Broadcast and Production Tool for OBS
Revolt is a tool I am creating with 2 other people, who go by the online handles SputnikKobra and TheLaw.
Features:
– Team name/logo input and saving
– Team selection and match queueing
– Scorekeeping
– OBS Scene Collection and run of show management using OBS websocket.
Scores, team names and logos are updated automatically to OBS, allowing for easy team swapping during tournaments or broadcasts.
Used for Redshift Contender Series/Champion Series and Duckman LAN broadcasts.
The Broadcast Tool was created in 2021 when I tried to look around for scoreboard and team name/input solutions for OBS, and there weren’t any options that fulfilled the needs for a stable and smooth live broadcast. I decided to partner with SputnikKobra to create the tool for the first Redshift Contender Series event.
Features:
– Reading team names/logo URLs from Google Sheets API.
– Automatic score input from Echo Arena’s in-game API.
– OBS scene collection and asset installation tool, which edits a JSON file, changing pointers to allow the package to be easily installed anywhere on the computer.
– Stream Deck support through Bitfocus Companion
The tool was designed specifically for use in Echo Arena tournaments, and was refined for a few years to be very robust, being eventually converted to run only on localhost python scripts, as using ports and GET requests can sometimes be tricky at unorthadox in-person venues.
We started Revolt as a way to make the tool more universal and user-friendly, and to eventually make it public.
Kick, punch and dribble your way to success in LUNARBALL, your next favourite sport! Featuring 3v3 team-based gameplay, play with random queued players in Quickplay, or organise a custom match in the Server Browser.
This was my first multiplayer game that went beyond silly prototypes with friends. It was a huge challenge that I set for myself to learn more in depth about Unreal Engine and multiplayer networking.
The game went through a few different temporary art styles, but the mechanics remained the same.
Ultimately, VENATOR was never released – the project lasted about 2 years of continued development but it proved to be far too much at the time. However, I learned so much from creating this (and had a lot of fun playtesting!) so for me, I still consider it a success.
Who knows, maybe VENATOR may return someday…
A change of direction for Virtual Reality events
1-2 Nov 2024 – Exeter, UK
The shutdown of Echo VR forced us to change the direction of this event. It shattered the competitive VR space that we knew and loved and split the players (and therefore our attendees) into many more games.
This event became more of a showcase event for A2, which is Another Axiom’s attempt at a spiritual successor to Echo VR. We worked with Another Axiom to provide the first public broadcast of their game in alpha, which did put a fair bit of pressure on me to get it right.
I worked with notblue to create bespoke software for this event, as I needed to create an overlay that would work in multiple games – it had to work with A2, Breachers, Racket Club, Blaston and Onward.
Echo VR’s final hurrah!
7th April 2023 – Southampton, UK
In April of 2022, I got to produce and present a professional broadcast package for an in person eSports event in Bournemouth
During the 2022 event, I created and ran the broadcast package live for the VR Master League twitch channel.
However, during the event I ended up spending a lot of time on repetitive tasks such as saving replays, changing certain scenes or team names, or opening too many applications to the point where it just made more sense to combine them all into one tool or app.
For Duckman LAN 2, I have created a much more streamlined version of the package from the ground up, with more traditional scene naming structures much akin to what is standard practice in programming (e.g. an image for the scoreboard will be named ‘Image.Scoreboard.X’), which allows a much easier time in OBS when reusing assets and reorganising scenes. I was using the Echo Arena API before, however it was largely just to trigger animations. I was using a modified version of the Broadcast Tool which I made years earlier to save scores and select teams, but for this year I have integrated all of that functionality into Stream Deck using Companion and Python scripting. In doing this I have created my own API hub to access Echo Arena’s score values, as well as team name listing using the Google Sheets API.
Automated things in the package include round score input, team name/logo display, goal animations and replay saving/transitions.
The first European community LAN for Echo Arena
7th April 2022 – Bournemouth, UK
In April of 2022, I got to produce and present a professional broadcast package for an in person eSports event in Bournemouth
I worked with Annexed Fate produce a professional livestream package for this event, which had multiple sponsors and was recieved very well by the community. I used tools such as OBS, UPDeck Photoshop and After Effects, as well as my own Broadcast Tool software to pull this off. I also worked with Blackmagic cameras and interfaces, GoPros, and a PA system to give the livestream and in person audience a great viewing experience. For the passion of the game and for the community.