Spla2n: 2018 is The Year of the Octoling

Jay wrote:

We'll definitely have to get a GNamer gang together for this... presuming there's a lobby system in the Testfire, of course.

Aye I hope so but I have a feeling there won't be, in fact I'm worried that they won't put the friend lobby system in the game even at launch like the original. Plus you could never fully squad up on the turf war mode only ranked battles..

I hope that is all sorted by now with DeNA hopefully doing the online.

Times for us in the UK are (I think):

March 24th
20.00-21.00

March 25th
4.00-5.00
12.00-13.00
20.00-21.00

March 26th
4.00-5.00
12.00-13.00

All part from the 4am ones all seem doable.

The_Jaster wrote:

Jay wrote:

We'll definitely have to get a GNamer gang together for this... presuming there's a lobby system in the Testfire, of course.

Aye I hope so but I have a feeling there won't be, in fact I'm worried that they won't put the friend lobby system in the game even at launch like the original. Plus you could never fully squad up on the turf war mode only ranked battles..

We'll have to wait and see but it's a weird one. I know that in the west there was a strong demand for a proper friend system and that. Was that so much the case in Japan? I don't know. A lot of Splatoon's quirks, the lack of choice when it came to game modes for instance, was such by design - the intention being, this is a casual, drop-in/drop-out game, therefore let's restrict choice to achieve that vision. I wonder if the lack of a buddy system played into that psyche.

Muss wrote:

The_Jaster wrote:

Jay wrote:

We'll definitely have to get a GNamer gang together for this... presuming there's a lobby system in the Testfire, of course.

Aye I hope so but I have a feeling there won't be, in fact I'm worried that they won't put the friend lobby system in the game even at launch like the original. Plus you could never fully squad up on the turf war mode only ranked battles..

We'll have to wait and see but it's a weird one. I know that in the west there was a strong demand for a proper friend system and that. Was that so much the case in Japan? I don't know. A lot of Splatoon's quirks, the lack of choice when it came to game modes for instance, was such by design - the intention being, this is a casual, drop-in/drop-out game, therefore let's restrict choice to achieve that vision. I wonder if the lack of a buddy system played into that psyche.

I imagine that is the reasoning behind it & maybe they were worried it wouldn't take off so held back a bit, given how popular the original was it'd feel like a bit of a backward step if they didn't launch with squad battles/Ranked. Not to mention it'd only get the "It lacks content" brigade back on their horses, so in my book the only thing they need to drip feed us this time around is new weapons & maps.

EDIT: Oh forgot to mention that I wouldn't really want full squads roaming about in the Turf war mode.

Maybe they could have not just Splatfests but events like Overwatch and special gear for playing in them.

The_Jaster wrote:

EDIT: Oh forgot to mention that I wouldn't really want full squads roaming about in the Turf war mode.

Your edit is a really good point. Splatoon is meant for kids as well as adults. So yeah, I'm 100% behind a mode that does not allow squads to try hard it. [edit] Also, in a perfect world, we'd have a turf wars that allows squads and one that doesn't. But like you say, in the original, they didn't know how it'd do commercially, and splitting the user base up too much would've had a detrimental impact on the game.

@Mas, possibly up for that. Much as I love Overwatch though, I'm not a fan of it's microtransaction system. I don't think your point is, Nintendo should do loot crates, but something about gating unlocks, even cosmetics, behind events always makes me a bit, ehhhhhhh.

That's be a tough one because clothes aren't just cosmetic in Splatoon they have stats attached to them, I'd be up for allowing any clothes to be equipped as vanity items though.

That's a very important weekend for me, too. I hope all o'y'all have a very inky blast on Spla2n, together or otherwise.

You'd best make sure the venue has wifi, then.

All my times are out by 1 hour part from Sunday, I don't if I worked out to BST or GMT but anyway its these times.

Friday 24th
19:00 - 19:59

Saturday 25th
03:00 - 03:59
11:00 - 11:59
19:00 - 19:59

Sunday 26th March
04:00 - 04:59
12:00 - 12:59

@Muss what's wrong with Overwatches microtransaction system as not how else they would do it and none of if gives anyone a edge, it just basically cosmetic. That's what I'm sort saying to do with Splatoon 2, if everything is their from day one, why not a Christmas event sure that is the only time you'll get Santa hats but when else would you want them and when a event happens on OW, we normally suddenly all jump back in.

We play Splatoon 2 all summer then it dies a little then bam were playing it again at Christmas, also could be a good marketing thing for Switch newcomers.

Overwatches' micro transaction system is unregulated gambling, that's the problem. Perhaps it funds development better than other means, but that doesn't make it a good system.

