If you've been spending hours in Studio trying to get a roblox custom follow system script to work without your NPCs glitching through walls or acting like they've had too much caffeine, you're definitely not alone. It's one of those things that sounds incredibly simple on paper—just make point A follow point B, right?—but the second you actually try to implement it, you realize there are a million tiny variables that can go wrong. Whether you're building a pet system, a companion AI, or a horde of zombies that need to hunt down players, getting that movement to feel "right" is a massive part of the player experience.
Let's be real for a second: nobody likes a follower that stays glued to their back pocket or, even worse, one that lags three miles behind and gets stuck on a pebble. We want something smooth, responsive, and smart enough to handle basic obstacles. So, instead of just grabbing a broken script from the toolbox and hoping for the best, let's break down how to actually build one that works.
Why Bother Customizing Your Follow Script?
You might be wondering why you shouldn't just use the default movement scripts or a basic Humanoid:MoveTo() command. While MoveTo() is fine for moving an NPC from one static point to another, it's pretty clunky for a dynamic following system. If the player is constantly moving, calling MoveTo() every frame can lead to jittery animations and weird pathing issues.
When you create a roblox custom follow system script, you get total control over the "vibe" of the movement. Do you want the follower to hover? Should it walk behind the player or stay off to the side? Maybe it needs to maintain a specific distance so it doesn't shove the player off a cliff. These are the kinds of details that turn a mediocre game into something that feels polished and professional.
The Logic Behind the Follower
Before we even touch a line of code, we need to think about what a follow script actually does. At its core, it's a loop that checks two things: 1. Where is the player right now? 2. How far away is the follower from that spot?
If the distance (usually measured using Magnitude) is greater than a certain amount, the follower needs to move. If it's close enough, it should stop. This "stop distance" is crucial because, without it, the follower will constantly try to occupy the exact same space as the player, which looks terrible and can cause physics glitches.
Using Magnitude to Check Distance
In Roblox, Magnitude is your best friend. It's a simple way to get the distance between two Vector3 positions. In your script, you'll grab the position of the player's HumanoidRootPart and the follower's HumanoidRootPart. Subtract one from the other, get the magnitude, and boom—you have your distance.
If that distance is, say, more than 10 studs, you trigger the movement logic. If it's less than 5, you stop the follower. This creates a "buffer zone" that prevents the follower from constantly starting and stopping, which makes the movement look much more natural.
Making It Move: Humanoids vs. Physics
There are two main ways to actually move your follower. The easiest way is using a Humanoid and the MoveTo() function. This is great because the Humanoid handles animations and stepping over small ledges automatically.
However, if you're making something like a floating pet, you might want to avoid Humanoids entirely and use BodyMovers (or the newer LinearVelocity and AlignOrientation objects). Physics-based followers feel "weightier" and can have a nice floaty effect, but they require a bit more math to get right.
For most NPC companions, a Humanoid-based roblox custom follow system script is the way to go. It's reliable and integrates perfectly with Roblox's built-in animation system.
Handling Obstacles with PathfindingService
Here's where things usually get messy. If there's a wall between the player and the follower, a simple "move toward player" script will just make the NPC run headfirst into the wall like a fly hitting a window. It's frustrating to watch and breaks the immersion immediately.
To fix this, you need to integrate PathfindingService. Instead of telling the NPC to move directly to the player's position, you ask the service to calculate a path. This path consists of a series of "waypoints." Your script then tells the NPC to walk to the first waypoint, then the second, and so on, until it reaches the player.
One thing to keep in mind: pathfinding is computationally expensive. You don't want to recalculate a path 60 times a second. A good trick is to only recalculate the path if the player has moved a significant distance from the last target point. It saves the server a lot of headaches and keeps the game running smoothly.
Scripting for Performance
Speaking of server headaches, let's talk about optimization. If you have 50 players in a server and each player has a pet with its own roblox custom follow system script, that's a lot of code running simultaneously.
To keep things efficient: * Don't use wait(): Use task.wait() or, better yet, connect your logic to RunService.Heartbeat. * Distance Checks: Don't run complex pathfinding if the player is standing still. Check the distance first. * Network Ownership: If the follower is a physical object, set its network ownership to the player it's following. This makes the movement look lag-free for the player, as their client will be the one calculating the physics.
Adding the "Human" Touch
The difference between a robot and a companion is in the little details. When you're writing your script, think about how you can add some personality.
Maybe the follower doesn't just walk; maybe it occasionally hops if it's a certain distance away. Or perhaps it turns to face the player when they stop moving. You can use CFrame.lookAt() to ensure the follower is always looking toward the player, which makes it feel like it's actually paying attention to them.
Another cool trick is adding a bit of "lag" to the rotation. Instead of the follower snapping instantly to face the player, use TweenService or Lerp to smoothly rotate them. It's a small change, but it makes the AI feel much less mechanical.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even seasoned scripters run into issues with follow systems. Here are a few things that might trip you up: * HipHeight Issues: If your NPC is buried in the floor or hovering in the air, check the HipHeight property of the Humanoid. * Collisions: If the follower keeps bumping into the player and knocking them around, you'll want to use CollisionGroups. Set it so the player and the follower can't collide with each other, but can both collide with the world. * Infinite Loops: Make sure your while true do loops have a task.wait(). If you forget it, you'll crash your Studio session faster than you can say "syntax error."
Testing and Iteration
Once you have your roblox custom follow system script up and running, don't just assume it's done. Take it to a map with stairs, tight corners, and moving platforms. See how it handles different environments. You'll likely find that it gets stuck in specific spots, which gives you a chance to refine your pathfinding or adjustment logic.
Building these systems is rarely a "one and done" situation. You'll tweak the speed, adjust the stopping distance, and probably rewrite the pathfinding logic three times before it feels perfect. But that's the fun of development! Once you see that NPC following you smoothly through a complex obstacle course, all that troubleshooting will feel worth it.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, a roblox custom follow system script is about more than just movement; it's about making your game world feel alive. Whether it's a loyal dog, a terrifying monster, or a helpful robot, the way it moves defines its character.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different movement speeds, play around with animations, and see what works best for your specific game. The beauty of Roblox is that the tools are all there—you just have to piece them together in a way that makes sense for your vision. Happy scripting, and hopefully, your NPCs will stop walking into walls from now on!