Post by: Shaymin on March 23, 2015, 01:50:47 PM
The new online mode Splat Zones will require you to “git gud”.
Details have emerged from a press event last week for Splatoon, including a new game mode that will require skill from the entire playerbase, as well as the unfortunate omission of voice chat.
The new mode “Splat Zones” is a zone control mode focused on teams occupying particular portions of the map area in a King Of The Hill fashion. The mode unlocks as players gain experience, as a certain number of players have to reach level 10 in the main “Turf War” mode before Splat Zones will unlock. The game will also include rank battles, which work on a letter grade system and give more experience for higher grades.
New maps and details about the clothing system were also confirmed. The maps are called Blackbelly Skatepark, Saltspray Rig, and Walleye Warehouse, while the clothing system will give your Squidling additional perks such as faster swimming or faster reloading of the ink canisters.
In impressions at GameTrailers, Dan Bloodworth confirmed what was originally feared in February, that Splatoon would not contain voice chat in any mode. No reason was given for the omission, but a screenshot from Eurogamer points to pre-determined text commands bound to the D-Pad.
Splatoon is on track to release in May.
Post by: Adrock on March 23, 2015, 09:15:01 PM
Post by: Spak-Spang on March 23, 2015, 09:52:00 PM
That being said, I don't really care about it that much...after all in a real paintball battle it is pretty hard to communicate unless you are next to each other.
I wish Nintendo would just make it friends based only chat, or figure another means to include...I would even consider additional DLC purchase so parents can say No to it...or buy it.
Post by: Shaymin on March 23, 2015, 09:58:28 PM
There's two ways to look at this: They can't implement voice without sacrificing a few FPS (there's 60 FPS video out there and it's blazing), or they're so determined to outsource everything about the online that they gave voice chat to Skype/Dolby/cell phones.
Post by: ShyGuy on March 23, 2015, 10:03:45 PM
Post by: Soren on March 23, 2015, 10:09:13 PM
-----------------------
"Geez, no voice chat in Splatoon is criminal. But I guess I can call up a friend and we can both play an online session together in the couch and communicate that way."
"Oh wait, only one person can play online per console. (http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/03/preview_we_take_aim_at_splatoon_to_see_if_it_offers_the_best_of_both_worlds) I guess I'll go stab myself a couple of times with a fork."
/Scene.
Post by: Evan_B on March 23, 2015, 11:02:33 PM
The last thing I want to hear are young kids screaming and older players over-inflating their importance by co-ordinating attacks. It's a turf-based shooter so all you need to do is look at the map to understand what needs to happen.
I guess I'm not really a "traditional" online player but I don't understand the appeal and I never have. It's no necessary. It does not make the game accessible or healthy for a large group of people.
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on March 24, 2015, 12:52:29 AM
Post by: KDR_11k on March 24, 2015, 01:52:07 AM
Post by: Enner on March 24, 2015, 01:52:25 AM
Did Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for Wii U have voice chat? Doesn't Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate have it? I thought one of them has it, otherwise why would Turtle Beach make a headset for the Wii U.
On the assumption that one of the games above has voice chat and that they run on Nintendo Network servers, there isn't any hardware or Nintendo Network limitation on there being voice chat. For Splatoon, it appears that the developer didn't care enough to have the feature in their game.
I... can't say that I entirely disagree with that assumed lack of care. Most multiplayer shooters these days have players live and die on their skill to read a mini-map, especially in games with short time-to-kills that Splatoon appears to be. Combined with the low 4v4 player count, I don't predict you'll run in to many situations where voice chat would have saved your squid from being splattered. For a player providing covering sniper fire in the game's ranked King-of-the-hill mode, the low player count mitigates the lack of voice chat as there are less targets for the sniper to worry about and less chances of a team's front liners being outnumbered.
To be fair, I can imagine various situations where voice chat would've been a boon. Coordinated flanking maneuvers that push cleverly and safely in to the oppositions territory. Crucial firing angle placements or death call outs that could stop a dominating enemy squid's kill streak. While a mini-map shows a lot information with skilled reading and the low player count means a smaller amount of information to parse, voice chat can provide information and tactical orders that mini-map reading and pre-set messages cannot.
Also, you can't talk trash with your friends, which is something I know first-hand can make an online multiplayer game stick around longer for a person.
While I, personally, am not too disappointed by the lack of in-game voice chat in Splatoon and think it's absence isn't as damaging as others think, it's a shame it's not in there.
Here's to hoping it's in the sequel!
Post by: famicomplicated on March 24, 2015, 04:06:57 AM
If no video, then just voice would be fine.
In game chat would be a bonus on top of that.
Splatoon has none of the above, putting it below Smash and MK8.
Why did they put a mic and video camera in the GamePad?
It's the only current gen console where in which every owner of the system has the ability to do voice/video, but ironically the only one that doesn't actually let you do it! No, WiiU chat doesn't count, it takes 5 mins to connect.
