Splatoon 2 Is Getting Another Game Update Next Week

I haven't been playing for a while now since I got my golden toothpick and found myself getting bored with the rotation of ranked modes, but I feel like I'll pick it back up before 3 is released to get my competitive juices flowing again 😁

@KiraMoonvalley I don't know what sbmm means but I believe they try to match you with players of your skill level as much as possible, certainly in the early stages you'll be confined to turf mode (until you've levelled up enough to join ranked matches) and after that everyone is ranked according to how well you play. There is a learning curve, but I think it's fair for the most part.
There was a problem at one time where people would throw the matches for whatever reason and I found that incredibly frustrating, but once I learned how to block those people via the Switch's 'people you've played with' function I stopped seeing those people appear in my matches. Very satisfying to block people like that 😆

@atgodmajoraontwitter sir, this is a Walmart. 😐

How is comment #4 still up 30 min later??

I play Splatoon 2, mostly coop mode (Grizzco) & when there are Grizzco weapons.

I don’t think the game does a great job of balancing which is why I like coop. I also wish, like with ACNH, Nintendo supported it longer. Splatfests. More DLC. Etc.

@Otoemetry You can actually still run into players you blocked you just got lucky and haven't run into them again blocking really just stops them from sending friend requests to you

@Just_2_milky I reported him. Hopefully, they'll take care of it, soonish?

@KiraMoonvalley

There are tryhards and there is skill based-match making so I would stay away if I were you.

Even back when I played years ago (before Switch online became a paid service) it was full of tryhards.

@KiraMoonvalley

The game uses almost no selective match making outside skill level (both ranked and hidden unranked) and streak matching (the game matches people on win streaks with other people on win streaks)

Amazingly, the end result is perhaps more reliable and consistently balanced then games like MOBAs that spend a huge part of their development budget and patch efforts on match making.

So is it objectively good to the point where you will not get upset? HELL NO.

Is it basically as good as you are going to get, and one of the better communities out there? Yes.

I have about 1200 hours in it. Not about to stop now…

I stopped playing Splatoon 2 for one reason, and I hope said reason does not apply to Splatoon 3. After seeing the recent Direct, my hopes have been lifted, but I am still skeptical.

If the majority of this game requires NSO to play, and there are no alternative options that give a decent number of hours, I'm not getting Splatoon 3.

@CodyMKW I'm not sure that's correct, when you block someone you get a message saying they'll no longer appear in game lobbies with you (or something to that effect) so I think it does reach into the game itself. I'm not an expert though so you very well could be right, if anyone else has more concrete evidence please let us know!
EDIT: Nintendo support confirms blocking people does indeed stop them from getting matched with you in online games.
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Nintendo-Switch/How-to-Block-Users-You-Have-Played-With-Online-1661030.html

Still enjoy the game. It is a game that is best played with a group. I remember having a few "clan" battles in the early days. Those were a LOT of fun. ^^

@KiraMoonvalley There isn't any sbmm that I know of in Splatoon and I doubt the Nintendo service is capable of such algorithm. There are tryhards for sure especially here in the Asian region since it is very popular in Japan. I don't encounter any toxic players though and its not the kind of online game that is frustrating like CSGO/Overwatch. Hard to explain but it is a fun online shooter experience like no other. The only thing I don't like are the frequent disconnects which is due to the p2p nature of NSO.

I played the heck out of Splatoon 2. Heck, I tell ya. I still play turf war occassionally. I still revisit the single player, too. I can't wait for Splatoon 3.

Mostly playing Rocket League these days - another amazing skill based game.

They wil patch a Splatoon 3 poster in the game…… 😂

Just love Splatoon 2. Splatoon too. I'm sure I'm gonna love Splatoon 3.
I played Splatoon 2 yesterday.

@WoomyNNYes I’m still hooked on RocketLeague too. I always have to start and end my gaming rotation with a few games of RocketLeague. I need help.

I played Splatoon 2 for the first time in ages yesterday, and had forgotten how fun it was. I'll definitely be playing more in the build-up to Splatoon 3

We need a Splatfest

@Shade_Koopa I've heard this was the case. Think the lack of friends willing to try stuff like this is why I walked away from the game.

Well, that & once you start losing, it seems harder & harder to get yourself back in the groove as the game starts pairing you with more & more bad randoms.

@KiraMoonvalley I have no idea what I missed, probably best that i did miss it, but YAY, MORE SPLATOON 2!

