Splatoon 'Testfire' - Anyone play?

[LaoJim]

So Nintendo opened up the Splatoon servers to the public for a few hour long sessions today/yesterday. I got on for only about half an hour in what I think was the last one (bit confused due to me being in a radically different time zone). It wasn't really long enough to make any kind of real judgement about the game except that it is fun and nothing seems completely broken. So did anyone else take part and what are your thoughts?

A couple of observations:
* The tilt the pad up and down to look/aim up and down felt very uncomfortable to me - hopefully there is an option just to fix everything to the sticks - I didn't waste time searching for it as I didn't have time.
* A couple of early games people didn't really grasp the territory control aspects of the game, leading to my team winning clearly despite being killed much more. If you are concentrating on painting then you can go for quite a while without seeing/shooting anyone and still win.
* The games visual design is good in that you can see what's happening, but the levels themselves seem particularly bland - a warehouse, an oil rig. I didn't really get a look at much character creation, I don't think it was in the demo.
* Game apparently doesn't have voice chat, but seems like a game in which teamwork is vital.

EDIT: Guffe has asked me to add a plug for the Wii-U Online Multiplayer group to the top of this thread and I see no reason not to. Check it out here. Quoting from further down this thread:

Also, there'a a WiiU Online Mutliplayer user group here on the escapist, if you guys are interested, come take a look. I've been hoping I would be able to gather a group of Splatoon/Smash/MarioKart/MonsterHunter players from this site to play with. Maybe create a few teams from this site depending on timezones etc

 

[Caine Master]

I just finished playing it and I had tons of fun with it.

Tilting the pad up and down was weird for me also but I got used to it fast enough.

I really enjoyed the art style and its so colorful.

Weapon balance seems to be fairly good. I didn't see any one weapon that was clearly better then the others.

I was also surprise how effective and fun turning into a squid would be.

 

[tstorm823]

I agree with you about the focus on territory grabbing over combat, but there's a lot of depth to the combat. By the end of the hour, I was crushing people with my jukes. It is not a game where the person with the quickest trigger reflex always wins.

 

[Las7]

I missed it, just woke up the next test demo hour is in 6 hours?

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I also played it today.

Despite the lack of a chat feature, I have to admit that Nintendo was smart to build the game to compensate:
* the maps are the right size to allow for you to roam around on your own while still being able to come across other players;
* the GamePad displays your location as well as the location of other players;
* you can easily travel to another player by simply tapping the GamePad;
* the Turf War matches have a simple objective that don't require a lot of coordination.

I also learned a lot about the weapon types and was surprised that it is reminiscent of a team-based multiplayer, where having a variety of weapon types in your team is the key to victory:
* the first firearm has a slow rate of fire, medium distance, and average power, but your grenades are powerful and cover a lot of area;
* the second firearm, akin to a machine gun or battle rifle, has longer distance, a higher rate of fire, does more damage, and can quickly cover an area, while your grenades are not really that powerful and don't go very far;
* the sniper rifle plays a much more strategic role, as it has a the longest range and deals the most damage, but cannot cover much of an area, so it's main role is to protect a covered area from other players;
* the paint roller is obviously for covering the map with as much pain a possible and as a result, is only effective in taking down enemies if you manage to roll them over.
Having at least one paint roller and one battle rifle in your team is essential to winning turf war matches and it's the two classes that everyone should be used to.

Overall, I had a lot of fun and I'm glad that I got a chance to try this game out. I am now looking forward to this game coming out.

 

[Guffe]

According to this there is still today time to play, for me at least, as I am GMT/BST +2, so I'll have time today at 3pm and 10pm I think

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/05/reaction_the_splatoon_global_testfire_demo_is_a_clever_nintendo_direct_highlight
May 8th 8PM-9PM (PT) & 4AM-5AM / 5AM-6AM (BST / CET- 9th May)
May 9th 4AM-5AM (PT) & 12PM-1PM / 1PM-2PM (BST / CET) and then Noon-1PM (PT) & 8PM-9PM / 9PM-10PM (BST / CET)

Defineatly going to try and log on to that

Also, there'a a WiiU Online Mutliplayer user group here on the escapist, if you guys are interested, come take a look. I've been hoping I would be able to gather a group of Splatoon/Smash/MarioKart/MonsterHunter players from this site to play with. Maybe create a few teams from this site depending on timezones etc

EDIT:
Just had my first few rounds of Splat00n, fun game and just needing to get used to the controllers a bit more (put the speed on quite high, didn't use the motion controll) then I'll be ready to rumble, 1 more hour tonight when the servers re-open

 

[Lufia Erim]

