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Stage 8: Spinning KillBricks + tycoon tuning

Course progressStage 8 of 10
~45 min
Before you start

Finish Stage 7. Your coin machine has a Dropper upgrade and a Collector upgrade.

Build

a spinning KillBricks path, the Stage 9 checkpoint, and a short tuning pass for the coin machine

Learn

how to balance coin value, collector bonus, conveyor speed, and upgrade prices so the tycoon feels fair

Ship

a cleaner tycoon loop where earning and upgrading feels readable instead of random

Teacher demo

60-second demo:

  • Watch the coin machine for 20 seconds and count how many coins the player earns.
  • Buy one machine upgrade and count again.
  • Tune one number, like CONVEYOR_SPEED or DROPPER_UPGRADE_COST.
  • Explain: "This stage is not adding a new business system. It is making the coin system feel right."

The big idea​

Stage 8 keeps the Tycoon course simple. The coding focus stays on the coin machine.

By now the player can earn coins from checkpoints, pickups, and the coin machine. They can spend coins to improve the Dropper and Collector. Today you build the next obby obstacle, then tune the machine so the numbers feel good.

New words
tuning
adjusting values like cost, speed, and payout until the game feels fair
payback time
how long it takes an upgrade to earn back the coins it cost
balance
the relationship between earning speed, upgrade cost, and player progress

Build it​

Step 1 — Build the spinning KillBricks path​

A narrow path with a sweeping arm that rotates continuously. Same as base obby Stage 8.

A narrow path with a spinning kill arm

Build this part

SpinPath

Block
Open recipe
Size
4 × 1 × 40
Color
Dark stone grey
Material
Concrete
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
In front of the Stage 8 lime green pad, stretching forward 40 studs
Build this part

SweepArm

Block
Open recipe
Size
10 × 0.5 × 1
Color
Really red
Material
Neon
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
Hovering 2 studs above the middle of SpinPath, long axis crossing the path

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

local arm = script.Parent
local RunService = game:GetService("RunService")

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

local spinSpeed = 1.8
RunService.Heartbeat:Connect(function(deltaTime)
  arm.CFrame = arm.CFrame * CFrame.Angles(0, spinSpeed * deltaTime, 0)
end)

Step 2 — Wire the Stage 9 checkpoint​

Build this part

SpawnLocation (Stage 9 — past the spinner)

Block
Open recipe
Size
6 × 1 × 6
Color
Magenta
Material
Plastic
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
At the end of SpinPath

Also: check AllowTeamChangeOnTouch. Uncheck Neutral. Set TeamColor to Magenta.

Tag this SpawnLocation with StageNumber = 9.

In Teams, insert a new Team named Stage 9. Set its TeamColor to Magenta. Uncheck AutoAssignable.

Step 3 — Measure the current coin machine​

Press Play and use a 30-second timer. Record three numbers:

  • How many coins the player earns in 30 seconds with no upgrades.
  • How many coins the player earns in 30 seconds after DropperUpgrade.
  • How many coins the player earns in 30 seconds after DropperUpgrade + CollectorUpgrade.

Use this simple table in your notes:

Machine state30-second coins
No upgrades
Dropper upgraded
Dropper + Collector upgraded

Step 4 — Tune one value​

Pick exactly one number to tune. Do not change everything at once.

Recommended first tuning pass:

local CONVEYOR_SPEED = 10
local DROPPER_UPGRADE_COST = 40
local COLLECTOR_UPGRADE_COST = 60

Use this rule:

  • If upgrades feel too easy, raise the cost by 10.
  • If upgrades feel too slow, lower the cost by 10.
  • If coins pile up, raise CONVEYOR_SPEED.
  • If coins fly past the Collector, lower CONVEYOR_SPEED.

Press Play again and repeat the 30-second test.

Step 5 — Add a tuning sign​

Build a small sign near the coin machine so it explains itself.

Build this part

MachineStatsSign

Block
Open recipe
Size
8 × 4 × 0.5
Color
White
Material
SmoothPlastic
Anchored
✓ Yes
Place
Behind or beside the Dropper and Collector

Add a SurfaceGui + TextLabel so players know what the machine does.

Set the TextLabel text to:

COIN MACHINE
Dropper Upgrade: better coins
Collector Upgrade: bonus payout

This is not a new system. It is clarity. Players should understand the coin loop without needing the teacher to explain it.

Understand it​

Tuning is real game development. The same code can feel boring, fair, or chaotic depending on the numbers.

If the Dropper upgrade pays back its cost in 5 seconds, it is too cheap. If it takes 10 minutes, it is too expensive for camp. For this course, aim for upgrades that pay back in about 1-2 minutes of play.

Script anatomy

The values worth tuning

Small constants make the whole tycoon feel different. Tune one at a time so you know which change caused the result.

local CONVEYOR_SPEED = 10
local DROPPER_UPGRADE_COST = 40
local COLLECTOR_UPGRADE_COST = 60

local function getDroppedCoinValue()
  return 2 + (bestLevel * 2)
end

local function getCollectorBonus()
  return bestLevel * 2
end
  1. Lines 1–3Costs and speed are feel values.

    They do not change the structure of the code. They change pacing.

  2. Lines 5–11Payout formulas are progression values.

    Bigger formulas make upgrades feel powerful, but they can also make the economy too easy.

Try this​

Learning beat

Try this

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

Predict first

Double CONVEYOR_SPEED. Predict whether the machine earns faster, breaks, or just looks better. Test it.

Compare

Try DropperUpgrade at 20 coins, then 80 coins. Which one feels better for a 45-minute camp stage?

Connect

If a player can afford both upgrades before reaching Stage 4, what does that tell you about the economy?

Test your stage​

  • The spinning KillBricks path works and the magenta Stage 9 checkpoint pays.
  • The coin machine still drops, conveys, collects, and pays.
  • DropperUpgrade still increases future dropped coin value.
  • CollectorUpgrade still adds a collector payout bonus.
  • You measured the machine before tuning.
  • You changed one tuning value and tested again.
  • The coin-machine sign explains the two machine upgrades.

If it breaks​

  • Coins pile up on the conveyor. Raise CONVEYOR_SPEED slightly or check the Collector placement.
  • Coins fly past the Collector. Lower CONVEYOR_SPEED or make the Collector wider.
  • Upgrades are impossible to buy. Lower costs or increase coin value by a small amount.
  • Upgrades are instant. Raise costs or lower coin value.
Coach notes

The win is teaching campers that code constants shape game feel. Keep the stage focused on measuring, tuning, and explaining the coin machine.

  • 45 minutes. Spinner path 15. Stage 9 checkpoint 5. Measurement 10. Tuning + sign 15.
  • Use a shared class timer. The measurement pass gives campers a concrete reason to tune.