One half of the classic problematic duo of esports events, hardware is one of the few absolute requirements for running any live esports event. Therefore, creating a solid plan for acquiring, setting up, and maintaining your computers and other devices will be an important step before actually running the tournament.
In our modern world, electricity makes everything go round. The esports world is no exception to this rule. In order to run a functioning esports tournament, here are some things you may want to consider having on hand.
Power Strips
Extension Cables
Spare PC/Monitor Power Cables
Phone Charging Cables
In this day and age, power is something we certainly take for granted. We expect that when we plug our devices into an outlet of some sort, the electricity will flow, making everything work perfectly. When it comes to esports events however, the power requirements to operate the hardware associated with competitions may prove too much for some venues without the proper considerations. Be sure to check with IT staff or those familiar with the capabilities of the venue’s power system before beginning the event set-up.
Here are some general tips for power management:
DO NOT “daisy-chain” power strips (plugging one power strip into another power strip).
Check outlets for breaker labels. Oftentimes, event-specific venues have groups of outlets assigned to separate breaker systems. Spreading the power load between multiple breakers can reduce the risk of tripping the breaker.
Venue specific staff are your greatest resource here and should always be contacted before set-up.
Have a plan for if things go wrong. Familiarize yourself with the correct procedure for resetting breakers if they are tripped during the event, whether that involves contacting specific staff members or physically resetting said breakers.
Once the power is ready, now we need something to actually play on. If you are using computers supplied by the school or players then this process becomes a lot more streamlined. If you have the budget to rent, build, or upgrade the computers, you’ll want to consult with any available IT professionals, build guides, and game-specific computer requirements that can be found on game developers’ websites.
Aside from the physical construction of the playing computers, a majority of the set-up work will be the physical moving of the computers and troubleshooting during the event itself. Here are some things which can be done to minimize the need for maintenance during the event.
Manage Cables. Use velcro straps or cable ties to manage long cables and reduce the risk of one being pulled on and disconnected during competition.
Use compressed air to clean dust from inside of the computers.
Ensure there is adequate room for both the computers and player peripherals.
Software prep is as much about downloading and preparing the software as it is about ensuring competitive integrity. The first step when it comes to software prep is ensuring that the required software is downloaded on the computer. Here are some types of software you’ll need for your event:
Esport Game: Can’t play a game that isn’t downloaded. Be sure to check for patches before the event.
Communication Software: VOIP software used to facilitate communication during matches if not possible through the game itself.
Anti-Cheat Software: Typically provided by the game developer or a 3rd party, used to detect and prevent people from using performance-enhancing software.
Text Chat Software: Used to alert tournament admins to in-game issues and inform teams on any updates to tournament structure. (Discord can supply both this and VOIP services.)
Graphics Drivers: Software provided by the hardware manufacturer to ensure the efficient performance of equipment.
If the computers or systems are property of your school or another organization, be sure to check with the administration before downloading anything not already approved. Additionally, if playing on a school network, you may need IT assistance for allowing certain programs through school firewalls.
In addition to having all the hardware properly set up, the broadcasters and event organizers/admins need to ensure that all their software is set up, tested, and working as expected. Each of the pods has its own hardware and software requirements for gameday and should keep track of what they need for their role. That means that each pod is responsible for ensuring their hardware and software is ready to go and that they have everything they need to come game day.
Whether it’s playing at home alone or in a sold-out stadium, esports games are built around interpersonal competition usually facilitated via connection to the internet. Once you have accounted for power and computer setup, its time to get everyone online with networking.
The first step when it comes to setting up networking is to identify which type of connection is required for the event. Games that run in a split-screen, particularly common in fighting games, might not need any amount of network setup to run. Other games can run on LAN or Local Area Network. This means that the computers on the network need to be connected to each other but not necessarily by an external server via the internet. Still, other games require dedicated connections to a central external server. Determining which setup is required will be your first step in these ventures.
If your tournament has games that require internet connections, make sure you test the game ahead of gameday to see if you run into any issues regarding your school’s firewall. Talk with IT about finding a solution for gameday.
If your game requires some amount of network set-up, here are some things you’ll want to have on hand.
Ethernet Cables (a lot of them and as long as you can find)
Network Switches
Network Switch Power Supply
Table Safe Tape or Cable Ties
Once you have the tools you need, it’s time to actually set up the network for your competition. You may notice a lot of overlap with how you set up power for the competition, but nevertheless, here are some additional tips and tricks to get your network up and running.
Utilize any IT professionals available at the venue. They know the capabilities of the infrastructure better than anyone.
Always prefer wired connections over wireless. Only use wireless networks as a last resort or for auxiliary tournament functions.
Keep track of what computers are on what switches. Cables can get confusing quickly and a good diagram will help plenty when dealing with troubleshooting.
Plan for the worst. Like with anything in event planning, be prepared for something to go wrong and have backup plans.
There are only so many things you can prepare for on paper. The single most important step of event set-up is always testing. Test your equipment often and early. Make sure that you try to simulate the same workloads that will be experienced during the competition and remember that every problem you find at this stage is one less problem to deal with during the event.