According to this there is still today time to play, for me at least, as I am GMT/BST +2, so I'll have time today at 3pm and 10pm I think

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/05/reaction_the_splatoon_global_testfire_demo_is_a_clever_nintendo_direct_highlight
May 8th 8PM-9PM (PT) & 4AM-5AM / 5AM-6AM (BST / CET- 9th May)
May 9th 4AM-5AM (PT) & 12PM-1PM / 1PM-2PM (BST / CET) and then Noon-1PM (PT) & 8PM-9PM / 9PM-10PM (BST / CET)

Defineatly going to try and log on to that

Also, there'a a WiiU Online Mutliplayer user group here on the escapist, if you guys are interested, come take a look. I've been hoping I would be able to gather a group of Splatoon/Smash/MarioKart/MonsterHunter players from this site to play with. Maybe create a few teams from this site depending on timezones etc

EDIT:
Just had my first few rounds of Splat00n, fun game and just needing to get used to the controllers a bit more (put the speed on quite high, didn't use the motion controll) then I'll be ready to rumble, 1 more hour tonight when the servers re-open

Does the user group only play WIIU games? Or nintendo games in general? I'd def be up for some mh4u multiplayer sessions...

OT; i didn' even know they have beta test on nintendo systems. I'll be sure to give it a shot.

 

[LaoJim]

* the first firearm has a slow rate of fire, medium distance, and average power, but your grenades are powerful and cover a lot of area;
* the second firearm, akin to a machine gun or battle rifle, has longer distance, a higher rate of fire, does more damage, and can quickly cover an area, while your grenades are not really that powerful and don't go very far;
* the sniper rifle plays a much more strategic role, as it has a the longest range and deals the most damage, but cannot cover much of an area, so it's main role is to protect a covered area from other players;
* the paint roller is obviously for covering the map with as much pain a possible and as a result, is only effective in taking down enemies if you manage to roll them over.

This makes sense as I was fairly getting slaughtered today using the first gun, but not using grenades - kept getting snipered and rolled over by people creeping up on me.

 

[MetalDooley]

Didn't get a chance to play as the first 2 sessions were at 4am and 12pm.Hoping to get a chance to play the last one at 8pm though

 

[Guffe]

snipD

Does the user group only play WIIU games? Or nintendo games in general? I'd def be up for some mh4u multiplayer sessions...

OT; i didn' even know they have beta test on nintendo systems. I'll be sure to give it a shot.

Well we mainly discuss games when they release and other stuff that happens around Nintendo (stuff we get from directs, when there are good sales on the Eshop etc)

At the moment and the last months the group's been very inactive. Around November - February I did some MarioKart, Smash and Bayonetta a few times with a few members.

I don't have MH myself but a few in the group have mentioned their interest in hunting with an Escapist team.

Feel free to join, it's an open group so joining/leaving is completey up to you

 

[Silvanus]

Friend of mine took part, and said it was great fun. He tends to love colourful/cartoony game styles (as do I, to an extent, and I'll probably end up grabbing a Wii U with this).

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Great fun, and I'm really liking the territory control aspect of it.

Now, if I'm later allowed to map "up/down" to the camera stick, I'll be golden.

 

[And Man]

* The games visual design is good in that you can see what's happening, but the levels themselves seem particularly bland - a warehouse, an oil rig.

I can kinda see the reasoning behind the levels having a bland design, since the goal is to cover the map with ink

 

[Weresquirrel]

I downloaded it, but looking at the times I won't have a chance to actually play it. Still looks good though.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Went through two Testfire sessions so far and it's been a blast. One thing I noticed is that people are going a bit nuts with the Rollers, probably because they're one-hit kill, cover tons of the map, and also have a pretty good super weapon in the Killer Wail (I actually fought against teams with ALL ROLLERS). However, Rollers have no reliable solution to anyone on higher ground except their sub-weapon (which doesn't explode instantly) and their super weapon (which can't be relied on). My guess is that things will mix up once people get their hands on the full game and are able to try the other loadouts with weapons like the Jet Squelcher, Dynamo Roller, Ink Brush, Splatterscope, and E-liter 3K. Some other observations:

- Walleye Warehouse seems to favor Shooters and Rollers more due to tight confines and lack of a decent vantage point for Chargers

- Saltspray Rig is more favorable to Chargers due to having more verticality.

- Lack of voice chat provides no problems. Your loadout pretty much shows you what your role is and coordination between teammates is obvious just by looking.

- Motion controls don't bother me, having gotten used to them in stuff like RE4: Wii Edition and the 3DS remakes of the N64 Zelda games. Once acclimated to they're far more accurate and responsive than analog sticks are.

