Getting a working roblox rocket launcher script up and running is one of those classic milestones for any dev on the platform. Whether you're making a chaotic battle royale or just want to blow stuff up in a sandbox, a rocket launcher is basically the gold standard for "fun physics items." The cool thing is that while it seems complex, the logic is actually pretty straightforward once you break it down into parts.
In this walkthrough, we're going to look at how to put together a script that doesn't just work but also feels good to use. We'll cover the setup, the actual coding logic, and some tips to make sure your explosions don't lag the entire server into oblivion.
Setting up the basic tool model
Before we even touch a script, we need something for the player to hold. You can't exactly fire a rocket out of thin air—well, you can, but it looks a bit weird. You'll want to create a Tool object in your workspace or StarterPack. Inside that tool, you need a part named "Handle." This is what the player's hand attaches to.
If you're not a 3D modeler, don't sweat it. You can just use a cylinder, rotate it 90 degrees, and call it a day. If you want to get fancy, add a few smaller parts for the scope or the trigger. Just remember to group them or use a MeshPart so the whole thing moves as one unit. Once your model looks like a launcher, make sure you have a specific point where the rocket will spawn. A common trick is to put a small, invisible Part at the tip of the barrel and call it "Muzzle." It makes the math way easier later on.
Why RemoteEvents are a big deal
If you've spent any time in Roblox Studio, you've probably heard of FilteringEnabled. Basically, it means that if a player's computer (the client) does something, the server doesn't automatically see it unless you use a RemoteEvent.
If you write your roblox rocket launcher script entirely in a LocalScript, you'll be the only person seeing the rockets. To everyone else, you'll just be standing there clicking your mouse while invisible explosions happen. That's why we use a RemoteEvent. The LocalScript detects the mouse click, tells the RemoteEvent "Hey, fire a rocket," and then a Script on the server actually creates the rocket and handles the damage. This keeps things synced up and prevents exploiters from easily messing with your projectile logic.
Writing the actual rocket script logic
Now for the meat of the project. Your server-side script is going to be doing the heavy lifting. When it receives the signal to fire, it needs to do a few things in a specific order.
First, it has to create the rocket instance. This is usually a Part or a MeshPart with a "BodyVelocity" or "LinearVelocity" inside it. Using velocity objects is much better than just changing the position every frame because it lets the physics engine handle the movement. It feels smoother and interacts better with walls and players.
Next, you need to set the starting position. This is where that "Muzzle" part we talked about comes in handy. You set the rocket's CFrame to match the Muzzle's CFrame. Then, you point it in the direction the player was looking. A little bit of math (don't worry, nothing too scary) helps ensure the rocket flies straight toward the player's mouse cursor.
Handling the collision
The most important part of any roblox rocket launcher script is what happens when the rocket hits something. You'll want to use the .Touched event on the rocket part. When it triggers, you check if the thing it hit isn't the person who fired it (otherwise, you'll just blow yourself up immediately).
Once a valid hit is detected, you swap the rocket part out for an Explosion object. Roblox has a built-in Explosion class that handles a lot of the work for you, like applying force and dealing damage to nearby Humanoids. It's super convenient and looks decent right out of the box.
Making the explosion feel impactful
A rocket that just disappears and does a tiny "pop" is kind of a letdown. To make your script feel "premium," you need to add some juice. This is where visual effects (VFX) and sound effects (SFX) come into play.
When the rocket spawns, play a "whoosh" sound. When it hits, play a "boom." It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people forget this. You can also add a ParticleEmitter to the back of the rocket to create a smoke trail. It makes the projectile much easier to track with your eyes and adds a lot of personality to the weapon.
Another pro tip: give the explosion a bit of a "screen shake" for the player who fired it. You can do this by sending a signal back to the client and tweaking the camera's CFrame slightly. It gives the weapon a sense of power that players really love.
Tweaking the physics and speed
Sometimes a rocket feels "off" because it's either too fast or too slow. If it's too fast, it looks like a bullet and the explosion feels instant. If it's too slow, it's impossible to hit anything. Finding that sweet spot is key.
I usually find that a velocity of around 150 to 250 units per second feels best for a standard launcher. You also want to make sure the rocket is "unanchored" but has "CanCollide" set to false for other players, so it doesn't accidentally get stuck on someone's hat before it even leaves the barrel.
Also, think about gravity. Most rockets in games fly in a perfectly straight line, but if you want a more realistic "grenade launcher" feel, you can let the physics engine pull the rocket down over time. It adds a bit of a skill gap since players have to aim higher for long-distance shots.
Common mistakes to watch out for
When you're putting together your roblox rocket launcher script, there are a few traps that almost everyone falls into at least once.
- Memory Leaks: If you create a rocket every time someone clicks but never delete it, your server is eventually going to crash. Always use the
Debrisservice to clean up your rockets and explosion effects after a few seconds. - Lack of Cooldowns: Without a "debounce" (a fancy word for a cooldown timer), players will spam the click button and fire 500 rockets in a second. It looks funny for a moment, but it'll lag your game into the ground.
- No Lag Compensation: If a player has a high ping, their rockets might look like they're firing from behind them. You can fix this by doing some clever client-side prediction, but for a basic script, just making sure the server handles the spawn position correctly is usually enough.
Wrapping things up
Building a custom weapon is one of the best ways to learn the ropes of Luau and Roblox development. Once you get the hang of the roblox rocket launcher script basics, you can start getting creative. Maybe you want rockets that follow the mouse (guided missiles), or rockets that split into smaller clusters on impact.
The logic is essentially the same; you're just layering more features on top of that initial foundation. The most important thing is to keep testing and tweaking. Change the blast radius, mess with the fire rate, and see what feels right for your specific game. Half the fun of game dev is just blowing things up in the testing environment anyway, so enjoy the process!