learning Roblox scripting because you’re stuck in Roblox scripting tutorial hell.
If so, I made this video for you.
Please watch the whole thing. I think it’ll motivate you to learn scripting in a better way.
Also, I recommend you view this article on your first Roblox scripting tutorial.
Conclusion
To conclude this article, I hope you can find the reason for why you were lost learning scripting and a good solution to follow.
My name is Kushal, and I’ve been making games on Roblox since 2016. I teach scripting online and in person.
Remember the test I talked about in the beginning?
I passed that test and here I am giving the testimonial, as a professional scripter.
You can do it too.
If you liked reading this article, you might want to subscribe to Kushal Writes, a free newsletter where you’ll get valuable information from me every now and then.
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Keep scripting.
I believe in you.
