Beta Stage designs/elements

[PHYTO-1]

From the various pictures from 2014 and the videos from Splatoon there are a handful of beta stuff that obviously didn't make it into the final game.

Let's take a look

Arowana Mall

Now either thats a different stage entirely that uses the same assets (air balloons, info/ad boxstands,etc) or Arowana Mall got a huge makeover

This seems more like what we're used to but there are still some differences seen here. There are grated walk ways that lead to these ledges. The left side doesn't seem to have a path to the narrow walkway along the side.

Saltspray Rig

There used to be a nice background with a bridge, the shore and city skyline ,etc.

Its hard to tell if this picture and the previous one were from the same build. This version had more cranes and a bigger emphasis on pipes.

the spawn point

Walleye Warehouse

not much to say about it, but its different alright

Urchin Underpass

no glass floor with the inflatable blocks

spawn area changed the most. there was a water tower. no ramp along the right side. the left side ramp is no longer connected the walkway near the tree.

Camp Triggerfish

beta

"current" - which is subject to change of course

Miscellaneous

probably from old walleye warehouse but who knows. there are a handful of industrial stages in this game.

this is probably from blackbelly skatepark, but if memory serves me right there are no light gray walls like that in the game. this could be from the upper sections along the grated walkway... but i also dont remember seeing a strip with a brand name going along the top.

VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM E3 DIGITAL EVENT 2014

Conclusion:

Most the changes made were to make straight/narrow paths more dynamic and make big areas less open. Otherwise chargers would probably dominate

 

[Inkoishi]

Huh. Pretty interesting stuff. Personally, I'd like to try the beta versions of some of these maps.

 

[StayPuft]

It'd be interesting to see if any of these elements are used in different, new maps down the line.

 

[PHYTO-1]

It'd be interesting to see if any of these elements are used in different, new maps down the line.

it would be cool if they had kept the multiple moving platform cranes in saltspray rig.

most changes do make sense in the long run

 

[ShinyTogetic]

Some of these concepts look amazing like Arowana Mall it looks fantastic

 

[Superjustinbros]

I wish that prototype Arowana Mall made it into the final in some way; it looks like some kind of plaza you'd find in a tropical region.

 

[PHYTO-1]

a thread I made on gamefaqs about the weapon test area and how it seems to be from the beta version of inkopolis but just boxed off

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/805617-splatoon/72095921

 

[Zero Revolution]

Arowana Mall looks SO much better in the beta picture. Of course we can't see the whole map, but it looks like a lot more fun to play on and less annoying with the middle portion. Plus the details make it look prettier.

It is interesting to see the beta stages, I wish we could see them more in detail though.

 

[Ictoan]

Urchin Underpass

Am I the only one who's disappointed we can't do flips over people while shooting at them?

 

[PHYTO-1]

Am I the only one who's disappointed we can't do flips over people while shooting at them?

i too am disappointed. inkling probably dont have bones, meaning they are definitely capable of pulling of some crazy flexible maneuvers.

 

[PHYTO-1]

Video Footage of some of the beta stages

 

[River09]

Yep, its amazing how far some of these stages have come for better or for worse. One thing that I see consistently through these beta maps is that they were far bigger. Saltspray Rig in particular used to be much larger at the top section than it currently is now. I do like how the maps have turned out but dayum Arowana Mall and Saltspray Rig with the bridge in the background look fantastic.

 

[inkopolis]

These are really awesome.

 

[redacteddd]

If you look closely in "Splatoon Extended Cut", you can see that Blackbelly Skatepark had STAIRS at the spawn

 

[PHYTO-1]

found some more interesting stuff from datamined icons. not sure if these are the same ones used to show the stage rotation

Blackbelly Skatepark

on the right side there is no little corner path that you can take. the top of the yellow railing shows the shape of the wall meaning theres nothing behind it. theres also no trees on top of the wallblock. i also dont see any crazy wacky inflatable arm flinging guys.

no big walls in front of the spawn and no billboards.

the sniper perch in the middle of the picture doesn't have the small little white block. also the bricks in the middle section are gray.

no miiverse billboards. not that it mattered

there is a lot different. much closer to the current on than the other beta pic i posted.
starting from the left side:
the mesh flooring is on top near spawn-level, the mini totem-wall is not connected to the wooden wall, the wooden wall itself is lower, there is a metal platform over the in the water near the left totem pole, behind that left totem pole there is not wall and now there is an inflatable block, there is an inflatable block near middle section.

