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HotSwap! - [Local Hotseat + Online Multiplayer]

Play with the buddy beside you, and with the friend online.
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TL;DR: Put the clicker of your color in front of you. Click it.





Combine the functionality of Local Hotseat & Online Multiplayer -- with a simple button!

The HotSwap button allows for multiple players, using the same computer, to quickly swap seats at the tabletop and take turns -- while playing in a traditional online multiplayer game.

Whether it be for a partner using your machine, or for a TTS friend that has a guest joining -- this is a handy addition to every host's toolkit.

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-- Workshop & Demo --
Subscribe to the Workshop File and launch in TTS. The HotSwap! table comes preconfigured with several button and hand combinations -- quickly experiment with them to learn their function, and determine which fit your use case. Read on for details regarding difference in type.

-- Save as Object --
For use of any HotSwap! button with friends, Save the HotSwap Chair as an 'Object' and Load in your custom multiplayer game. The contents of the HotSwap Chair are displayed in the center of the tabletop, and can be pulled from the Chair once loaded in your game.

-- Custom Configuration --
If a HotSwap configuration has been customized, and met your unique use case successfully, you can always save that setup for future use. Drop all custom HotSwap buttons in a New Bag (Objects > Components > Tools) and Save as Object.

Reference:
Workshop Files[kb.tabletopsimulator.com]
Games Workshop[kb.tabletopsimulator.com]
Save as Object[kb.tabletopsimulator.com]
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In short, a HotSwap button quickly changes the Player's Color, while protecting their hand privacy. That's it!

A single button switches between 2 colors, specified in the object's description. This functionality, combined in a series, can prove to be a powerful hotseat tool. One button may be all you need, Two buttons might add convenience -- Several buttons may save a split-group Game Night.

HotSwaps are configured to be placed adjacent to the player's hand of the button's corresponding color. One Player : One Button to interact with.

HotSwap comes in two different variants: Direct & Indirect

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HotSwap buttons, of the 'direct' variant, are for immediate handoff to the next player. A button click blindfolds the player, swaps to the specified color, and prompts the next player to remove blindfold & resume.

DEMO with the preconfigured hands on table:
[1] Red <> Blue
[2] Orange > Green > Purple > (repeat)

*optionally hide your HotSwap button from other players via Hidden Areas

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HotSwap buttons, of the 'indirect' variant, introduce an intermediate 'spectate-mode' before swapping to a chosen player's private hand. This allows for shared use of the screen, between turns, while hiding player hands. Click a player color's HotSwap button to play that hand, re-click to spectate.

DEMO with the preconfigured hands on table:
[3] Yellow <> spectate(Brown) <> Pink

*requires spare 'unseated' color for spectate usage (i.e. Brown); cannot protect buttons via Hidden Areas

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• Revise HotSwap color: Right-click > Description (bottom)
  
• Color must be a possible player color and Capitalized
  
• Custom Player Name can be entered [betweenBrackets]
  
• Limit button description to 2 colors, 2 lines, no spaces
  
• If PlayerName/Color seem mismatched, swap lines 1 & 2
  
• If multiple machines are using HotSwaps, of Indirect type, swap out the spare 'spectate' color accordingly (ie. Brown > Teal)
  
• Scripted games that rely on seated player counts to function, are unlikely to cooperate with this hotseat tool
  
• Pro-Tip: Double-click a HotSwap button to skip the blindfold behavior

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The 'HotSwap' is mostly a refactored recreation of the original workshop file 'Color Changer'. Big thanks and major credits to the creator:

MudFlaps8u

Color Changer
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1130927441

Revisions made:

• Added color change delay to better protect hand privacy
  
• Split into two button variants: direct & indirect
  
• Introduced intermediate 'spectate' functionality & camera view
  
• Revised status messages to reflect play/spectate behavior
  
• Packaged 15+ preconfigured buttons for easy import & use

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Does this button compare to having another TTS license and playing from a separate machine?
No. Every player having their own copy of TTS on their own computer will always be a better experience. This is a tool for when that is not possible, or you are just introducing a friend / significant other to TTS.

Games aren't starting, or begin improperly dealing to HotSwap players.
Scripted games that rely on seated player counts to function, are unlikely to cooperate with this hotseat tool. A HotSwap setup, as far as TTS is concerned, is still only one 'seated' player. Perhaps in the future there is a manual option for declaring seated players -- for now, best suggestion is to test any scripted game and search for an unscripted alternate if it proves unsuccessful.

Can the 'Spectate' Behavior be improved?
Probably. In fact, if you have a second monitor, TTS supports a 'Spectator View' with multiple custom commands. I have not tested the combined use of HotSwap and the native Spectator View -- please comment if it improves gameplay.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1925496116

I do hope the TTS team finds a way to combine Local Hotseat & Online Multiplayer features for native support in Tabletop Simulator. The functionality is there -- perhaps the experience can be refined.