Splatoon

[Scrustle]

So the new update. I'm really liking the new level. It's quite wide and has a lot of flat ground, but a lot of tricky corners you can get ambushed round if you're not on the ball. Also means you can catch people by surprise too.

I've also manage to make a comeback with the roller! Haven't really got on with it since the full game launched, but now I've got the hang of it again. I'm using the one with the kraken special, which I didn't get on with before. Wasn't sure how to attack as the kraken. It's weird that it's on jump, and not just any of the normal attack buttons. But I think the main reason I'm being successful with the roller now is just that I've worked out how to use it better and learned the maps more. I know how to use it on less flat and level ground, and know what areas I can attack and when to pull back.

I also got one of the Aerospray weapons, as I've heard people going on about how good that is. I got the gold one that you unlock from single player. It's pretty good. The fire rate is good for taking out enemies, and covering lots of ground. It seems somewhat like the Splattershot Jr in that you have to be aggressive and get in people's faces with it. But with this you don't have the safety net of the shield power, so it's a bit risky. the Inkstrike special is really useful though. Used that with other weapons, and if used right it can be really helpful to your team.

As for the ranked mode, I've only played a few matches so far, but right now I kind of hate it. I guess I just need more time to work out how to tackle it, but I've miserably lost every match I've had, and it just feels like going in to a meat grinder where I can't do anything and just die as soon as I get anywhere. I guess I should try to hang back and use a charge weapon, but I don't really like those. I never use them either, so I would have to learn as well.

[dezm0nd]

Many times was I caught amongst the containers, avoiding the moving vehicles only to get caught with my pants down by a paint rolling enemy!

Love it.

[Pilgr1m]

Enjoying this immensely, more than I thought I would. Got round the lack of party chat with Cress earlier using PSN. Fun times, feel free to add me for all your decorating needs!

[seansthomas]

Yeah this is properly great isn't it? Would love to see some of the single player best bits get expanded upon too via DLC or new modes.

[Cress1968]

Yeah loving this whilst people are focusing on things the game hasn't got..ie party chat ( easily fixed as described by pilgrim or even Skype) or the lack of friends lobbies ( I've only ever had to wait the length of one game to join and that's no biggie really) I think they have got a hell of lot right... matches are just the right length that you don't get frustrated if you are having a bad game.. The weapons I find are well balanced there isn't one weapon that is that overpowering it spoils the game for me.. It looks and plays incredibly well too.
I hope the ability to form a lobby full of friends will be implemented at some point but I'm honestly not bothered if they bring in party chat as it's easily worked around and it also means I don't have to listen to a certain southerner ( pilgrim I'm looking at you) gloat every time he splats me!

[seansthomas]

Yeah those things don't overly bother me either. Shame we can't do a C&R friends lobby but hopefully that'll come.

So many variations of how to have fun in this game. Stick to the walls and sneak past people to get into their base and paint it. Get high up and shoot from above to cover more area. Gang up with someone and charge. Make a beeline for the middle ground and hold your ground. Use the side passages to get sneaky ground.

Had a game last night where I respawned with 5 seconds left. Checked the map, turned into a squid, swam to a bit of the map that was already our colour but managed to get a swift burst of ink off and cover a patch that must have been a few feet wide. One the game by 45% to 44.9%. Felt TOTALLY amazing.

Reminds me of being back at uni playing GoldenEye, my mates Dreamcast or Timesplitters 2.

Also found that people instinctively know what to do in the game amazingly well. If you head one way, someone will go elsewhere. If you look at the map and see a teammate in strife, you zoom there to help. So yeah... maybe Voice chat just disguises bad game design? (Though long term, I suspect it'd make the really best players even better).

Any idea how the matchmaking works? I'm Level 6 but spent the whole night playing with Levels 14-20 or else 5-8. Does it do it on your form rating (mine was Toasty!) or Level I wonder? Held my own every time so it seemed to work regardless...

[dezm0nd]

I don't think i'll ever work out MatchMaking works in any game, even when it's spelled out for you! I guess it does it by level and then when it gets desperate for players to play a game, it just throws anybody in?

It doesn't hang about in-between games, like MK8. You're playing a new round before you know it.

[Flabyo]

Once you're in a lobby it doesn't change the players in that lobby unless someone leaves, who it then replaces. So if everyone hits 'continue' after a game, then the same players start the next one.

Not sure if ranked play does it differently, haven't paid it enough attention to notice yet (I'm usually playing squid jump, high score is 9930)

[dezm0nd]

Arriving tomorrow is an Inkbrush

[Scrustle]

I'm not sure on that weapon. One of the good things about the rollers tends to be that you can put down quite a wide path of ink. Seems you can't do that with this brush, although it looks like you can run faster. But movement speed with the roller was already pretty quick. I'm pretty interested to try it out anyway and see what it's like. There must be something to it.

[hazeredmist]

Picked up Splatoon today! Hope there'll be some C&R fun on this... Feel free to add me, I should be online a bit later on - hazeredmist

[dezm0nd]

I've had many people join in on my sessions but ideally I want the ability to setup a lobby or just a match like MK8. When they incorporate that, we'll definitely play it!

If you see me online, hop in!

[Pilgr1m]

Pinged out a few friend requests for some paint based fun!

[Flabyo]

The Ink Brush is all about the rapid fire 'swing it around like a baseball bat' mode rather than holding it down and painting like you do with the roller.

The fast run/paint thing is useful in setting up quick routes to the splat zones in ranked play, but the sprinkler and ink strike backups don't help much in that mode. It's definitely a turf wars weapon load out at the moment.

I'm regularly coming out top scorer using it for turf wars, it seems to be the fastest way to paint the levels.

[hazeredmist]

Accepted some requests and have joined a few games, not sure if people actually notice! It is bizarre that Nintendo refuse to do proper party features for a game like this, but it's still great.

I'm finding I'm almost twice as effective using the splat roller than anything else, tried the paint brush which is probably the closest, but it seems like when I switch weapons my performance drops like a stone!

[dezm0nd]

New map hype!

[hazeredmist]

Get in that looks ace! Like a massive garden center

[Scrustle]

There are quite a few stages in the single player that are obviously also meant to be used for multiplayer, like this greenhouse one. I was expecting that they would probably be released at some point.

They're all rather big though. Much bigger than the launch maps anyway. Maybe that means they're planning to add in larger team sizes somehow? Or maybe they just want bigger stages, and that was the plan all along. Some of them have some stage hazards too, like chain bridges that go over water, so if you turn in to a squid you'll fall down and instantly die. It'll definitely change the way the matches play out.

[hazeredmist]

I'm level 8, not far off ranked mode. Spoke to my mate last night and apparently you can't join your friends on ranked mode? Good work Nintendo...

[Scrustle]

I think that's one of the things they're going to be adding in the big August update.