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FAQ and common errors

"X is not a valid member of Y"

The member exists in Roblox but not in Nova, or the name is misspelled.

  1. Open the class page in the API reference.
  2. Search for the member in Modern Roblox API not in Nova.
  3. If it is listed, use the workaround on that page.
  4. If it is not listed, check the member's security level; a restricted member can exist but still be unavailable to game scripts.

A common example is Workspace:Raycast — it is inherited from WorldRoot, which Nova does not implement. Use Workspace:FindPartOnRayWithIgnoreList instead.

"Insufficient permissions"

You called a member marked PluginSecurity, LocalUserSecurity, RobloxScriptSecurity, or RobloxSecurity. These are not available to normal game scripts.

  • HttpService.HttpEnabled is LocalUserSecurity; the host enables it.
  • AssetService and ContentProvider setters are LocalUserSecurity.
  • Studio-only APIs are PluginSecurity.

If you are writing a plugin, run it in Studio; if you are writing a game script, find a supported alternative.

"Unknown class" / "skipping unknown class"

The place contains an instance class that Nova does not implement. The instance is skipped on load. This is the most common message when porting a modern place.

Find the class in the reference and check its status and alternatives. The compatibility page lists the highest-impact missing classes.

"Http requests are not enabled"

HttpService.HttpEnabled is off for the server. This is a host/deployment setting, not something a game script can turn on. Ask the deployment operator to enable HTTP for game servers.

Data-store errors

  • Empty result: the key has not been written, or the universe/scope is wrong.
  • 401/403: the server is not authenticated to the persistence backend.
  • UpdateAsync returns nil: your callback returned nil, usually because of a session-lock conflict.

See Data stores.

My UI is stacked in the top-left corner

UIListLayout (or another layout class) was skipped on load, so the children kept their saved positions. Replace it with a manual layout pass. See GUIs and layout and Build a UI without UIListLayout.

My rounded corners / gradients / outlines disappeared

UICorner, UIGradient, and UIStroke are not implemented yet. Use 9-slice images or baked textures.

My animations do not deform the mesh

Nova does not render skeletal skinning (Bone). Use a classic rig and keyframe animations, or bake the deformation into the mesh.

My avatar has no clothes / wrong body

HumanoidDescription, layered clothing (WrapLayer), and SurfaceAppearance are not implemented yet. Apply classic body parts and clothing assets directly.

A model or texture is invisible

The asset may not exist on the Nova deployment. Nova resolves content through its own asset proxy, not Roblox's CDN. Check the Output window and confirm the asset was imported. See Assets and content.

"Attempt to index nil" after joining

The client script ran before the instance replicated. Use WaitForChild:

local gui = player:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local screen = gui:WaitForChild("HUD")

Do not use FindFirstChild in a loop with no timeout unless you handle nil.

My remote fires but nothing happens on the server

  • The RemoteEvent may not be in ReplicatedStorage.
  • The server may not have connected the handler yet.
  • The client may be firing before the server script runs.
  • The server handler may be erroring; check the server Output window.

See Networking.

My place loads but looks like an older version

Nova supports Virtual Version, an era skin. Check the setting in UserSettings().GameSettings.VirtualVersion. It changes presentation only, not API availability. See VirtualVersion.

"This game requires a newer client"

Nova reports its own client version. A place that hard-codes a Roblox client version check will reject it. Remove or relax the check; Nova is not a Roblox client and does not share Roblox's version numbers.

Will Nova require age verification?

No. Nova will never require face scans, ID uploads, or other age-verification steps to play or chat. It also will not segregate chat by age. See What Nova supports.

Why are some features permanently unsupported?

A few features are intentionally out of scope: dynamic heads/faces, age-segregated chat, and age verification. Legacy Roblox features are never deprecated. See What Nova supports for the full policy.

Where do I report a wrong status?

Edit data/compat.yaml in the docs repository and open a pull request. The generated pages are not edited by hand. See Contributing.