Kelp Dome

the small plants near spawn are minitrees instead of small flowers/bushes.

Bluefin Depot

no flag-banners connected to the walls in the middle part..you know the part where people climb up the walls? there are usually blue flag-banners along the side of it. also, that black block with caution tape has a wood-planked top.

 

[birdiebee]

Resurrecting this thread from the crypts because I was watching the 2014 trailer last night, because I hadnt seen it since before release, and I was just in awe at how different these designs were.

Arowana and Walleye look crazy. Everywhere is so spacious!!!!!! And there was a scene that looked like Arowana but it was a wide corridor when several jumps in a row? And Walleye's moving platforms? Sniper perches you can just swim on to?

Obviously its clear that the developers were not yet settled on what their final vision of the game was going to be at this point, and likely many weapons were yet to be developed that would have suffered on these stages. Still, it looks absolutely chaotic. I would love to have the chance to play some of these just for fun.
Finally when they show an inkstrike DID YOU SEE HOW BIG IT IS?????

Didnt seem like most/any of the previous posters in this thread are currently active, so wanted to get some opinions from more active people xD

 

[P-Kong]

Oh, how badly I wish that these stages' initial layouts are being playable.

Saltspray Rig's disconnected lower platform, for instance, reminds me of Camp Triggerfish.
Adding those curved vertical platform-things and the little asymmetric bits through the stage itself, it might not be too balanced, but really fun.
(If playing it properly, of course. That means, no full Slosher teams against Rollers, Splatlings and Chargers.
I assume they didn't plan the two newer weapon types then.)

Walleye Warehouse's moving platforms instantly caught my eye when I watched the original E3 Trailer–
More frantic versions of Port's forklifts? Yes, please. But only in Turf Wars, with the original layout being playable in private lobbies.

They'd also be disrupting chargers, I assume? Not to mention how disruptors itself would work there.
Or [] Roller's splashes. Yikes. Those and sloshers could lead to many surprise splats.

 

[birdiebee]

Just noticed the climb to mid on beta Saltspray is TERRIFYING. Can you imagine such a long, narrow, straight uphill path in the final game? The final Saltspray retains a LITTLE of that hill, but its nowhere new as extreme as this build. Short range weapons would be utterly stiffed here.

I agree @P-Kong I would love to be able to play around on these early stage designs. I know it will never ever happen, but a squid can dream...

 

[モモコ]

personally I think a lot of changes was made because of bringing in chargers. A lot of those beta maps it seems chargers would have a field day esp that triggerfish one. whoaa.... and i seen people complain about chargers on the current version...

 

[birdiebee]

If you look closely in "Splatoon Extended Cut", you can see that Blackbelly Skatepark had STAIRS at the spawn

I hadnt watched this one recently. There is a lot different going on here.

Aside from the stairs mentioned, it looks like on Blackbelly you can also see stairs leading down to mid (where the zones are in SZ) in some of the clips.
On Walleye, there are less small boxes on the sides of mid. Only the two.
Saltspray's "zone" area seems slightly differently arranged in this build. Theres a little more room in front of it and a little less room behind it before the ramp leading to the top area. Also in some of the clips it looks like an older build (with the bridge) while in others it looks closer to the final product.

What I find to be the most fascinating though is Camp Triggerfish in this video. It is TOTALLY unfinished, hardly resembling the final product at all. And since Port Mackerel isnt in this video at all, it leads me to think that Triggerfish was actually conceived and designed first, and was intended to be a launch stage, but pulled and replaced with Mackerel quite late in order to balance the design more. I mean LOOK at that stage. (1:57) The design is bananas. That high totem post for chargers and the wide-open view of the entire stage is terrifying. There's no walls at mid to divide the routes to reach it. Just the one straight, narrow, unprotected path. What's more, mid is actually in a pit with the paths leading DOWNWARD to reach it, rather than up. Thats even more sniper advantage. Look how little cover there is as you go along the path leading to the rope ramps. And there's a quarter-pipe-like structure for some odd reason. This stage just oozes incompleteness. Can you imagine if this made it in the game upon release? Haha