How to block players from locking in to campaign when doing GM stuff?

So I'm playing around with the Dynamic Lighting these day, and making future maps and stuff as a part of this. While doing this (and also while testing the player UI and permissions) I have found the option to login as a player useful. However, sometimes my players lock in to check something on their characters or whatever between sessions while I'm doing these things. Is there a way to put my campaign in test-mode only or lock specific players out of the campaign temporarily?

There is no way to lock your players out of the campaign. One method many gm's use is to create a landing or splash page that the players ribbon sits on. This lets the players coming and not see any maps you are working. The various rolls and such in the chat, you would need to have a second tab open and use the clear chat archive button regularly so that if they come in they don't see much. Another method of hiding the dice rolls is to set them up to whisper you as a gm. This lets everything be in the chat but only you see it. Now I know many mentors have a testing campaign and use the transmogrifier tool (mentor feature) to swap pages around to various campaigns. That is an option also.

:( I want to test it as a player so I can't keep them on the intro page as I usually do. Hiding rolls are currently irrelevant, and I assume if that was an issue I could just use manual dice or /gmroll. The transmogrifier tool and double campaigns sounds like complex workaround to a simple functionality request. A whole different issue is testing the jukebox. I can't even kick players who either just forgot to logout or is spying. Please change that...

Gediablo , drag your icon (bottom left corner) to the page you want to be on. Leave the player ribbon on the intro page.

You didn't read my post. I know about what you describe - doesn't solve my problem here unfortunately.

Pat S. said: The various rolls and such in the chat, you would need to have a second tab open and use the clear chat archive button regularly so that if they come in they don't see much. Or use the new /talktomyself command. =)

If you are wanting to test things that can't be hidden with /talktomyself or other such workarounds your only real options are a second campaign as suggested (works great for things that can be easily copied across or things that can be replicated on your main campaign) or a more analog and unusual idea in this day and age is to pre-arrange times with your players when the campaign will be 'out of action'. Serious players who don't want to ruin their own fun will oblige willingly. ... those that don't, well simply feed them to a dragon in the next session =D

To test lighting what I do is make a token, give it sight and light, selected it and hit Ctrl+L. This lets you see what the players will see in that area. I don't rejoin as a player as I find that cumbersome. For jukebox testing I'd suggest justpplay tracks on Soundcloud and then add them in Roll20 when you ffind ones you want. Hope that's helpful to you!

Alan H. said: To test lighting what I do is make a token, give it sight and light, selected it and hit Ctrl+L. Ctrl+L *usually* works, but its had quirks before. I find it often simplest to just open two browser and have one joined as player and one as GM. That'll let you see your changes real-time, esp. if you have multiple monitors or separate computers available.

Actually, it seems like Gauss' suggestion is the best. I didn't even know that you could drag *yourself* onto a different window. Just make a blank page for your players, move the player's ribbon there, then move yourself to wherever you want to be. Having two browser windows active at once is a great idea as well.

I always have them on a splash page, I never have characters on pages I am working on, so they can't see what I can see, even if I have to go into "player mode". When I am running a session zero, I will ask them to stay out of the chat, or ask them to come back in an hour. If they will not comply with the polite request, well that's what Vinnie and Guido are for...

Gauss said: Gediablo , drag your icon (bottom left corner) to the page you want to be on. Leave the player ribbon on the intro page. Brilliant! Good to see you, Guass. I hadn't thought of the technique you said. I always thought that I needed to drag the other players to a certain page, and couldn't do it because you can't drag-drop a Player who isn't logged in. I see the solution from Gauss now --- just drag myself (the GM) to the page I want, and leave the main Players ribbon on the splash.

Gediablo said: You didn't read my post. I know about what you describe - doesn't solve my problem here unfortunately. Gediablo , I did read your post, from what you posted it seems like your problem is that when you switch to player mode you are on the same page as the players ribbon. When players log in they would be on that page too. My suggestion takes care of that problem. You can be on any page you want. Players do not all have to be on the same page. If I understand correctly your problem amounts to: 1) Players staying off of the page you are working on (the splash page solves this). 2) You dropping into player mode and still being on the page you are testing (moving your icon to the correct map solves this). 3) Players seeing what you are typing (the talk to myself command solves this). If there is another issue you are having please let us know.

