Every week, we’re busy telling the stories behind our platform, our technology and our place in the gaming and technology industries. For those of you who catch up with ROBLOX over the weekend, the Weekly ROBLOX Roundup collects the best stuff to hit our various avenues of publication in the last week. This time: how to “win” at ROBLOX, a trading system strategy guide, a day in the life of a web developer, a Spotlight on manops5 and his virtual home, your chance to vote on our dynamic lighting contest, nostalgic ROBLOX memories, Aiedan Kemaneska, and other bits and pieces. Enjoy.

Seven-day Blog Recap

Five ways to “win” at ROBLOX

In ROBLOX, there’s no real “endgame.” There’s no victory screen, nor final credits. So, how do you “win?” As it turns out, you have a lot more options here than in a traditional game.

In this story, we explore a few of the paths you can take to be a successful ROBLOXian. You can become a great builder or join many others in building a great ROBLOX community. You can develop a particular skill and contract your expertise. You can leverage the economy to acquire wealth and fame. Within each broad category is a subset of specifics. If you’re feeling the need for ideas or inspiration, read the full article!

Speaking of “winning” at ROBLOX… Trade!

One of our suggestions for being a successful ROBLOXian was leverage the economy. Part of doing so is trading — many ROBLOXians have built themselves a significant base of wealth and notoriety using the feature. In this article, John Shedletsky goes in-depth on how to use the Trading System to your advantage. Among the tips:

Be selective about the trades you accept
Pay attention to Recent Average Price, but don’t let it dictate your every move
Use items as money, when possible

For full explanations of these and other strategic techniques, read the complete article.

A day in the life of a ROBLOX web developer

Ever wonder how and where the magic of Roblox.com happens? We have information for
you. By popular demand, I sat down with Web Team Lead Toby Teel for a conversation about a typical day in the life of a ROBLOX web developer. Check out the full article for a look at the key areas of focus — daily planning, development and releasing — and some photos from the Web Team’s recently renovated office space at ROBLOX HQ.

The house that manops5 built

Our latest Spotlight article took a slightly different direction than normal. Rather than highlight an incredibly ambitious build or a super-advanced game, we talked with manops5, who’s demonstrated that anyone can become a great, specialty builder with practice. For proof, check out the entire article — it includes photos of his virtual home (based on his actual home) that contrast his humble beginnings and modern-day expertise.

Get out the vote! The dynamic lighting vote, that is

Our dynamic lighting video contest ended on Friday night, meaning that voting is open now through Monday at 4 p.m. PT. Everyone can vote, regardless of whether you entered the contest. If you haven’t already made your voice heard, head over to the contest website, watch as many entries as you can, then vote for your top five. We’ll be announcing winners in a few short days.

You should play this ROBLOX game

Such style.

Aiedan Kemaneska looks like something straight out of the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author who penned The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series. While the precision of the construction is impressive in its own right, what’s really unique is the rounded appearance of the parts — you don’t see a lot of that — and the convincing feeling that you are actually in a partially underground den. Deathgiver23 captured the sensation of being in the Tolkien universe; you have to appreciate that.

This place should look great with the additional lighting capabilities we’ll be bringing to ROBLOX in the near future.

Bits

Last week, we asked our Facebook followers to tell us about their favorite ROBLOX memories. A lot of you loved 2008. (Big surprise.) Here were some of the more unique responses:

Sword Fight on the Heights IV against Clockwork and Telamon.
First day on ROBLOX.
When I hit level 100 in Paintball!
My best memory was when I first found out ROBLOX in 2008, which, ironically, my littlest brother found by clicking the old ROBLOX ads you advertised on some game sites. That’s when my brother went to ROBLOX Studio and inserted Mario stuff and more until I realized that these models and scripts were created by real people! That’s when my addiction started and I’m still playing today.
Back in 2008 and 2009, where my friends meant everything to me in ROBLOX. We had more fun than anyone else in the game. Still getting the feels when I remember those memories… Good times.
When I woke up to find my place on the front page, with 500 active people playing.
I didn’t know ROBLOX existed until around 2011. That’s a memory to remember, joining ROBLOX. Looking at all of the great features, games, etc. I was just so surprised, I think ROBLOX should be advertised in high-traffic areas.
When I first discovered Call of ROBLOXia 5: ROBLOX at War. Cool thing is it is still up and running!
My favorite ROBLOX moment is when I got my very first Builders Club, and my very first limited. Anything can happen in the virtual world of ROBLOX!

Thanks for the thoughtful responses!

BLOXcon passes are now completely sold out! To the 3,000 of you who managed to acquire passes, congratulations. We’ll be seeing you all this summer. Stay tuned to the blog and the BLOXcon website for further updated and details in the coming months.
Don’t forget that we’ll also be at Maker Faire Bay Area 2013 on May 18th and 19th. You’ll be able to find us in the main expo hall. Expect more details in the next week, and purchase tickets today.