Post by: Adrock on March 24, 2015, 07:42:42 AM
Post by: marvel_moviefan_2012 on March 24, 2015, 10:22:17 AM
Whatever Nintendo does not have the same market the other guys do, this is NOT a Call of Duty game that would appeal to that crowd, if it were most of us would shrug it off as not worth playing. We collectively as a Nintendo audience tend to dislike those games and the ones who do like those games buy the other console anyways. Nintendo is not the only one with voice built in, PS4 comes bundled with a mini headset.
Unlike Smash and Mario Kart where there is already a precedent and an established mindset going in this a brand new territory for Nintendo they have to tread lightly because they would hate for a kid-friendly game like this to taint their image because Johnny was listening to two teenagers talk about the slut they banged last night (each others mother is how it usually goes if I recall) and Johnny is asking questions mommy and daddy were not ready for at such a tender age.
Saying let voice chat exist among friends only is still asking for trouble, many of us DO add friends we meet here or elsewhere that actually are underage and they might want to enter a match with one of us and who knows one of the other guys has a potty mouth they can't turn off again this is Nintendo being overly cautious. Mario Kart DS their first online venture didn't have voice anything it took them years od badgering and sequels to start to make progress and that was because they followed the audience close. This is uncharted territory for them, its a shooter game the other two are fairly harmless in comparison. Hell the fact its paintball as their first real online multiplayer shooter tells you how much they are protective of their family friendly image.
Post by: Soren on March 24, 2015, 11:13:07 AM
Why did they put a mic and video camera in the GamePad?
It's the only current gen console where in which every owner of the system has the ability to do voice/video, but ironically the only one that doesn't actually let you do it!
Post by: Ian Sane on March 24, 2015, 12:07:16 PM
1. Nintendo is so isolated that they don't realize that this is like standard stuff in this sort of game. They're not familiar with other products so they end up screwing up really routine stuff because they put themselves in a situation where they have to discover everything on their own.
2. Nintendo is ridiculously arrogant to the point that they intentionally do things goofy when it isn't their original idea so as to not suggest that other companies have good ideas too. Notice that when they're the innovator Nintendo usually does a great job. It's conventional stuff they usually flub - the ideas someone else came up with first. Voice chat is someone else's idea so Nintendo has to either not do it or do it in a distinct way so it becomes their idea (remember Wii Speak?)
Any online game in 2015 should have voice chat. To me it is a requirement and if people don't want to use it they can turn it off.
Splatoon seems designed to be the exact opposite of what a fan of the genre wants. The sort of players that say rude things over voice chat aren't going to touch this "kiddy" game with a ten foot pole. If the rationale is to protect kids I don't think it will be necessary.
Post by: Soren on March 24, 2015, 12:20:33 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on March 24, 2015, 02:46:41 PM
I think every WiiU game should have voice and video chat in lobbies before and after every match at minimum.
If no video, then just voice would be fine.
Video is an absolute no-go, people who played Uno on the 360 with video chat talked a lot about seeing exposed genitalia and such.
I don't see a value in voice post-game, all you'd get are the usual worries about children meeting strangers (odd how nobody complains about PvZ:GW in that regard...) and people using that time to blame each other for losing. In-match makes the most sense for coordination but again, people don't do that anyway.
Post by: Triforce Hermit on March 24, 2015, 05:26:48 PM
I don't see a value in voice post-game, all you'd get are the usual worries about children meeting strangers (odd how nobody complains about PvZ:GW in that regard...) and people using that time to blame each other for losing. In-match makes the most sense for coordination but again, people don't do that anyway.A) Children shouldn't be using mics. Or be playing online with strangers (unpopular opinion I know). If parents are that worried, restrict the child's access then.
B) People will talk **** about each other. Another part of playing online. Its expected.
C) I wouldn't say so much coordination is important. More like If you want to chat with friends while enjoying the game. That is more enjoyable then playing without a mic.
Post by: Mop it up on March 24, 2015, 06:19:34 PM
Post by: Seacor on March 25, 2015, 01:20:26 AM
Did Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 for Wii U have voice chat? Doesn't Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate have it? I thought one of them has it, otherwise why would Turtle Beach make a headset for the Wii U.The following games support Voice Chat (may be others, but I am not aware of them)
Trine 2
Mass Effect 3
Ninja Gaiden III
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Assassins Creed III
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Mario Kart 8 (Lobby w/friends only)
Smash Bros (Lobby w/friends only)
This is disappointing news about Splatoon. It really should be a standard feature set to include voice chat compatibility in all online multi-player Wii U games. It should be up to the consumer to choose whether to enable or disable such functionality. If all games were voice chat compatible then concerned parents could administer the usage of such features with the built-in Wii U Parental Controls. Parental Controls exist for a reason and apparently Nintendo doesn't even know they exist. Nintendo needs to realize that children are not the only consumer of their products and when they continue to play parent, they continue to impact the adults.
