Coding the Leaderboard

In-game, player will have important stats they need to see like the items they've collected. These numbers will be displayed using a leaderboard. Leaderboards are built-in features of Roblox that need a script to be activated and customized.

Setting Up the Leaderboard

Whenever a player is added to the experience, they'll need to be added to the leaderboard along with code for tracking the individual stats.

  1. In the Explorer, under ServerScriptService, create a new script named PlayerSetup. In that script, delete the hello world line and write a descriptive comment.

  2. After the comment, create a custom function named onPlayerJoin with a parameter named player.


    -- Creates a leaderboard that shows player variables
    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    end
  3. In onPlayerJoin, create a variable named leaderstats, and have it create a new Folder Instance.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
    end
  4. Name the new Folder instance leaderstats, and parent it to the player. Naming the folder leaderstats lets Roblox Studio know to create a leaderboard.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
    leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats"
    leaderstats.Parent = player
    end
  5. After the end of the function, connect OnPlayerJoin to the PlayerAdded event. Whenever a player joins the experience, each player will be provided the leaderboard.


    local Players = game:GetService("Players")
    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
    leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats"
    leaderstats.Parent = player
    end
    Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(onPlayerJoin)

Tracking Player Stats

Now that a leaderboard is created, it needs to show the player these numbers:

  • Gold - How much money the player has.
  • Items - How many items the player has collected from the world.
  • Spaces - The most items a player can hold at one time.

Each of these numbers will be an IntValue, a placeholder object for a number.

Coding Player Gold

Start with coding a stat for gold.

  1. In OnPlayerJoin, under leaderstats.Parent = player, type local gold = Instance.new("IntValue"). This creates a new IntValue and stores it in the variable gold.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
    leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats"
    leaderstats.Parent = player
    local gold = Instance.new("IntValue")
    end
  2. Next, type gold.Name = "Gold". This gives the IntValue a name so you can use it in other scripts. The name will also be shown to players on the leaderboard.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local gold = Instance.new("IntValue")
    gold.Name = "Gold"
    end
  3. On a new line, type gold.Value = 0. This sets the starting value for players.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local gold = Instance.new("IntValue")
    gold.Name = "Gold"
    gold.Value = 0
    end
  4. Type gold.Parent = leaderstats. This parents the IntValue for gold to leaderstats. If the IntValue is not parented to leaderstats, players won't see it.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    local gold = Instance.new("IntValue")
    gold.Name = "Gold"
    gold.Value = 0
    gold.Parent = leaderstats
    end
  5. Play your project and notice that a leaderboard appears in the top right.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you don't see the leaderboard, try the following:

  • Make sure that .Value is capitalized.
  • Make sure that the variable for the IntValue is parented to the leaderboard like gold.Parent = leaderstats.

Coding Items and Spaces

Remember that the stat names can be anything based off the game design document. In other words, "Items" can be "Crystals" instead.

  1. Add a blank line to separate the next stat, then create the item stat by setting up a new IntValue the same way you did for gold.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    gold.Parent = leaderstats
    -- Create the Items stat
    local items = Instance.new("IntValue")
    items.Name = "Items"
    items.Value = 0
    items.Parent = leaderstats
    end
  2. Create a new stat for the player's bag spaces. Set spaces.Value to 2 so players start the experience only being able to hold two items at once, encouraging them buy a new bag as soon as they can.


    local function onPlayerJoin(player)
    items.Parent = leaderstats
    -- Create the Spaces stat
    local spaces = Instance.new("IntValue")
    spaces.Name = "Spaces"
    spaces.Value = 2
    spaces.Parent = leaderstats
    end
  3. Test the project. Players should have a leaderboard showing Gold, Items, and Spaces.

If the leaderboard doesn't appear, try checking the following below.

  • If you can't see the number on the leaderboard, check that each IntValue is parented to leaderstats.
  • Make sure each IntValue is spelled exactly as shown
  • Check that the PlayerAdded event is at the bottom of the script

Complete PlayerSetup Script

A finished version of the script can be referenced below.


local Players = game:GetService("Players")
-- Creates a leaderboard that shows player variables
local function onPlayerJoin(player)
local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats"
leaderstats.Parent = player
local gold = Instance.new("IntValue")
gold.Name = "Gold"
gold.Value = 0
gold.Parent = leaderstats
local items = Instance.new("IntValue")
items.Name = "Items"
items.Value = 0
items.Parent = leaderstats
local spaces = Instance.new("IntValue")
spaces.Name = "Spaces"
spaces.Value = 2
spaces.Parent = leaderstats
end
-- Run onPlayerJoin when the PlayerAdded event fires
Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(onPlayerJoin)