Topic: Splatoon 3

@WoomyNNYes
No. Only the first 3 or 4 stages.

@JaxonH I think there were at least 2-4 stages in the Subway section of Octo that I had to youtube, because they were so tough. If you ever get discouraged in there, there are a couple helpful things to know. 1) If you fail a subway stage 10-15 times, you'll get an incoming message interruption from Marina?(or someone) that says they can "hack" the system for you, to let you pass; If you accept the pass, you can continue progressing the game like normal. Failing-to-beat-stage & taking a pass does not count against you, or harm the game ending in any way. 2) What comes after the subway is awesome. The subway area is not the whole game. So, don't feel guilty about taking a pass on 2-3 subway stages. You can always go back later and complete the stages you didn't beat.

I quit Octo for a while because a few stages drove me nuts. When I came back to the game weeks later and finally got out of the subway, I regretted not accepting a pass on those few pesky stages. The game was great. After I beat Octo Expansion, I went back aftward and completed those 2-3 tough stages. Actually, I don't think there is any reward for beating all the subway stages - only the reward of completionist satisfaction.

Yeah I'm real hyped for Splatoon 3 too the gameplay looked real cool just kind of sad as I am a bit in patient to wait until September because of how cool it looks! I really want to play the octo expansion but I'm struggling quite a bit I've got quite a bit through but still can't do that well..

Don't you have to beat all the stages to access the secret final boss?

@WoomyNNYes
I failed quite a few times on one and it offered to let me pass, but I turned it down because I was determined to beat it on my own. Which I eventually did.

But that's good to know. If I do butt my head against a brick wall, I'll just skip it and return to it later. I'll be starting it soon since I'm almost done with Octo Canyon.

@Dogorilla I think the secret hard inner agent boss unlocks after you beat Octo Expansion single player.

The rewards for beating Octo Expansion are the same regardless of whether or not you accepted passes for some of the subway stages. Beating regular Octo rewards you with gear, I think. But going back and completing the subway stages you took passes on won't offer you anything new.

Beating secret hard boss rewards you the gold hair pin.(took me a year or 200+ tries to beat that. I was so psyched when I beat it. Still have the 30 sec clip saved from that moment.)

I played through octo expansion 4-5 times, on two different profiles. When I did it on the second profile (switch user), I didn't need to take a pass on the stages, and the rewards were the same. That was my experience. I'm fairly certain of this, but as a human, I also know memory isn't the most reliable source. If we want to ask someone else, though, BenAV probably knows. He's the most knowledgeable I've seen on NL. Although, BenAV is such a badass, I bet he didn't have to take a pass on any subway stages.

@WoomyNNYes It doesn't matter if you pass some levels as long as you come back to them later, but according to the wiki you do need to actually finish all eighty levels to unlock it: https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Inner_Agent_3

Anyone here have any tips on advancing through the ranks? I've been stuck in B+ hell for the last who knows how long and really want to at least try and get one mode to X before the release of 3. For reference, my best mode is either Tower Control/Rainmaker and my worst is usually Clam Blitz (Splat Zones is the one inbetween: I'm not amazing at it, but not terrible either). I've already been looking into advanced techniques like Sub-Strafing for instance but am open to any suggestions whatsoever!

On the topic however, there was one instance in a Rainmaker match I had recently where we were winning going into the final minute, with a win finally pushing me into A for the first time ever.... only for my team's Grim Range Blaster to D/C and for us to immediately lose afterwards. Worst still, because he D/C'ed at the end rather than the beginning, I still lost points and was sent tumbling back to the beginning of B+ once again. It will haunt me for days to come.

Thanks for clarifying. Yeah, it's been a while.

@Fizza If you want to get to S or X rank, watch high rank game play on youtube or twitch. I like ThatSRB2Dude on youtube. Search his channel for the mode, weapon, or rank x. Or watch his "Tearing it up" videos to see how he uses certain weapons. He actually has two recent videos about getting to rank x, but I don't know if they're better than his older stuff or not. It's been so long, I can't recall if I learned from anyone else. Maybe WADSM? But yeah, that's how you can git gud. Watching high rank play, pros, or people better than you - see their strategies. That's how you get good with real life sports, too.

This isn't relevent, I just loved Captain Astronaut's montage with that Fire Embelem Fates song, Desire Below & the Quad City DJ's Space Jam remix version. It's hypnotizing with the music.

@WoomyNNYes Oh I absolutely adore Captain Astronaut's videos as well, I'll need to give him and SRB2Dude a watch soon.

