Skip to main content

Stage 7: Rolling Rocks + collector upgrade

Course progressStage 7 of 10
~45 min
Before you start

Finish Stage 6. Your coin machine has a DropperUpgrade pad that makes future dropped coins worth more.

Build

a rolling-rocks ramp, the Stage 8 checkpoint, and a CollectorUpgrade pad that improves the coin payout

Learn

how to keep all coin payouts flowing through one helper function, then tune the collector bonus in one place

Ship

a tycoon where the player upgrades both ends of the machine: the Dropper creates better coins and the Collector pays a bonus

Teacher demo

60-second demo:

  • Watch a dropped coin reach the Collector before buying. It pays its normal CoinValue.
  • Buy CollectorUpgrade for 60 coins.
  • Watch another coin arrive. The collector adds a bonus to the payout.
  • Explain: "The Dropper controls what gets produced. The Collector controls what gets paid."

The big idea​

Stage 6 improved the start of the machine: the Dropper creates better coins. Stage 7 improves the end of the machine: the Collector pays a bonus when coins arrive.

To keep the code simple, every coin payout should go through one helper: awardCoins(player, amount). Checkpoints, pickups, and the Collector can all call the same helper. That keeps the course focused on the coin machine.

New words
helper function
a small named function that wraps repeated logic so the rest of the script can call it
collector bonus
extra coins added when the Collector pays a dropped coin
single source of truth
one function owns a behavior so you do not rewrite the same logic in many places

Build it​

Step 1 — Build the rolling rocks ramp​

A ramp going up from Stage 7's orange pad, with one cover block and one boulder spawner at the top. Same as base obby Stage 7.

A ramp with rolling boulders and cover

Build this part

RockRamp

Wedge
Open recipe
Size
6 × 8 × 30
Color
Dark stone grey
Material
Slate
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
In front of the Stage 7 orange pad, sloping up
Build this part

CoverBlock

Block
Open recipe
Size
3 × 4 × 1
Color
Reddish brown
Material
Wood
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
Standing on RockRamp, about halfway up, off to one side
Build this part

BoulderSpawner

Block
Open recipe
Size
2 × 2 × 2
Color
Bright red
Material
Neon
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
At the very top of RockRamp

Right-click BoulderSpawner -> Insert Object -> Script. Open the editor, delete the placeholder line, and type:

local spawner = script.Parent
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Debris = game:GetService("Debris")

while true do
  local boulder = Instance.new("Part")
  boulder.Shape = Enum.PartType.Ball
  boulder.Size = Vector3.new(3, 3, 3)
  boulder.Color = Color3.fromRGB(80, 60, 50)
  boulder.Material = Enum.Material.Slate
  boulder.Position = spawner.Position
  boulder.Anchored = true

  boulder.Touched:Connect(function(otherPart)
    local character = otherPart.Parent
    local humanoid = character:FindFirstChildOfClass("Humanoid")
    if humanoid then humanoid.Health = 0 end
  end)

  boulder.Parent = workspace

  local destination = spawner.Position + Vector3.new(0, -8, -30)
  local info = TweenInfo.new(3, Enum.EasingStyle.Linear, Enum.EasingDirection.Out)
  TweenService:Create(boulder, info, { Position = destination }):Play()
  Debris:AddItem(boulder, 4)

  task.wait(2)
end

Step 2 — Wire the Stage 8 checkpoint​

Build this part

SpawnLocation (Stage 8 — top of rocky ramp)

Block
Open recipe
Size
6 × 1 × 6
Color
Lime green
Material
Plastic
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
At the top of RockRamp

Also: check AllowTeamChangeOnTouch. Uncheck Neutral. Set TeamColor to Lime green.

Tag this SpawnLocation with StageNumber = 8.

In Teams, insert a new Team named Stage 8. Set its TeamColor to Lime green. Uncheck AutoAssignable.

Step 3 — Build the CollectorUpgrade pad​

Build this part

CollectorUpgrade

Block
Open recipe
Size
4 × 0.5 × 4
Color
Gold
Material
Neon
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
On the Start Platform (`Lobby` part), near the Collector

Place this near the Collector so students connect the purchase to the payout destination.

Add a ProximityPrompt to CollectorUpgrade:

  • ActionText -> Upgrade Collector (60 coins)
  • HoldDuration -> 0.5
  • MaxActivationDistance -> 6

Step 4 — Create one awardCoins helper​

Open TycoonEconomy. Add this helper near the top of the script, below machineUpgrades:

Code flow

This stage cleans up old payout lines before adding the collector bonus. awardCoins becomes the one doorway for giving coins. After each replacement below, the old direct Coins.Value = Coins.Value + ... line should be gone.

local function awardCoins(player, amount)
  if not player or not player:FindFirstChild("leaderstats") then return end
  player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value + amount
end

Now replace the three direct coin-award lines from earlier stages:

Checkpoint rewards from Stage 2

Find the checkpoint reward line from Stage 2. Replace only this line:

player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value + stageNumber

with:

awardCoins(player, stageNumber)

Pickup rewards from Stage 3

Find the pickup reward line inside wirePickup. Replace only this line:

player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value + value

with:

awardCoins(player, value)

Collector payout from Stage 5

Find the collector payout line inside the Collector Touched handler. Replace only this line:

player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value + value

with:

awardCoins(player, value)

Press Play after each replacement. The game should behave the same. That is the point: the code is cleaner before the behavior changes.