Gold , thanks. I am still around but I have been doing other things lately. :)

Gauss said: If I understand correctly your problem amounts to: 1) Players staying off of the page you are working on (the splash page solves this). 2) You dropping into player mode and still being on the page you are testing (moving your icon to the correct map solves this). 3) Players seeing what you are typing (the talk to myself command solves this). If there is another issue you are having please let us know. 1 - Thanks, I knew this already. 2 - If I'm working on page 2 while the red Players marker is on the safe page 1, and I rejoin as player I go to page 1 - and hence can't how my changes on page 2 looks from players perspective. However, Alan H.'s tip using Ctrl+L was very helpful! Thanks Alan H. 3 - Never been an issue for me. Also, the workaround regarding testing the sounds outside Roll20 before adding them I guess is doable. But all these things are things you need to know which I didn't. I have been checking monster sounds and I have been testing lighting from players perspective in ambush maps, when people joins by accident - and in both cases the players noticed things they shouldn't have even though they didn't intend to. I still think it makes sense to have the option to temporarily block out players, even though there are workarounds.

Gediablo said: Gauss said: If I understand correctly your problem amounts to: 1) Players staying off of the page you are working on (the splash page solves this). 2) You dropping into player mode and still being on the page you are testing (moving your icon to the correct map solves this). 3) Players seeing what you are typing (the talk to myself command solves this). If there is another issue you are having please let us know. 1 - Thanks, I knew this already. 2 - If I'm working on page 2 while the red Players marker is on the safe page 1, and I rejoin as player I go to page 1 - and hence can't how my changes on page 2 looks from players perspective. However, Alan H.'s tip using Ctrl+L was very helpful! Thanks Alan H. 3 - Never been an issue for me. Also, the workaround regarding testing the sounds outside Roll20 before adding them I guess is doable. But all these things are things you need to know which I didn't. I have been checking monster sounds and I have been testing lighting from players perspective in ambush maps, when people joins by accident - and in both cases the players noticed things they shouldn't have even though they didn't intend to. I still think it makes sense to have the option to temporarily block out players, even though there are workarounds. Just to clarify point 2 for you. If you move the players ribbon to a splash page but then drag your icon from the bottom to another page you will log in as a player on that page where you will be the only person able to view it even if someone else logs in. The key then is to put your player tokens on page 2 as well (this doesn't affect anything else unless you change the values in their tokens, you can have tokens for your players active on all pages without them ever knowing... great for setting up ahead of time...), ensure you are set as a player with control over all of the players (again you can assign control to multiple people so it won't affect their ability to do things on the splash page) so that when you log in as a player you will see exactly what they see, you can even do it one by one if you'd prefer to check them individually rather than as a party. Hope that helps, it seems like everything else is covered. An option to block log ins is valid though and should be placed in the suggestions thread if not already there by someone else although there is a danger that forgetting to 'reopen' the campaign when you are finished would prevent players from working on their character between sessions...

I think Gediablo is having some trouble understanding about moving players to different windows. Perhaps this wiki page will be helpful: <a href="https://wiki.roll20.net/Page_Toolbar#Split_the_Par" rel="nofollow">https://wiki.roll20.net/Page_Toolbar#Split_the_Par</a>... Enjoy!

New functionality they added some time ago allows you to put players to different pages. People here suggest to move yourself alone to the page you edit.

Gozer the Gozerian said: I think Gediablo is having some trouble understanding about moving players to different windows. Perhaps this wiki page will be helpful: <a href="https://wiki.roll20.net/Page_Toolbar#Split_the_Par" rel="nofollow">https://wiki.roll20.net/Page_Toolbar#Split_the_Par</a>... Enjoy! Correct, and thanks for the link and Ziechael 's explanation. I was not aware of this functionality, when I wrote my last comment. I only knew the red ribbon for moving all players at the same time. So basically all the things that caused me grievances have workarounds. Good to know them. However, while learning Roll20 I still think the simple block option I asked for would be useful. I created a post in the suggestion forum.