Totally rewrote the code - a bit more responsive now
Gone from the ESP8266 requesting the info from the server (every ~500ms, so it was probably hammering the server which isn't great), to the ESP8266 acting as a web server and the request being sent to it when required.
I've (probably) completed my PCB design now. Pretty happy with it. Changed it so many times from when I first designed it.
Those TQFP and 0805 SMDs are tiny. Gonna be fun soldering them. I ordered some parts just to make sure it all fits and tried soldering a SMD resistor and LED. It was a bit of a mess but it actually worked. Need more practise with them.
At first glance, I thought that pic was a chair with a desk and a huge ball pit area in front of it. You should design it as a chair and desk, but reimagine the ball pit as a gladiator tournament area.