Splatoon! Bow to your immortal queen, and indisputed best girl- Marie

[Chooch]

Nintendo's new policy on new weapon load outs for Splatoon is to just throw Kraken on everything just so at the very least it'll be usable.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Kraken lasts too short to be useful, airstrike is better

[Chooch]

Inkstrike is probably the least useful special in the entire game outside of Turf War and even then it's only so strong. It covers a relatively insignificant portion of the map and you can shoot into it while it's going to negate a lot of what it does. Kraken is an amazing special. It's a get out of jail free card just like Bubbler except it turns you into a instant kill machine for a short time. You can also increase the speed of Kraken and its duration with gear which makes it even more obnoxious.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Things continue to get more and more interesting

http://gonintendo.com/stories/244397-are-playable-octolings-set-to-invade-splatoon#comments

Are playable Octolings set to invade Splatoon?

 

09 October, 2015 by rawmeatcowboy | Comments: 3

We've been seeing hackers play as Octolings in Splatoon for quite some time now, but we've all been wondering if Nintendo was actually going to make this happen. Now we're finally starting to see some hints that this could indeed be part of a future update.

 

 

 

The official Splatoon Twitter account in Japan recently tweeted out mention of the ongoing battle between the squid and octopus factions.

This battle/invasion is also present on the SplatNet website, where players recently started seeing octopus icons floating around in the background. That seems a little too convenient to happen by mistake, especially with Nintendo talking about the fierce battle between the two sides.

These are admittedly small findings for right now, but they do seem to be teases. Do you think we'll be seeing playable Octolings in the near future? Thanks to J22 for the heads up!

Things continue to get more and more interesting

http://gonintendo.com/stories/244397-are-playable-octolings-set-to-invade-splatoon#comments

Are playable Octolings set to invade Splatoon?

 

09 October, 2015 by rawmeatcowboy | Comments: 3

We've been seeing hackers play as Octolings in Splatoon for quite some time now, but we've all been wondering if Nintendo was actually going to make this happen. Now we're finally starting to see some hints that this could indeed be part of a future update.

 

 

 

The official Splatoon Twitter account in Japan recently tweeted out mention of the ongoing battle between the squid and octopus factions.

This battle/invasion is also present on the SplatNet website, where players recently started seeing octopus icons floating around in the background. That seems a little too convenient to happen by mistake, especially with Nintendo talking about the fierce battle between the two sides.

These are admittedly small findings for right now, but they do seem to be teases. Do you think we'll be seeing playable Octolings in the near future? Thanks to J22 for the heads up!

[Sonictrainer]

Here are the results for the latest US Splatfest: Car VS Plane

• Popularity: Car 36%, Plane 64%
• Wins: Car 54%, Plane 46%
• Final Results: Car 252, Plane 248

Callie: VROOM VROOM! Cars Win!

Marie: Ugh...

Callie: Nice work, team! Let's do some donuts to celebrate!

Marie: Mmmm… Donuts.

Aw man…we were so close…. 

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

aw man lost my first splatfest then, well competition was tough, I'm still a newb, and I didn't see a single other rank ten or lower while playing, heck I barely saw anyone below rank 20 for that matter

[Chooch]

I was on Team Car / Team Road trip. I expected the popularity difference to be what ended up being reality to I resolved to doing my best and settling for 18 Super Sea Snails. That ended up being worth it tho'! I win again. I think I'm 4-2 now?

I blew all 24 of my Super Sea Snails already, haha.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Say, here's a thought, if Octolings are happening, what if it's a new mode? essentially a Clan mode with Inklings vs Octolings with various versions of the main modes with sub clans trying to take over the different areas? how sick would that be

[Sonictrainer]

We're getting another update soon plus a new blaster:

Listen up kids and squids! The Splatoon technicians will be sending out update data (Ver.2.2.0) starting at 6 PM PT on 10/20. They will also be performing server maintenance from 5:50 to 7:00 PM PT on the same day. During that window, service will be unavailable. The Ver.2.2.0 update consists mainly of weapon and rule adjustments and balancing. An overview of the changes can be found here.

Here's an Overview:

On October 20, 2015, new update data for the Splatoon game will become available for download. Please take a moment to download and install this update while your Wii U console is connected to the Internet.

Weapons Adjustments:
-Adjustments will be made to Main Weapons, Sub Weapons, and Special Weapons.

Ranked Battle Adjustments
-Adjustments will be made to the rules in Rainmaker and Tower Control modes.

Ranking Adjustments
-Rank S users will be matched up with other rank S users more frequently, and rank S+ users will be matched up with other rank S+ users more frequently
-To accommodate this change, the calculation method for ranks S and S+ users will be adjusted.

