Roblox, an online gaming platform which has captured the imagination of millions of players, especially among the youngest, has experienced great growth in recent years. A great alternative for those looking for something creative beyond the also fantastic Minecraft.
Created in 2004 and officially launched in 2006, this unique platform allows users to not only play games, but also create their own games. So it's not just fun, it's also learning in one online service…
What is Roblox?
Roblox, by Roblox Corporation, is much more than just a video game, as I have said. This virtual platform allows users of all ages who can design, build and experiment with games created by themselves and others. A blank canvas for users' creativity to run wild.
The games that are allowed to be created can be of various genres, from adventures and racing to simulations and RPGs, using a visual programming language called Lua. The platform provides a wide range of tools and resources to facilitate development, making it accessible to both beginners and more experienced developers. That is, if you are new to programming, you have nothing to worry about…
Over the years, Roblox has evolved from a small platform to a giant in the entertainment industryIts growth has been driven by the ability of users to create original content and the increasing popularity of online gaming. However, its success has also sparked debates over issues such as moderation, microtransactions and the safety of younger users.
On the other hand, it must be said that it is freemium, that is, it is free. And it is available for Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, Xbox, PlayStation, FireOS, Android and iOS. The Roblox Player client is not available for GNU/Linux distributions natively, but can be played perfectly using the WINE compatibility layer. Other possibilities are to use a virtual machine with Windows, or an Android emulator such as Waydroid…
What is the Lua programming language?
print("Hello world")
Lua is a programming language general purpose, known for its simplicity, efficiency and flexibility. Originally designed to be embedded in applications, it has found its way into a wide variety of projects, from video games and mobile applications to embedded systems and servers.
This Language is lightweight, with very compact and efficient results, ideal for systems with limited resources or for online use. It is also very flexible, as it can be adapted to object-oriented programming, imperative programming, and functional programming.
Developers will also be able to create their own data structures and modify the behavior of the language using metatables. And, in addition to being easy to learn, it is also portable, since it can run on a multitude of different platforms and operating systems, being an interpreted language like Python, Ruby, etc. This means that the code is executed line by line, without the need for prior compilation, thanks to an interpreter. However, Lua can also be compiled to bytecode to improve performance, like Java, and for this it runs in a virtual machine.
So, Lua can be used for scripting, for embedded systems, for rapid prototyping of ideas, and for developing simple and fast video games.
Roblox Featured Features
On the other hand, I would also like Highlighting Roblox Features, those for which you liked it so much and should start liking it now if you didn't know it:
- Personalization.: Players can customize their avatars with a wide variety of clothing, accessories and animations that they can purchase through the platform itself, as it has its own economic system.
- CreativityRoblox Studio, Roblox's development tool, allows users to create their own games and experiences using a visual programming language. The tools and interface are also quite intuitive.
- Virtual Economy: Robux, Roblox's virtual currency, is used to purchase items from the catalog, create groups, and monetize your own games by participating in the DevEx program. In addition, you can also buy real money with Robux.
- Community: Players can join groups, make friends, and participate in community events.
A very unique system that mixes fun, learning, accessibility, variety and everything that the potential of your imagination allows you... In short, together with Minecraft, it can be perfect for learning a multitude of things, to be integrated into classrooms of all ages, or simply to have fun.
How to create a video game with Roblox Studio
As you can observe, Start creating your own video games with Roblox Studio It's quite simple. The basic steps you need to follow are:
- Open Roblox Studio and create a new space for your video game.
- Add an object to the stage and name it “Target” for example. This will be the object the player must touch.
- Create a new script in the Workspace, such as this Lua code:
-- Show the score local screen = game.Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui") local scoreboard = Instance.new("TextLabel") scoreboard.Parent = screen scoreboard.Position = UDim2.new(0.5, 0, 0.5, 0) scoreboard.Size = UDim2.new(0, 100, 0, 50) scoreboard.Text = "Points: " .. points scoreboard.FontSize = 24 -- Update the points function updatePoints() -- ... (code above) scoreboard.Text = "Points: " .. points end
- Once you add the code you want, like this little Lua snippet, you can run the game and try to touch the created target. Each time you touch it, a message will be displayed in the console with your updated score.
Now you can start creating your own codes. Also, you will find many examples on the Internet if you want to base yourself on any of them, so Roblox makes it very easy for you. And, if you want to know more about how to learn to program easily by playing, here are two other articles that will help you do so, one about Code Club World and others about other games that gamify programming. You can also learn more about how minors can learn to program graphically or yourself, with our articles about the great Scratch, also available for the Raspberry Pi.