@Otoemetry In a update not long ago, they made it to where you'll be matched irregardless of blocking them or not if encountering them in X rank and they're ranked at least within top 2000 in that mode.

https://nintendoeverything.com/splatoon-2-update-out-now-version-5-3-1-patch-notes/

Made it so that for X Rank battles, you may battle with someone even if they’re blocked via console settings if that player’s estimated rank is within the top 2,000.

This implies to the highest rank available, and in ranked modes only so newer or casual to moderate players won't have this issue playing with blocked players. The update was mostly combatting players who blocked the great players so they don't encounter them in ranked.

I'm not done with it yet either!

I still play it. I've played every few months since release and jusy picked up the Octo Expansion and have been really enjoying that. A buddy of mine recently got Splatoon 2 and we play that. Mostly co-op but it's still a good game. I'll be picking up 3 at launch, which isn't something I do for most games now due to my backlog.

@d-slice Octo Expansion gets amazing after the subway.

@WoomyNNYes AFTER the subway?! Well dang I need to go finish whatever this is! This game is full of surprises!

@d-slice Yup, after the subway, it gets awesome. The subway is only like 50-60% of octo.

Don't sweat it too hard if there are 2+ stops you can't complete if you're not a gaming god. A few of the subway stops are REALLY tough. You don't need to complete all the subway stops to leave the subway. You just need to find the "four thangs".

Also, I didn't learn until really late, if you fail a challenge enough times (10-13 times? I can't remember how many times), the game will tell you they found a way to hack the system, and offer you a pass for that subway stop to let you keep progressing the game - it won't harm your progress toward beating the Octo story or the ending. After I beat octo, I went back to complete the stages I struggled with. I think I youtubed at least two stops to find out how to beat them.

I got back into Splatoon 2 recently and it is just so much fun. I definitely wouldn't mind another Splatfest.

Let's do it. I go back to s2 every few months to play some matches and try to get that damn toothpick.

@ModdedInkling I played splatoon 2 with free online the first year. Then I payed to play the second year. By year three I realized splatoon was literally the only online game I played and I simply didn’t subscribe to NSO.

I understand people think NSO is “basically free” but when you only use it for one game it really feels like a rip off.

@sixrings
It is indeed a waste of money if you only ever use it for one game. I don't find myself ever playing with the "99" games or playing online in many games, either due to dead lobbies or lack of interest. As far as classic games go, I could just play them on my Wii U or the actual consoles.

@ModdedInkling I think people will tell us soon to get another hobby.

Btw I own four switches and lan party splatoon 2 is by far the best type of a party which includes clothes.

@sixrings
I'm jealous, but I know that I couldn't be in that same situation.

I JUST found my perfect weapon please don’t touch the balance!

@KiraMoonvalley Turf War is a fairly casual-friendly mode and is fun. Every game is going to have “try hards”.. which I don’t parse as a bad thing — I sure want my teammates to try hard to win! — but if you mean are their good sports? I think it’s generally a very fun an positive community. Some players will try and throw a match and do a squid party which I think is fun for new players but in high ranks I just block people that throw.

What’s wrong with skill-based matchmaking? I really don’t understand the negative connotation. What’s a better solution to make matches fair for all skill levels?

@Matthew010 I’ll soon have played more Splatoon 2 since picking it back up after the announcement than when it launched.

I like it a lot more now as well, after taking a long break. I think I’m able to appreciate it now more for what it is rather than how it’s different than S1.

I’m going to uninstall when they announce a solid release date so I can try and come to Splatoon 3 as fresh as possible.

I wish they'd keep 2 going. I'm going to miss it's aesthetic so much.

@KiraMoonvalley That does sound annoying! Splatoon has broad ranks so you do stay grouped with players for many matches in a row and you see a lot of players in your rank often — and that's just in solo queue. Splatoon 2 also very smartly tries to assign teams by weapon type so who is on what side shuffles throughout as people change weapons, but players tend to stay on in the same session. Only if the "host" disconnects (not quit but actual DC) — does the group of 8 disband.

I have had players I "came up with" through ranks I recognized throughout, and players I see all the time in Ranked. I add a lot of the as friends too and you can jump into their matches without much fuss. It's very fun to have rivalries... it can even go into who has the better "squidbag" death cam dance.

There is a separate "League" lobby for people who squad up. I have no experience in it unfortunately, but there is some SBMM there to match pairs for teams, trying to match 2+2 vs 2+2 and 4 vs 4 teams, and also to match skill level when possible.

@HarvestGoddess I think Splatoon 1 servers are still going! It certainly was for years into Splatoon 2's release so I don't think Nintendo is going to shut down S2 any time soon after the release of Splatoon 3.

