Roblox Game Development: From Zero To Proficiency (Intermediate): Roblox Game Development: From Zero To Proficiency, #1

Roblox Game Development: From Zero to Proficiency (Intermediate)

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Third-Person Shooter in Roblox Studio with Lua

Patrick Felicia

Roblox Game Development: From Zero to Proficiency (Intermediate)

Copyright © 2025 Patrick Felicia

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher (Patrick Felicia), except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either expressed or implied. Neither the author nor its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Published by Patrick Felicia

Credits

Author: Patrick Felicia

About the Author

Patrick Felicia is a lecturer, researcher, and author with a passion for making coding accessible through game development. He earned his MSc in Multimedia Technology in 2003 and his PhD in Computer Science in 2009, both from University College Cork, Ireland.

Patrick is the author of several best-selling books, including the widely acclaimed Unity from Zero to Proficiency series, which has empowered countless readers to learn coding by creating their own games.

Through his books, training videos, and conference presentations, Patrick has guided thousands of aspiring developers on their journey to master game development and programming.

He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Game-Based Learning and is currently the chair of the International Conference on Game-Based Learning.

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This book is dedicated to Mathis

Table of Contents

Contents

Credits

About the Author

Share Your Feedback

Download a Free PDF Copy of This Book

Table of Contents

Preface

Content Covered by this Book

What you Need to Use this Book

Who this Book is for

Who this Book is not for

How you will Learn from this Book

Format of each Chapter and Writing Conventions

Special Notes

How Can You Learn Best from this Book

Feedback

Improving the Book

Supporting the Author

1 The Benefits of Using Roblox

What is Roblox?

Key Features of Roblox

Benefits of Using Roblox

The Evolution of Roblox

How Roblox Empowers Creators

The Future of Roblox

Summary

2 Getting Started with Roblox Studio

Installing Roblox Studio

Exploring the Interface

Basic Navigation and Tools

Keyboard Shortcuts

Customizing Your Workspace

Understanding Basic Components

Using the Toolbox

Exploring Your New Scene

Basic Scripting with Lua

Testing and Debugging Your Script

Saving and Loading Projects

Overview of Roblox Community and Resources

Summary and Review

Quiz

3 LUA Programming Concepts

Introduction

Statements

Comments

Variables

Operators

Conditional Statements

Combining if/elseif

Loops

Functions

Tables

Single-Dimensional Tables (Arrays)

Multidimensional Tables

Using Loops with Tables

Scope of Variables

Events

Understanding Events

Common Events in Roblox

Creating Custom Events

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

4 Building the Basics: Targets, Projectiles, and Effects

Creating the Targets

Designing the Firing System

Detecting When the Mouse is Pressed

Creating and propelling Projectiles

Managing Collision

Destroying Targets

Adding Explosions

Adding Health to the Targets

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

5 Creating a Weapon System

Creating the Inventory System

Switching Between Weapons

Modifying the Projectile and its Impact

Displaying Weapon Information Onscreen.

Creating the Gun

Collecting the Gun

Adding the Gun to the Character’s Right Hand

Enabling the Weapon System After Collecting the Gun

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

6 Adding NPCs

Adding and Animating the 3D character

Adding Navigation with Waypoints

Adding Health and Being Destroyed by the Player’s projectiles

Adding a Health Bar to the NPC

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

7 Improving Our NPCs

Adding Hearing Detection

Adding Sight Detection

About Using The Dot Product

Adding and Firing Weapons for the NPC

Adding a Gun to the NPC

Creating the Shooting Animation

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

8 Improving the Gameplay

Creating the environment (walls, door, etc.).

Adding Health Packs

Requiring the Player to Collect Three parts To Open the Door

Adding the Door and Conditions to Open It

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

9 Polishing Up Our Game

Improving Navigation with Path Finding

Adding Instructions, Briefing, and Sound

Adding Increasing NPC Strength over Time (Speed, Impact of Projectiles)

Restarting the Game when the Player Is hit by an NPC

Duplicating NPCs

Adding Background Music

Summary

Quiz

Challenge

10 Answers to Quizzes

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

11 Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started With Roblox Studio

Scripting And Game Mechanics

Building And Object Manipulation

Non-Player Characters (npcs) And Ai

Non-Player Characters (npcs) And Ai

NPC Improvements And Enemy Behavior

Optimization And Debugging

Finalizing And Publishing Your Game

12 Thank you

Preface

As someone with extensive experience teaching Unity and game development, I have always been passionate about helping others understand the core concepts of programming and game design. Over the years, I’ve seen how powerful platforms like Unity, Unreal or Godot, can be in fostering creativity and technical skills. However, I also realized that for many aspiring developers, especially beginners, there is a need for platforms that are even more accessible—both in terms of learning to code and quickly building games. That’s when I turned my attention to Roblox.

