Taylor Field-Draper is the author of The Ultimate Roblox Game Building Cookbook; we got the chance to sit down and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: What is the name of your book?
Taylor: The Ultimate Roblox Game Building Cookbook
Q: What are your specialist tech areas?
Taylor: 3D Generalist, Video Game Producer
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Taylor: I’ve contemplated creating a Roblox-based book for quite some time now, so when I had someone from the Packt team reach out on LinkedIn, I was thrilled to accept. Since I grew up playing Roblox and have had so many years of experience developing on the platform, I was motivated to come up with something that would have helped me when I was younger.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Taylor: I didn’t necessarily “research” anything for this book, but rather compiled my skills, workflow, and otherwise any important knowledge that I have collected from my 15+ years of experience as a developer. However, I also reached out to multiple peers and people in the community to ensure the processes, terminology, etc. in the book are representative of the standard of building on the platform. I did my case-by-case study of each recipe in this book to ensure that they followed the best practices.
Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Taylor: Finding the time to write this book thoughtfully and with great care has been a challenge because I was simultaneously balancing this with my full-time career. Another challenge was writing out my workflow process in a comprehensive way; many aspects of development have become muscle memory for me, so trying to put myself in the shoes of the reader, who may have zero prior development experience, to describe the recipe steps in a meaningful way was difficult. One of my biggest challenges was writing the book itself with no prior experience, as an author. It was a daunting yet exciting task, and I am happy that I can look back on it now and say I did it! I overcame all of these challenges by persevering and taking it one day at a time.
Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Taylor: This book gives a thorough rundown on all of the necessary tools that you need to create an enjoyable experience on Roblox, and explains many of the future lighting technologies that Roblox continues to develop, such as its VFX and lighting systems as well as new tool functions. Knowing these basic tool fundamentals will help you as Roblox continues to add and adjust its Studio tools to allow for easier and quicker development. I think it’s wonderful that Roblox is introducing more intricate features, as it allows for more diversity and character in experiences.
Q: Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Taylor: Unlike many Roblox-themed books, a lot of the material provided in this book follows much of the industry knowledge and best practices and tips for game and level design, which is applicable both on Roblox as well as off platform.
Q: What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away with from the book?
Taylor: This book isn’t a set-in-stone way to do things, it is simply a collection of my own experiences and learnings from being a developer on the platform. I want readers to understand the basic thought process that goes into designing and laying out an experience. As with art, nothing in this book is a set-in-stone way to do things– I want players to discover their preferred method of building and fit it with their unique art style and thinking.
Q. What advice would you give to readers jumping into this technology? Do you have any top tips?
Taylor: YouTube is your best friend, as there’s great information and guides that you can refer to there. Over everything else, though, have fun and build things that you want! Don’t let other people’s expectations or tastes ever discourage you from creating the things that you want to create!
Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?
Taylor: Follow me on Twitter! @trustmeimruski
Q: Can you share any blogs, websites, and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning? What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away with from the book?
Taylor: https://create.roblox.com/ and https://devforum.roblox.com/
Q. How would you describe your author’s journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Taylor: Packt was very adaptable to my writing style and work schedule. They were great to work alongside and learn from throughout this entire process, and I would highly recommend working to them if you are looking to become an author.
Q. Do you belong to any tech community groups?
Taylor: Primarily just the Roblox Twitter Community (RTC)
Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?
Taylor: Metaverse Marcom is one that I enjoy browsing. It has case studies of various Roblox-branded projects and events and does a good job showcasing what these games do well. It’s also a great place to keep track of the current and ongoing trends within the tech community
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Taylor: Most of the planning came down to me just opening Roblox Studio and building for fun to come up with entertaining, unique, and useful recipes to put in the book. Afterward, I worked alongside Packt to determine estimated timelines for each chapter and slotted my time in accordingly. Most of my time during the day is occupied with other priorities, so much of this book was written in the late evening, which is where I found my most creative writing energy and the least amount of external distractions.
Q. What is that one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Taylor: Learning and using the proper formatting, especially for books about programs/services such as Roblox Studio, as there are many formatting specifics you will need to know and be consistent with.
Q. Would you like to share your social handles? If so, please share.
Taylor: Twitter | Instagram | Linkedin
You can find Taylor’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