@Spiders I fired up black ops on 360 yesterday but could never find a match. Always only one or two people waiting. They can keep the servers up but if the users all migrate it won’t make a difference.

@ModdedInkling I don't know what you saw in the Direct that made you come to that conclusion. NSO is definitely going to be required for Splatoon 3. It's 20 bucks a year dude. That isn't diddly these days.

@vio
It's the singleplayer that I was concerned about. If it was straight-up some mediocre platforming and not anything remotely like an adventure, I don't find any reason to play it. Structuring the story mode like a Mario game is fine, but I'd rather have the story mode be structured like... pretty much any other shooter game out there.

@sixrings For sure, but people played Splatoon 1 well into the life of S2, and I think it'll happen with the sequel as well.

I've been playing splatoon since day one of the IP's release. It's a fact that the game mechanics and the concept are truly exceptional. There is no other FPS that combines the logistics of battlespace agility with the economics of "adversary-and objectives-management". I play the game because of the rapid cognition decision making I'm forced to exercise.

I truly LOVE it.

There is also one other fact. It's matchmaking is exceptionally flawed. It takes a serious psychological toll on folks who try hard to enjoy the competition; it's deeply manic to go from winning-streaks to losing-streaks through no tangible fault of your own. I regularly oscillate between s+ and s+3 in every ranked mode, and the fact is that progression is based on the chance that several of your "intended to lose teams" (a deeply troubling thought in its own right) happen to manage their wins when the deck is deliberately stacked against them.

It's an extremely unhealthy pattern.

For those struggling from depression, and yet who have been primed to look for the positive rush that comes from the artificial winning-streak phase of their sessions, the losing-streaks risk overriding their self-regulation centers and driving them to rage, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. I guarantee you there are folks who read this that know exactly what I mean.

Anyway. Splatoon is truly amazing. It's matchmaking is also very harmful and contributes to deep psychological trauma.

@Riderkicker Yep. Friends and buddies help make games last longer.

The loosing streak thing is with any game with a competitive element. Best to walk away and try again later.

@day I think these are really great and important points, and I go through “depressed” periods in competitive gaming as well.
I do think it’s worth examining your mental state at the time and how it affects your play. It’s very difficult to do in real-time, but I think we can find fault within ourselves before we blame the game... and the only thing we’re doing “wrong” is continuing to play in that mental state.

I just picked up a new weapon, .96 gal, after getting stomped by one after a long stretch of a 50-55% win rate with the Jet Squelcher. It took 1 match to adjust (and pick the right sub and kit) and I went on a TEAR. Must have won ten straight, and after two days my last 50 games I was 30-20. Considering how many DQs happen, that’s very solid (In X rank for everything save Rainmaker). My last session, I lost ten in a row. There are a million things to blame, but the fact is I got cocky and way more aggressive, and stopped doing the things that gave me success which were patience, building meter before engaging, and generally having a spider-like posture - setting the sprinkler in a hard to get to place, watching it, and either deleting enemies at range who contest the new space or advancing my position and repeating. Ink armor and 3-4 teammates up? Push.

I think it’s human psychology why we tend to be “streaky”, and why trainers and coaches favor consistency and fundamentals over exceptional play. The number one advice to slumping players in every sport is to simplify your game.

If you’re playing well and doing the right things, it’s a lot easier to take the losses that are out of your control, but if you don’t, you really might be forfeiting something you can control to the “blaming”.

Also, S+ is brutal. It’s a huge rank. Everyone who can carry can get there, but there are so many killers who cannot escape because they don’t play the team game or have any map awareness. I have an easier time staying 50/50 in Rank X than climbing out of S+. You should be proud of your play to be there.

Now I’m going to reinstall Splatoon 2 and try and take my own advice;)

@Spiders thank you. i agree, and feel that both are true. Yes we can struggle to focus on the right thing, and yes the responsibility is on Nintendo to develop a matching system that doesn't oscillate manically.

Do you get the sense that the former gets more attention than the latter? I feel like as a nintendo fan (my in-game is Ninten-jin after all, as in "a person of Nintendo"), there's less focus in the idea that the company has a responsibility to deliberately address an abusive cycle in their programming, than on the need for people to address their own state of mind... I've heard/read nobody speak to that.

@day Can you explain what the cycle is or what you’re seeing? I’m not seeing it ... and I’m not saying that to disagree I mean I literally have not noticed or considered it.

I know Rank X placement matches are brutal and demoralizing, but thankfully there’s only 10 haha.