roblox-teleport-matchmaking

Teleports, places, and matchmaking

Structure

• A universe (experience) contains a start place plus sub-places. All places share DataStores, MemoryStores, MessagingService, developer products, and passes.
• Typical layouts: Lobby (start place) → Match place (reserved servers) → back to Lobby; or a hub with separate world places. Keep shared code in packages or a shared Rojo tree.
• Access Control for Places (Creator Dashboard): Fully open, Limited to same universe, or Secure within universe only (only server-initiated teleports into non-start places — recommended for progression gates and test places). Clients can otherwise teleport themselves anywhere in the universe.

Teleporting (server)

--!strict
local TeleportService = game:GetService("TeleportService")

local ATTEMPTS = 5
local RETRY_DELAY = 1
local FLOOD_DELAY = 15

local function safeTeleport(placeId: number, players: { Player }, options: TeleportOptions?): (boolean, any)
	local ok: boolean, result: any = false, nil
	for _ = 1, ATTEMPTS do
		ok, result = pcall(function()
			return TeleportService:TeleportAsync(placeId, players, options)
		end)
		if ok then
			break
		end
		task.wait(RETRY_DELAY)
	end
	if not ok then
		warn("Teleport failed:", result)
	end
	return ok, result
end

-- A teleport can still fail after TeleportAsync succeeds: retry transient failures.
TeleportService.TeleportInitFailed:Connect(function(player, teleportResult, errorMessage, placeId, options)
	if teleportResult == Enum.TeleportResult.Flooded then
		task.wait(FLOOD_DELAY)
	elseif teleportResult == Enum.TeleportResult.Failure then
		task.wait(RETRY_DELAY)
	else
		warn(`Invalid teleport [{teleportResult.Name}]: {errorMessage}`)
		return
	end
	safeTeleport(placeId, { player }, options)
end)

return safeTeleport

TeleportOptions:

• ShouldReserveServer = true → a new reserved server (private, only reachable by access code) — ideal for matches, dungeons, and parties. Returns TeleportAsyncResult with ReservedServerAccessCode and PrivateServerId.
• ReservedServerAccessCode = code → join an existing reserved server (from ReserveServerAsync(placeId) or a previous result).
• ServerInstanceId = jobId → a specific public server (e.g. "join friend's server").
• SetTeleportData(table) → non-secure data readable on arrival with player:GetJoinData().TeleportData (server) or TeleportService:GetLocalPlayerTeleportData() (client). Clients can tamper with it: never trust it for currency, items, or permissions — use DataStores/MemoryStores keyed by user ID or by the reserved server's PrivateServerId.

Deprecated: Teleport, TeleportToPlaceInstance, TeleportToPrivateServer, TeleportPartyAsync, TeleportToSpawnByName, ReserveServer → TeleportAsync + TeleportOptions / ReserveServerAsync.

Data handoff between places

1. Save the player's data before teleporting (ProfileStore: end the session / wait for save).
2. The destination loads with session locking (ProfileStore retries while the old server releases).
3. For match parameters (mode, map, team assignments), write a MemoryStore/DataStore entry keyed by the reserved server's PrivateServerId (or the access code) before teleporting; the match server reads game.PrivateServerId on start and loads its config.
4. On arrival, TeleportService:SetTeleportGui(gui) (client, before teleport) keeps a loading screen up across the transition; use ReplicatedFirst loading screens on arrival.

Detecting server type

Server	game.PrivateServerId	game.PrivateServerOwnerId
Public	""	0
Reserved (ReserveServerAsync/ShouldReserveServer)	non-empty	0
Private (VIP) server	non-empty	owner's user id

Lobby → match flow

1. Players queue in the lobby (party leader invites; party members stored server-side).
2. Queue in a MemoryStoreQueue / sorted map by mode and rating (see roblox-data-stores), or use Roblox matchmaking to fill public servers.
3. When a match forms: write match config to MemoryStore keyed by a new id, TeleportAsync all players with ShouldReserveServer = true, store the returned PrivateServerId ↔ match id mapping.
4. Match server: waits for expected players (timeout), runs the round, saves results, teleports everyone back to the lobby place (a public server, or the party's lobby via ServerInstanceId).

Roblox matchmaking (which server a joining player gets)

Default matchmaking scores eligible public servers by signals (friends, latency, language, age group, occupancy...) and picks the highest weighted sum. You can customize it per place in Creator Hub:

• Adjust weights of Roblox signals, or add custom signals based on custom attributes:
  • Player attributes: values stored in a DataStore (e.g. PlayerElo), configured in the matchmaking settings.
  • Server attributes: set at runtime with MatchmakingService:SetServerAttribute(name, value) (e.g. GameMode, ServerLevel); InitializeServerAttributesForStudio for testing.
• Preview scores against mock servers before applying, then apply the configuration to places. Use it for skill-based public servers; use reserved servers when you need exact team composition.

Server lifecycle

• game:BindToClose for shutdown saves; game.JobId identifies the server; soft shutdowns after updates (Open Cloud :restartServers or "Restart servers for updates") teleport players to fresh servers.
• Server browsers: each server heartbeats { jobId, players, mode } into a MemoryStore sorted map (TTL) — see roblox-data-stores.

Related skills

roblox-data-stores (session locking, MemoryStore queues), roblox-security (access control), roblox-game-systems (round loops), roblox-open-cloud (server restarts).