Stream Sniper Blocking Theme for OBS

So let me preface this thread with the following, this won't completely save your matches when you stream, as they can still see your main screen, but at the very least, they won't be able to tell your resources, and your location of everything on the mini map and what units you are currently controlling.

So to do this, first create a new Folder in a easy to use location. Then in a different window, open your steam's AOE Directory and go to this location

"Widgetui/textures/ingame/panels/"

Here, you can choose what culture (Western, Asian, Middle Eastern, etc) UI Overlay to use. I suggest when copying them over, pick the races you use the most, or copy them all over to your newly created folder. (you can link directly to these files as well from OBS, but I found it easier to just have a copy of them in case i wanted to edit something on them.) Anyway, open one of the folders for your culture in question, for this example, we will use Asia theme.

Open Age of Empires II DE, and get into a standard game as an asian culture, such as Japan. then, alt tab, and open OBS.

In OBS, in your preview image, you should see your game screen. (I am assuming you already know how to stream OBS here and will not be going into those steps.) Now add Image for OBS in your AoE II area, and first choose the file "map-panel" and press Ok. This will create a large blank Mini map overlay on your screen, now just drag it into the lower corner and resize the image so it slots in perfectly over your in game mini map. This can be repeated now for every other UI element in the game you wish to block from viewers.

"resource-panel" file, is just what the name says, a blank asian themed resource panel, and that can be placed over the resource panel the same way as the mini map.

Once you add all the images you want to use as "blockers" for that particular racial theme, in OBS, click "Add group" and for this example, name it "Asian Theme". Now drag all your newly added "blocker images" to that group. Now you can turn them on and off at once, allowing you to quickly switch themes depending on your chosen race.

Hope this helps players avoid cheaters who like to cheat by watching streams to get an advantage.

Granted, personally if you really want to do competitive PVP, record your games and then upload them after the matches but if you really must live stream them, this will hopefully go a long way in helping you reduce the ability for players to cheat against you.