Stage Adjustments
-Walleye Warehouse: Adjustments will be made to prevent users from taking certain shortcuts in Rainmaker Mode
-Saltspray Rig: Adjustments will be made to prevent users from placing Splash Walls in certain places
-Arowana Mall: Adjustments will be made to prevent users from taking certain shortcuts in all modes
-Kelp Dome: Small adjustments will be made for Rainmaker mode
-Flounder Heights: In addition to changing the stage layout in Rainmaker, other adjustments will be made to prevent users from taking certain shortcuts in all modes and to prevent the attachment of Suction Bombs in certain places
-Hammerhead bridge: Adjustments will be made to prevent users from taking certain shortcuts in all modes

Effects Adjustments
-The visual effects of position-tracking for teammates will be less visible.
-The launching sound effect of the Inkzooka will be more audible

Battle Adjustments
-Fixed the issue in which the ink refills slightly when beginning to charge an empty Splatling weapon
-Fixed the issue in which the Point Sensors and Disruptors do not function when there is significant lag in the connectivity
-Fixed the issue in which players are able to move the Tower even when they are not on the Tower by swimming in the area bordering the top and sides of the Tower
-Fixed the issue in which the Rainmaker shield does not take damage when the shield is extremely close to a wall
-Fixed the issue in which visual effects do not display when some of the ink hit the Rainmaker Barrier and Splash Walls
-Fixed the issue in which some ink splats occasionally go through thin walls
-Fixed the issue in which rollers occasionally inflict damage through thin walls
-Fixed the issue in which Kraken occasionally inflicts damage against opponents hiding on the other side of a thin wall
-Fixed the issue in which Shooter type main weapons shoot at a faster rate than usual when specific special weapons are activated

Bug Fixes in Battle Dojo:
Fixed the issue in which Splash Walls do not block opponents’ bombs and blasters

Bug fixes:
-Fixed the issue in which the damage stats for Splattershot Jr., Custom Splattershot Jr., N-ZAP 85, and N-ZAP89 are displayed as higher than they actually are. This only changes the information displayed in the stats. The actual stats will remain the same.
-Adjustments will also be made to make for a more pleasant gaming experience

Here's a pdf to clarify some changes: http://splatoon.nintendo.com/assets/media/splatoon-patch-v2-2-0-notes.pdf

News of the update gotcha all riled up? Can’t possibly wait that long for something new? Check out the Rapid Blaster Pro, launching tomorrow night at 7 PM PT!

[Chooch]

Everything wrong with the current meta game was adjusted in this patch pretty much. I'm so happy.

[Sonictrainer]

Get ready for a Halloween Splatfest!

Hocus or Pocus.

Trick or Treat. 

Ghosts or Goblins. 
These are some of the impossible decisions that have plagued Halloween fanatics since the dawning of time. However, the most heated debate has always been Pirates vs. Ninjas. 

Join us on for a very spooky Splatfest that aims to settle the score. Is it better to dress like a pirate? (You can use your new parrot friend to justify getting two pieces of candy.) Or is it better to be a ninja? (You can sneak up and steal your own candy! They’ll never see you coming - or going.) 

Join us at 9 PM PT on 10/30 to settle this score the only way we know how - BY GETTING REALLY, REALLY INKY. 

BEE TEE DUBS, beginning with this Splatfest the multiplier for wins has updated from 4 to 6. Good luck, Inklings!

 

[Sonictrainer]

Here are the results of the Halloween Splatfest in the US: Pirates VS Ninjas

• Popularity: Pirates 28% VS Ninjas 72%
• Wins: Pirates 59% VS Ninjas 41%
• Final Results: Pirates 382 VS Ninjas 318

Callie: YO HO HO! Walk the plank, ye scurvy dogs!

Marie: You pirates are a bunch of cheats!

Callie: Avast, me hearties! Sore loser off the port bow!

Man, that x6 multiplier for Wins really changed everything... 

[PSI Wind]

Can we stop giving the obvious winners to Callie every time :C

Edited November 1, 2015 by PSI Wind

[Chooch]

I knew deep down from the very beginning that Pirates were going to win. My Ninja team mates throughout the event were relatively weak in comparison to other Splatfests I've won. The popularity deficit was also so large that most of the matches that I even played were against other Ninjas, which didn't count. It was a fun Splatfest nonetheless. I commend everyone's effort. Still got those 18 Super Sea Snails.

[sonicgirl313]

Here are the results of the Halloween Splatfest in the US: Pirates VS Ninjas

• Popularity: Pirates 28% VS Ninjas 72%
• Wins: Pirates 59% VS Ninjas 41%
• Final Results: Pirates 382 VS Ninjas 318

Man, that x6 multiplier for Wins really changed everything... 

Wait they bumped it up again?! Last time I checked it was x4 score for the winners.