Roblox provides a unique opportunity for learners of all ages to dive into game development without the steep learning curve that comes with some other tools. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, combined with the flexibility of Lua scripting, makes it a perfect starting point for anyone looking to get into game creation. This book series assumes no prior knowledge on the part of the reader, and it will get you started on Roblox so that you quickly master all the wonderful features that this software provides by going through an easy learning curve. By completing each chapter, and by following step-by-step instructions, you will progressively improve your skills, become more proficient in Roblox, and create a survival game using Roblox’s core features in terms of programming (i.e., Lua), game design, and drag-and-drop features.

This second book in the series is designed for learners who are ready to elevate their Roblox development skills by creating an exciting and dynamic third-person shooter game. You will dive into advanced gameplay mechanics, build immersive game environments, and integrate adaptive features to challenge and engage players.

Starting with the creation of a weapon system, you will learn how to design and implement key features such as firing projectiles, detecting collisions, and destroying targets. You'll also enhance the experience with audio effects, special effects like smoke and explosions, and a health system for targets that adds depth to the gameplay.

Next, you’ll explore weapon management systems, where you’ll create inventories, switch between weapons, and implement unique effects and customizations for each weapon. You’ll also add ammunition mechanics, user interfaces, and systems to ensure that gameplay logic is tied to weapon availability.

The book will guide you through adding Non-Player Characters (NPCs), equipping them with health systems, navigation abilities, and functional weapons. You'll create an AI-based finite state machine (FSM) for NPCs, enabling them to patrol, detect the player, and engage in combat.

To further enhance the challenge, you’ll design gameplay objectives, such as collecting items, unlocking doors, and incorporating user feedback through messages and UI elements. Environmental design will be covered, enabling you to create walls, doors, and interactive elements that contribute to the overall immersion.

By the end of this book, you will have created a polished and engaging third-person shooter game in Roblox Studio, complete with advanced animations, adaptive gameplay, and challenging mechanics. Whether you aim to share your game with friends or release it on the Roblox platform, this book provides the knowledge and tools to make it a success.

This book is designed to be both fun and educational. As you work through the chapters, you’ll see your progress take shape in the form of a playable game that can be shared and expanded upon. I’m excited to be your guide on this journey, and I can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll create with Roblox!

Content Covered by this Book

Chapter 1: The Benefits of Using Roblox. This chapter introduces Roblox as a game development platform and explores its key features. You will learn why Roblox is an excellent choice for developers, highlighting its accessibility, user-generated content, and monetization potential. Additionally, the chapter provides an overview of how Roblox has evolved and what the future holds for the platform.

Chapter 2: Getting Started with Roblox Studio. In this chapter, you will learn how to install and navigate Roblox Studio. It covers the main interface components, such as the Explorer, Properties, and Toolbox panels. You will also explore basic navigation techniques, keyboard shortcuts, and how to set up a comfortable workspace for game development.

Chapter 3: Lua Programming Concepts. This chapter introduces Lua, the scripting language used in Roblox. You will learn about fundamental programming concepts, such as variables, operators, conditional statements, loops, and functions. By the end of this chapter, you will be equipped with the foundational skills needed to script interactions and game logic in Roblox Studio.

Chapter 4: Building the Basics: Targets, Projectiles, and Effects. This chapter focuses on implementing core gameplay mechanics, such as creating targets and projectiles. You will learn how to detect when a player fires a projectile, apply collisions, and add visual and sound effects like explosions. Additionally, this chapter introduces ways to manage object health and destruction.

Chapter 5: Creating a Weapon System. Here, you will develop a weapon system that allows players to collect, equip, and switch between different weapons. You will create an inventory system, modify projectiles, and display weapon information on-screen. This chapter also covers designing functional weapons and integrating them with the player's character.