I'm not sure how you would replace it with, I guess you could buy gold then you could buy the costumes etc in game. As its cosmetic, I don't mind how it is does and I do like the surprise of I wonder what I get in my crate which is no different to a lucky dip at the fair for instance.

Only issue I would ever have is if it was giving someone a edge, Mercy now has more health if she wears the Chinese outfit.

That could be the issue with Splatoon 2 as stuff do have stats, but I feel they can do more then just which is best Salt & Vinegar or Cheese & Onion especially if nearly all the content you would hope for is their from day one.

masofdas wrote:

Only issue I would ever have is if it was giving someone a edge, Mercy now has more health if she wears the Chinese outfit.

The problem with this is that while you aren't bothered by cosmetics someone else probably is. The difference between this and a lucky dip is that this is an uncaring, automated system, it doesn't have some nice person at a village fare , for instance, making sure the customer is ok. Like I've really wanted stuff from claw machines before and at a certain point the staff have always just allowed the kid to get said item because they dont want a sad to happen. Overwatch doesnt care it just wants money, someone's going to fall prey to that. They might not go broke or anything, but again that doesnt make it cool especially in a full prices release.

Sure it isn't cool and like I said buying Gold might have been a better option. A full price release isn't a full price release any-more for quite a few games and something that looks like it will be going for years like with Hearthstone, Siege*, Destiny etc and Blizzard will still need to run severs and pay for devs to design new characters, maps etc.

I like how Blizzard have done it with new modes, maps, characters all being free along with new events as there is other ways they could have done it with DLC, a pack with Ana and whatever new map was at the time for X amount instead of the system we have with crates. As this way everyone who buys the games has the same content and to me that's the big one as you could buy Destiny and not be able to play something with me as you've not got this bit of content.

It is a hard one trying to please everyone, if you are making a service type game as they all try something different. Some like Splatoon had totally free support but then support stopped (I mean in terms of Splatfest and new Maps).

*Ubisoft are calling them Live Games and are planning more of them, Jas would have to fill you in Sieges model but that has been from the sounds of it has been a financial success.

mas wrote:

*Ubisoft are calling them Live Games and are planning more of them, Jas would have to fill you in Sieges model but that has been from the sounds of it has been a financial success.

Siege's maps are free while new operators that are added to the game can be bought with the in-game currency (renown) or you can can get a week early access to the new Ops along with other small bonuses if you buy the year 2 season pass which is 25 quid. Apart from a couple of special cosmetic items here & there most can be bought with the renown, they are adding loot packs as well in an upcoming season but these are either bought with renown or earned from playing matches.

Like I said if Spla2n was to do special events other than Splatfests related to certain holidays then it'd probably work better if the items you got were equipped in a vanity slot so you get the cosmetic look but retain your stats of whatever you were wearing - The more I think about it though the more I reckon they will just do what they done in the original game.

Slightly worse system to Overwatches if you got buy a season pass to get new operators. For renown / cosmetic can you just buy them? As in OW you have to buy random boxes to get the cosmetic stuff but if I could buy just Gold or Cosmetic pack for Mei that might be cooler, if that's how it is done in Siege.

Spla2n will more and likely do the same, but just one idea they could have taken from other games.

mas wrote:

Slightly worse system to Overwatches if you got buy a season pass to get new operators.

No you don't need the season pass, I said you only need to get it if you want a weeks early access to the new operators otherwise you can wait and buy them with the in game renown. (I done this for the first year)

Okay, I miss understood. I still I think I prefer OW where things like that are free but cosmetic stuff, is what you have to buy, be it random. I wonder what the For Honour and Wildlands methods will be.

Is Miss Understand part of the Nun the Wiser extended universe?

On topic: I don't think Spla2n needs any microtransactions, Ninty seem to be good at avoiding all that. Early on, I'd be happy without the lobby system as long as they had the "join friends" thing from the original.

I never said anything about microtransactions for Splatoon 2 and I don't want them but if you went what idea would you take from Overwatch, it would be events that give special gear like Santa Hats.

I'd just play in local. But I will give this a shot with you fellas online, promise. I'll get slaughtered (splattered?), mind.

Join the club - we get badges and a secret tentacleshake.

Speaking of which, I'm burning sacrifices for the gods every day in the hopes we get playable Octolings this time.

masofdas wrote:

I never said anything about microtransactions for Splatoon 2 and I don't want them but if you went what idea would you take from Overwatch, it would be events that give special gear like Santa Hats.

Sorry, yeah, very tired.
I think Splatfests were pretty close to Overwatch's events to be fair, and you were given a temporary Splatfest t-shirt.

Balladeer wrote:

...just because they're small doesn't make them any less horrific.

I'm just looking forward to another multiplayer game to sink my teeth into with you guys - Monster Hunter Generations and Overwatch were highlights of 2016 for me because I got to play games with GNamer gang. More of that, please!