Step 5 — Add the collector bonus​

Add a collector level to the player upgrade data. Find the Stage 6 PlayerAdded line:

machineUpgrades[player] = { dropperLevel = 0 }

Change it to:

machineUpgrades[player] = { dropperLevel = 0, collectorLevel = 0 }

Add this helper below awardCoins:

local function getCollectorBonus()
  local bestLevel = 0
  for _, data in pairs(machineUpgrades) do
    bestLevel = math.max(bestLevel, data.collectorLevel or 0)
  end
  return bestLevel * 2
end

In the Collector Touched handler, change the payout call to include the bonus:

awardCoins(player, value + getCollectorBonus())

That means the Collector payout has two edits this stage: first it changed from direct math to awardCoins(player, value), then it changes to awardCoins(player, value + getCollectorBonus()). Keep only the final version.

Before the upgrade, collectorLevel is 0, so the bonus is 0. Behavior still matches Stage 5.

Step 6 — Wire the CollectorUpgrade purchase​

Add this near the DropperUpgrade purchase code:

local COLLECTOR_UPGRADE_COST = 60
local collectorUpgradePad = workspace:WaitForChild("CollectorUpgrade")
local collectorUpgradePrompt = collectorUpgradePad:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("ProximityPrompt")

collectorUpgradePrompt.Triggered:Connect(function(player)
  if not player or not player:FindFirstChild("leaderstats") then return end
  local data = machineUpgrades[player]
  if not data then return end
  if data.collectorLevel >= 1 then return end
  if player.leaderstats.Coins.Value < COLLECTOR_UPGRADE_COST then return end

  player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value - COLLECTOR_UPGRADE_COST
  data.collectorLevel = 1
  collectorUpgradePrompt.ActionText = "Collector Lv 2"
end)

Press Play. Earn 60+ coins, buy the CollectorUpgrade, then let a dropped coin reach the Collector. If a coin's value is 4 and the collector bonus is 2, the payout is 6.

Understand it​

The Collector upgrade is still coin-only, but it teaches a stronger programming idea than a basic purchase: centralized payout logic. Checkpoints, pickups, and the Collector all use awardCoins. The Collector can add a bonus before calling the helper, and the rest of the script stays readable.

The split is clean:

  • DroppedCoin.CoinValue answers: "What did the Dropper produce?"
  • getCollectorBonus() answers: "How much extra does the Collector add?"
  • awardCoins(player, amount) answers: "How do coins get credited to the player?"
Script anatomy

How the Collector upgrade adds a bonus

The Collector reads the dropped coin value, adds the collector bonus, then sends the final amount through awardCoins.

local function awardCoins(player, amount)
  if not player or not player:FindFirstChild("leaderstats") then return end
  player.leaderstats.Coins.Value = player.leaderstats.Coins.Value + amount
end

local function getCollectorBonus()
  local bestLevel = 0
  for _, data in pairs(machineUpgrades) do
    bestLevel = math.max(bestLevel, data.collectorLevel or 0)
  end
  return bestLevel * 2
end

-- inside Collector.Touched
local value = otherPart:GetAttribute("CoinValue") or 0
awardCoins(player, value + getCollectorBonus())
  1. Lines 1–4One payout function.

    Every coin source can use this same helper. No multipliers, no player powers, just one safe way to credit coins.

  2. Lines 6–12Collector bonus stays separate.

    The bonus belongs to the Collector, so compute it before the payout helper is called.

Try this​

Learning beat

Try this

Three short experiments. Predict before you run, then test your guess.

Predict first

If the Dropper makes 4-value coins and the Collector adds +2, what should one collected coin pay? Predict, then test it.

Compare

Temporarily remove the collector bonus from the payout call. What still works? What part of the tycoon loop feels less rewarding?

Connect

If you wanted a Level 3 Collector, would you change the Collector script, the helper, or just the upgrade purchase rules?

Test your stage​

  • Press Play. The rolling rocks ramp works and the lime Stage 8 checkpoint pays.
  • Before buying, dropped coins pay their current CoinValue.
  • Earn 60+ coins and buy CollectorUpgrade.
  • Dropped coins now pay CoinValue + 2.
  • Pickups and checkpoints still pay correctly through awardCoins.
  • Design check. DropperUpgrade is near the Dropper and CollectorUpgrade is near the Collector, so the machine reads clearly.

If it breaks​

  • Only collector coins work; checkpoints broke. The awardCoins helper may be below the checkpoint code. Move it near the top before it is called.
  • Collector bonus never applies. Confirm PlayerAdded initializes collectorLevel = 0, and the purchase sets it to 1.
  • Collector coins pay twice. Make sure the old direct Coins.Value line was replaced, not left next to awardCoins.
  • Boulders roll the wrong way. Flip the destination vector direction or rotate the ramp.
Coach notes

Keep the language grounded: the player is upgrading the Collector so the coin machine pays better.

  • 45 minutes. Rolling rocks ramp 15. Stage 8 checkpoint 5. Helper refactor 10. CollectorUpgrade 15.
  • If the helper refactor causes confusion, slow down and test one coin source at a time.