So I've been scouring the Japanese website recently like an actual Splatoon addict and there was a new piece of info they dropped there today: an announcement of a new clothing brand set up in the Splatlands called Barazushi. Pretty cool if nothing mind-blowing (love the name though).

@Fizza I would love some winter-themed maps.

It makes me wonder why they are showing off so much stuff over on Twitter and not just saving it for a Splatoon Direct? Hopefully, that means that they still have a lot of stuff in store to show.

Yeah a winter themed map would be cool! As we never really have had anything like that before in Splatoon 2

I've been playing Octo Expansion and at first, I wasn't really enjoying it. I felt like Octo Canyon was way better, and the ideal single player approach. Part of that was the progression, earning tickets for use outside the mode, upgrading weapons, etc. Whereas the Octo Expansion seemed to have no real story, no real progression, no thematic structure...

But the more I play, the more I like it. I still think Octo Canyon is better, but we'll see how I feel after beating it. Some of the stages are ridiculously hard. I beat the remixed boss with buckles and a protective coat- the "Back Like I Never Left!" guy. He was hard.

But my biggest struggle was the first level dodging bullets from enemies. I failed 10 times and finally gave up, as I was spending all my orange balls. That was good advice, skipping anything too hard and circling back to it later. It's definitely helped me continue to enjoy the mode rather than get too frustrated.

@StarPoint Probably because Splatoon 3 is their 2nd biggest release this summer (1st being wave 2 of the MK8 Deluxe DLC). Splatoon 3 Direct is likely around late July/early August judging by the previous Splatoon Directs so to stay quiet until then would be odd.

@Grumblevolcano I suppose that makes sense. Probably as to why they aren't revealing anything too huge as well.

Beat Octo Expansion.

That final part was excellent. Absolutely excellent. Overall I'd say the Octo Expansion wasn't as consistent an experience as Octo Canyon- it had much higher highs and lower lows, but it was every bit as good. And definitely more creative. My opinion on the expansion has done a near 180 over the past few days.

Thank you to whoever recommended passing levels after 2 failed attempts. If that mechanic wasn't present I'd have given up long ago.

@JaxonH That was me that let you know you can take a pass if you fail a subway stage a bunch of times. Thank god for that pass system. Yeah, after the subway, I loved the metal-gear-like sneaking around that facility. And the very end has that twist. I agree though, some of the lows, or stress, of some of octo subway stages, can be discouraging. Nice work, though. Congrats.

@WoomyNNYes
It's even better once you beat it, as it addresses my biggest issue with Octo Expansion- lack of progression with rewards that can be used in Turf Wars. You unlock gear for every set of memcakes you complete (even if the gear is only 2 slot rather than 3, which essentially means I'll never use it) and you can buy random rewards from the vending machine. Super expensive but they also give you credits for visiting various levels marked in blue on the map. I've just been hitting as many of those as possible, and have already gotten a ton of cash, swim speed drink tickets, charge speed, respawn time and power up chunks, experience tickets and credits, etc.

I've been in desperate need of Swim Speed tickets, and had no luck getting them in Salmon Run. So Octo Expansion now provides me with a better way to earn drink tickets, and provides an offline method of working toward that goal, as well as an option if Grizzco is closed.

I loved the stages where you find the 8 red laser beams. I loved a lot of the concepts stages are built around. Fighting Octo Canyon bosses that are powered up, or not powered up but you have to beat them in the Baller, things like that.

It's funny though- I spend so much time working toward the perfect gear setup for Turf Wars, and yet it's the mode I least play. Not that I don't enjoy Turf Wars, it's just that I love Salmon Run so much more, and the single player is so good, and Turf Wars brings a level of tension I'm not always in the mood foe.

What a masterpiece. I love Splatoon so much. Just ordered the Splatoon 2 art book, since I had the art book for the first game but never got around to buying the 2nd. I wish a steelbook case existed. One with dark silver, chrome and bronze with little neon pink and green squid icons splattered over it, all with a metallic sheen.

Some Splatoon 3 fans on Twitter are losing their minds, raging about the new subweapon being called "Angle Shooter".

Which, I mean, sure, it sounds pretty generic (should have been called "Angler") but already 2,000 signatures on a petition to have it changed? Really? That's what gets you in such an uproar you start a petition? Not party chat or messaging, not save backups for all games... no... a subweapon name in one game. That's the hill you die on.

Unbelievable...