Simulating Player Screens (Board Game)

I'm working on porting a board game I'm designing into Roll20 to make playtesting easier - I've been able to figure out how to simulate most of the game, except for the most important part - player screens.  Players assign actions secretly on a tableau, then reveal the tableau and everyone observes the resolution. Unfortunately it's not as simple to replicate as the orders are in Game of Thrones the board game- how the actions are placed on the tableau are more nuanced and don't translate as well. To sum up the function I really need is: Each player needs a tableau (i.e. an image in the background layer) and tokens that can be toggled visible/invisible to other players.   Each player needs to interact with their own tableau and tokens, in their hidden state, simultaneous to other players.  Is this possible?  

Hi Evan. Do the players need to be able to see each other's play-space while the others are interacting with their own tableau and tokens?  in other words, can the method of "Hiding" be a method in-which each player's area is totally obscured (blacked-out) from view of other players? Another inquiry. Is it necessary for the players to be able to toggle hidden/visible of their own tokens, or would it be workable if only the GM/referee could hide/reveal? I'm thinking through a couple of different approaches to what you asked for. Your game set-up is not readily-doable by standard default Roll20, but may be simulated using some methods/techniques or possibly API scripts (a perk in games where the creator is a Pro subscriber).  One of the key things that's missing is Token invisibility to other players, though there may be workarounds for this. There is a popular Suggestion on the suggestions forum for making a token visibility setting, which would greatly facilitate your idea if that gets implemented. Some of the features of Roll20 that might be considered to simulate what's needed include: Card Decks; Pages; Fog of War; Dynamic Lighting boxes; Token Controlled By; Handouts; API Scripts. With some combination of these and other basic Roll20 features, we may be able to figure out a way to set up your game.

Players do not need to see each others play space while interacting with their own tableau and tokens. So each area can be obscured from view instead of being made invisible (this is how it works in real life with a player screen, after all). It's not necessary for players to toggle their own visibility -- it could be workable for the GM to handle that. 

Ok, good, now we are talking.  Tell me a little more about "the reveal"? Is there a time when all the players need to show their play-space to each other (like... taking down the screen)? I haven't played the GOT game you mentioned so I'm still trying to picture exactly how the game-play goes. Another question -- is the layout of each player's tokens important? What I mean is, would it be ok for them to move the "invisible" tokens off to the left, and move the ones they want "visible" off to the right where they can be seen by others? I'm running a D&D game today, keeping me busy, so, I'll be able to write back more later with some of my ideas. Other members of the community may chime in with approaches as well. I think there are ways to accomplish your set-up. Quick thought: More sophisticated way that requires a Pro subscription for the GM, would involve Dynamic Lighting (each player "screened" into their own box of DL walls).  There may be other ways we can conceive that don't require DL or subscription. Talk more soon.

I was thinking similar.  Make dynamic lighting square so that it is black inside the squares (this is your hidden area). Place a token that only that area's player can see and give it full sight (so you and only you can see in the square). set grapic of the tableau inside square with enough room to move token off without leaving the square.  When ready to reveal, then GM drags a token with a 'all can see' light source into each square so that all are revealed.  not fast and easy, but probably doable with some trial and error. 

Even easier, just turn off dynamic lighting for the reveal. If you need to reveal one area of the play surface, but keep others continually private, look into the "Roofs" script, which can temporarily move specific DL object to the DM layer, based on token movement.

I'll describe the specific in-game action and you guys tell me if your solutions still work (it sounds like they might) The game runs off of an action programming mechanism to simulate, somewhat abstractly, the fog of war in RTS games. So behind a screen (IRL) players each simultaneously choose 5 actions by placing tokens on a tableau. The layout does matter as there are 6 different move actions that can be taken, corresponding to movement on a hex grid. The tokens are linked to units on the map, and how they are placed on the tableau indicate where the linked units move, or what action they take. After everyones 5 actions are "programmed" all players remove the screens (so everything is now visible) and take turns resolving actions 1 at a time. 

Yeah, I'd set up a virtual board with a tableau area for each player. This might take some layout tweaking to get something pleasing to the eye and not give any player the feeling they are upside down or sideways. Surround each tableau with a DL wall. Behind that wall. place a token controllable only to that player, so that they have sight behind the wall. If they need to see a common area during play, put a token with sight, controllable by all players in that area. It may take more than one to give all sight lines, depending on your layout. Set up your Dynamic lighting with all options checked on. + Enabled + Enforce Line of Sight + Only Update on Drop + Restrict Movement + Global Illumination Let all players take their set up turns in their space. To reveal, simply uncheck "Enabled" on the Dynamic Lighting settings for the page. All players will see everything. Resolve the turns. I think that will work for what you describe.

Just to clarify, you would not need a Pro subscription for Dynamic Lighting, only a Plus.  However, whoever was the GM of the game would be able to see all the player areas, unless he or she was joined as a player.  But then I believe you'd not be able to turn the Dynamic Lighting off.  You'd have to re-join as GM.  Going to test this now. Confirmed.  When joined as player, you don't have access to the map ribbon, so you'd have to re-join as GM whenever it was time to reveal the entire board.

I was wondering for free account option could GM make page for each player and assign each player to page (split party) then move everyone back to player ribbon and them move the player ribbon to each page to make the reveals.

I had thought about that as an option, and that would work, but that may be a problem for them to remember what they marked on the planning pages.

Thanks for the replies everyone. After fiddling around some more I decided to try and simulate the same mechanism through a deck of cards. While it will accomplish most, but not everything I want to- the simplicity drastically outweighs the added complexity of my old system