[Chooch]

Yep. They bumped it to x6 for the first time this Splatfest. Popularity basically doesn't matter anymore.

[YoshiUnity]

Had a great round of games in Splatoon... Went from 6 to 13 in two days and I'm finally starting to get some decent gear. Still have some time before I get to the good stuff though. It sucks that all my progress had to be erased when my hard drive borked. I was at level 32 before all of this happened... So that royally blows, but what can you do?

I loved the Heavy Splattling, but I finally tried the Mini-Splattling. My verdict? It's okay... Better for close range, but the gimped reach doesn't gel with me. And even though I love being Heavy Weapons Squid, I kind of went back to the N-Zap as my main firing gun. I find my I'm definitely better close range than at a distance. So I'm Captain N Squid now.

But as for my main weapon. I'm definitely repping with the Inkbrush and better than ever. You really... REALLY... have to break some rules in order to be good with this thing though, and I'm fine with that.

For example... inking the field still has to be a priority, but it's not as important as getting around and clearing out the area because your weapon isn't great for covering pavement unless the coast is clear. So you have the use the area to your advantage and be stealthy... like, ninja levels of stealthy. And as soon as you strike an opponent, move and replenish your ink. Striking head on equals death.

 I found a good use for this thing, and had almost Revengence levels of fun with it.

[Chooch]

I prefer the Mini Splatling if only because I just like its load out more. It's basically just a more fun Tentatek Splattershot. I need to practice it more as well as other weapon types. I think that's going to be the next thing I work on.

[YoshiUnity]

Not, going to lie. As someone who prefers the heavy, I do envy the layout of the Mini. I mean, it at least has explosives. Though, I guess I could try the layout with the point sensor, however I remember using those things and they weren't all that effective... There was a patch that fixed it's issues but I'm a bit skeptical.

One thing I want to try when I unlock it is the Bamboozler. I've been wanting to focus on toning my aiming a bit even at close range. And I like it that the bamboozler charges quickly.

[Chooch]

Point Sensors don't seem terribly effective and I can understand why people much prefer other sub weapons, but I actually love them. When used effectively it almost always puts your opponents into a panicked state because they can no longer hide from you and you can perfectly anticipate their movements. It puts a damper on Roller / Brush tactics as well as sneaking and hiding in general (which I love). Honestly, when you're using Point Sensor really often and wisely, it can arguably be stronger than Echolocator. It barely costs any ink to use so you can spam the hell out of them and the most recent update made the active hit box considerably larger. My dream alternate set up for Splash-o-matic is Point Sensor with Bubbler, just like Custom Blaster.

The Bamboozler is extremely fun, the only problem is that it's just as fun as it is difficult to use. It's probably the most support oriented weapon in the entire game since even with Damage Up stacked on it, it caps at 99.9 damage (so it'll never kill in a single shot). Splash Walls are still very strong in the meta game but they got worse in the newest update which in turn makes Bamboozler worse. Killer Wail is solid but once again, it skews it more towards a support oriented weapon and not really a serious game changer in most cases. If you keep in mind that you're there to support the rest of your team during Bamboozler play, you'll do a lot better.

[Chooch]

We're getting a new map. Looks like the SplatNet page spoiled the surprise.

I'm hoping it doesn't suck. Most of the new maps are just not particularly great in my opinion.

[Sonictrainer]

We'll be getting a new update tonight plus new information from the Nintendo Direct!

New gear! 
November 12 at 5pm PT, a new free update for Splatoon arrives adding more than 40 new pieces of gear, including winter gear and some slick bandanas.

This new map is called "Museum d'Alfonsino" (It was leaked but we got footage). It comes tomorrow night.

This map is called "Mahi-Mahi Resort". It starts out in a giant pool, with limited areas, then transforms.

There's also mention of an Official Tournament:

Official Tournament 
An official Nintendo Treehouse Splatoon Tournament is coming this December, featuring competitive game play as well as tips for players about setting up their own tournaments. The tournament will be live streamed at live.nintendo.com. Watch the Splatoon website and the Squid Research Lab for more details as the date gets closer.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Splatoon will be $25 at Wal-Mart on Black Friday.

Guess I'm going to Wal-Mart on Black Friday for the first time ever.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

If anyone's interested and wants to play Splatoon tonight with other SSMBers, Game Night is playing Splatoon at 10:00pm GMT/5:00pm EST. If you want to play, let me know.

[Sonictrainer]

New Splatling coming tonight:

You get a Hydra Splatling. And YOU get a Hydra Splatling. EVERYONE GETS A HYDRA SPLATLIIIIIIING*

*tonight at 6 PM PT. The Hydra Splatling is slow to charge but powerful, so avoid using in close combat. Every Hydra Splatling comes with Splat Bombs and an Echolocator.