- Judging by the Direct shown before I wanna see how much the equipment is going to mix up gameplay. With the Global Testfire we're only testing two maps and four loadouts but not getting into the equip effects. I can see gear really changing up play styles

All in all, Nintendo has bone very well and it's a helluva lot more interesting than just about 90% of the other shooters on the market, both in presentation and gameplay.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Good to hear it's fun.

I don't have a WiiU yet. But the more good things I hear and see about this game, the more I can't wait to be able to afford one.

...Seriously, my job really needs to call me in more often. I need money. XD

 

[Dragonbums]

There are going to be more testfires than the weekend ones right?

At the moment, nothing is stopping me from downloading the game, but the only way I can do online with my Wii U is through a makeshift hotspot, and that doesn't play nice with online that involves more than one person.

Luckily I'll be going home tomorrow, but by then I thiiiiiiiiiiiiink that the next round of beta testing will be done and over with? I live in Eastern Standard Time so I need to crosscheck that.

 

[LaoJim]

I can kinda see the reasoning behind the levels having a bland design, since the goal is to cover the map with ink

Sure the game needs to be monochromatic at the start for game play reasons - my point was more that the levels seem a little unoriginal, I'm just thinking this is supposed to be a world of octopus people, and I'd expect that to be reflected in the world somehow. I was expecting the world to be a little more interesting, you can do that in black and white. But anyway, only got to see two levels so maybe the others are more unique,

 

[FillerDmon]

I'm expecting more of the levels that are made available in the actual game to be more interesting, though at the same time one of the directs was like the levels are basically "Everything that someone would want to spray graffiti on".

In other news, I missed Age of Ultron to make sure I could play it again after I woke up at 7:30 and tried it, with my only regret being I didn't get up at 7 so I could enjoy the entire round, since I missed the first.

Holy fucking hell the game is god damn amazingly fun. If you have a WiiU, preorder this thing right the fuck now. I'm about to. I'd say this is AT LEAST as fun as Smash Bros, and Smash Bros has an 8 Player Orgy mode that also includes Pac Man.

I needed to refind my username and account, just to remind everyone: god damn this was amazing!

Also, some people (cough nerf now) are already claiming "Oh, x is broken and y is underpowered". Really?

Rollers are one that people are intimidated a bit by.

... how many of those same people register a direction beyond Forward, Forward Left, and Forward Right? Super easy to back up and shoot people with Rollers as they come, and then giggle a bit later in the round when they recognize death and try to squid away in vain.

And as for the Charger, it's designed to be meh at spreading Ink, and YOWZA at getting kills. If half the enemy base is being held back at the spawn by a dude with one of the Machine Guns being covered by a Sniper, that game's ended. And the above scenario happened frequently enough for me to be able to remark on it. Granted, I suck ass with the sniper, but I still had fun.

So much that I figured out what I'm buying my friend for her birthday: a WiiU with Splatoon, just to make sure she can play it with me. It's so amazing. Someone took Sea World, Call of Duty, Jet Set Radio, and a moon's supply of crack, and mixed them all into one program: Splatoon.

I can kinda see the reasoning behind the levels having a bland design, since the goal is to cover the map with ink

Sure the game needs to be monochromatic at the start for game play reasons - my point was more that the levels seem a little unoriginal, I'm just thinking this is supposed to be a world of octopus people, and I'd expect that to be reflected in the world somehow. I was expecting the world to be a little more interesting, you can do that in black and white. But anyway, only got to see two levels so maybe the others are more unique,

I find the fact that they would decide to make the culture of the Inklings parallel our own, what with arenas based on Warehouses, Malls, Scateparks, and City areas to be enough to keep me entertained, but the whole "Sea Creature World" thing will probably be a bit more involved and invoked when you're trying to fight the evil Octopus empire thingies.

Plus, Nintendo seems to be interested in DLC, so new worlds beyond some of the ones first mentioned may be implemented.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I find the fact that they would decide to make the culture of the Inklings parallel our own, what with arenas based on Warehouses, Malls, Scateparks, and City areas to be enough to keep me entertained, but the whole "Sea Creature World" thing will probably be a bit more involved and invoked when you're trying to fight the evil Octopus empire thingies.

Plus, Nintendo seems to be interested in DLC, so new worlds beyond some of the ones first mentioned may be implemented.

We've only been able to play two maps so no doubt there will be more exotic ones. Like Camp Triggerfish as seen on the Wiki:

http://splatoon.wikia.com/wiki/Camp_Triggerfish

Plus for now they want to keep things basic so people can acclimate before getting to the more complex, technical stuff. Walleye and Saltspray are clearly meant to be the basic stages which is why the Testfire started with them.