Chapter 6: Adding NPCs (Non-Player Characters). In this chapter, you will create and animate NPCs that can navigate the game world. You will learn how to implement AI behaviors, such as patrolling and detecting the player. Additionally, the chapter introduces health systems for NPCs and how they react when hit by projectiles.

Chapter 7: Improving Our NPCs. This chapter builds upon the previous NPC system by adding advanced behaviors, such as sight and hearing detection. You will implement a combat system where NPCs can aim, fire weapons, and react dynamically to the player's movements. The chapter also explores using mathematical concepts like the Dot Product for more accurate enemy targeting.

Chapter 8: Improving Gameplay. Here, you will enhance the overall player experience by designing an interactive game environment. You will create structures such as walls and doors, introduce health packs, and implement objectives like collecting items to progress.

Chapter 9: Polishing Up Our Game. In this chapter, you will refine and optimize your game by adding advanced navigation, pathfinding, and user feedback mechanisms. You will implement difficulty scaling, where NPCs become stronger over time.

Chapter 10: Answers to Quizzes. This chapter provides detailed answers to the quizzes found at the end of each chapter, helping you review and reinforce your understanding of key concepts.

Chapter 11: Frequently Asked Questions. This section addresses common questions about Roblox Studio, scripting, game mechanics, and object manipulation. It provides troubleshooting tips and additional guidance on working with Roblox's tools and features.

Chapter 12: Thank You and Next Steps. The final chapter summarizes the book's key takeaways and offers guidance on how to further develop your skills in Roblox game development. It provides recommendations for additional resources and the next steps for those looking to expand their knowledge.

What you Need to Use this Book

To complete the project in this book, all you need is a free Roblox account and a computer! Roblox supports both Windows and macOS, making it easy to get started regardless of your operating system. Most computers less than five years old should work well, but if you’re unsure about system requirements, you can find detailed information on the official Roblox website:

https://create.roblox.com/docs/studio/setting-up-roblox-studio

While this book provides a quick introduction to coding concepts, it assumes you already have a basic understanding of programming or have completed the first book in the series, Roblox Game Development: From Zero to Proficiency (Beginner). If you’re new to programming, we highly recommend starting there to build a solid foundation.

For intermediate users, this book focuses on expanding your skills with more advanced scripting and game mechanics. Tasks such as creating weapons, implementing game objectives, and adding NPC behavior will require a mix of coding and design knowledge. If you're comfortable with basic computer tasks and have some familiarity with programming, you're ready to dive in and create an engaging third-person shooter game!

Who this Book is for

If you can answer yes to these questions, then this book is for you:

1.       Have you already explored Roblox Studio and want to take your skills to the next level?

2.       Would you like to deepen your understanding of Lua scripting and learn advanced techniques like creating weapon systems, managing NPCs, and implementing adaptive gameplay?

3.       Are you interested in building a third-person shooter game with engaging 3D environments, dynamic objectives, and multiplayer mechanics?

4.       Would you like to guide students or children who are ready to move beyond the basics and create more advanced games?

5.       Do you want to enhance your knowledge of Roblox’s features, such as user interfaces, animations, and game optimization?

Who this Book is not for

If you can answer yes to these questions, then this book might not be for you:

Can you already create and script advanced 3D games in Roblox, including complex mechanics like weapon systems, multiplayer interactions, and adaptive gameplay?

Are you seeking a highly detailed reference on professional-level Roblox programming techniques?

Are you an experienced or advanced Roblox developer looking for expert-level content?

If so, you might prefer the advanced books in this series. To explore the content covered in those books, visit the official website at www.learntocreategames.com/books/.

How you will Learn from this Book

Because every student learns differently and has unique expectations from a course, this book is designed to accommodate a variety of learning styles. It includes the following features:

Learning Objectives: Each chapter begins with a clear list of learning objectives, providing a snapshot of the skills and concepts that will be covered.

Activity Overviews: Each section includes a brief overview of the activities, ensuring learners understand what they will be working on.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Many activities are presented in a step-by-step format, making it easy to follow along and build confidence. Additionally, learners are encouraged to develop deeper problem-solving skills through the challenges provided at the end of each chapter.

Quizzes and Challenges: Every chapter concludes with a quiz and practical challenges, allowing