Discussing Inkling/Octoling Biology

[Globin347]

I'm pretty sure any macroscopic organsim can get sick.

But viruses are usually pretty specific to a certain group of related species. Sure, humans can get swine flu, and rabies can infect a number of animals... but all those animals are mammals. Even though birds have similar metabolisms, they can only be infected with rabies in extreme circumstances. In fact, for all intents and purposes, birds are immune to rabies.

So although inklings could become ill, they would be completely safe from any viruses that can affect humans.

The same might not be true of other types of disease, however.

 

[BlackZero]

I'm pretty sure any macroscopic organsim can get sick.

But viruses are usually pretty specific to a certain group of related species. Sure, humans can get swine flu, and rabies can infect a number of animals... but all those animals are mammals. Even though birds have similar metabolisms, they can only be infected with rabies in extreme circumstances. In fact, for all intents and purposes, birds are immune to rabies.

So although inklings could become ill, they would be completely safe from any viruses that can affect humans.

The same might not be true of other types of disease, however.

I wonder if their ink functions like a super-powered immune system. It can dissolve foreign objects like Octolings. Maybe it does the same to harmful bacteria and viruses?

 

[Globin347]

I think bacteria would be too small for that to function, unless the ink tears things apart on a scale near the molecular level.

There is nothing to indicate that it does this.

In fact, given that the ink in question is apparently an organic compound, it's possible that there might be microorganisms which feed on ink.

 

[Pinko]

When you remove the context of the thing she's referencing, yes. It's completely arbitrary.



It's not just NA version. As I said, they are a boke & tsukkomi duo (Manzai). It's a style of humor unique to Japan that doesn't always cross borders gracefully. Humor is the whole point of their interactions in all versions of the game, regardless of that their in-game professions are. That particular style of humor simply doesn't have the same impact on Westerners as it does Japanese audiences. I don't mean to be offensive, but if you didn't recognize that Callie liking chips was a comical reference, it only proves my point that this type of comedy and the jokes they make in the Japanese version likely went over everyone's head outside of Japan.



If you ever take up learning a second language that has a different root than English, you will see what I mean. I studied Arabic for 3 years. During that time, I learned that, with languages that have nothing in common with English, literal word-for-word translations are not always helpful because they don't really capture the meaning of what is said. The translated lines themselves are easy to understand. The nuance or colloquial meaning gets lost in literal translations. Second, as stated before, you also have to know what they are referencing to get the joke. If you don't get the reference, you may not even realize they made a joke in the first place. Third, Japanese wordplay only works if people read the sentences in Japanese. If you translate them, the whole gimmick falls apart because it relies on how the language sounds. So, there's another genre of humor where non-Japanese speakers will completely miss the joke and translations won't help.



This is my whole point. You didn't know what they were referencing because what she referenced was something only Japanese audiences would get. Yes, chips exist all over the world, so I'm sure everyone knows what they are, but that statement is making a reference that likely went over the heads all non-Japanese players. Thus, the whole point of saying she likes chips is lost. The NA localization team recognized the whole purpose of that statement was to be funny, but it wouldn't be funny to Americans because they wouldn't get the reference. So instead, they changed it to something US players could better connect with.

Now back to our regularly scheduled theorizing.

Can Inklings get sick? Would "human" viruses still affect them?

No it's not. It's portraying her as a character. She likes chips, and is hyperactive and playful. Just because 'it isn't funny' doesn't mean there's no context to it at all

No it is not. Humour is only needed in your case. I've seen some of the translations of the Japanese lines and I'm not just going to see it as a joke, I see them as characters talking to each other most of the time. It's not just humour. That splatfest may have referenced such humour but that's not what the whole point of their existence is. They're characters too. I didn't recognise it as a reference, but I understood it as a character trait. It helps her grow as a character for us to understand her more if she repeatedly says she likes chips. I know what chips are and like them myself, lots of people I know do, but it wasn't just meant to be a joke, it enhances who she is. We know she likes chips, instead of all this other junk that has questionable statuses because of how much it gets replaced. They're not just jokes, in your version, that's what's portrayed to make it seem that way. That Splatfest in Japan I don't think was saying "every single line made by these two is a humour you're meant to understand."

I learned Japanese at school for a few years. They are not literally 'word-for-word' in the translations I see as there are differences between even the JP and EU versions in some of the lines. In some cases, there's more words or different words than what the Japan quote said, like I think Marie says something like 'Would you like fries with that' in the JP quote but over here she says 'Since when do chips come in a cup?' Both quotes mention the same topic, the chips, but the JP quote is playful, the other is asking a question, but since they're in the same context, the chips, it still relates to the source material. Not all of the translationsd are word-to-word accurate, there are changes and most of the time they make sense. It isn't just for humour, which is what they'd like you to think. Just because they might reference something that isn't funny doesn't mean it doesn't develop them in some way. It gives us insight into what they do, which is what this thread is for in the first place, discussing the potential behind the Inklings. More than 80% of that is removed in the NA version and replaced with game things. The humour is fine. Recently in the Museum place, Marie makes a joke after Callie says 'I like classic art' she goes 'Like how to sleep standing up? I heard you snoring...' which is still humourous because she's mocking Callie's love for art by pointing out that at some point when they were there, she slept while looking at art and Marie noticed. It's still humourous because of the irony of the statement.

Just because it's making a reference I didn't get doesn't mean it's suddenly random. It's her favourite food. As a character, to understand her better, referencing it constantly in the times we see her lets us understand she likes chips. Just because you don't understand the joke doesn't mean that's the only thing it means. It's not just meant to be humourous. It isn't lost or random because it is her favourite food. I know here I like chips, several people do, so we understand her love and take it as an aspect of her character even if we can't understand the joke. Several people like chips. Just because she's making a reference to a particular kind of chip that we don't get doesn't make it worthless, because it's not just meant to be funny. Oh I'm sure it would've made something better in the grand scheme of things. You find out her favourite food. But all she is to you is your medicine dose of humour. Nothing BUT that. As a character here I totally cannot see it.

Maybe, I'm not sure. They do mention in Saltspray that Callie can catch a cold by staring at the sea.

 

[BlackZero]

Well, I've run out of ways of explaining this to you. If you've studied Japanese for a few years now and have never encountered Manzai, I'd ask your teacher about it. Humor and wordplay are very important parts of language and your teachers are doing you a great disservice by glossing over it.

You are welcome to believe whatever you want about the characters, but I think the fact that Japan will be having a Boke vs Tsukkomi splatfest and each character will be supporting their respective roles makes a pretty clear connection to their role as comic relief/humor.

Back to the actual topic, I wonder if there are Inkling doctors to treat injuries or if they simply splat and reform without damage. Perhaps their ink form has a heal factor?

 

[Globin347]

Well, we earlier came to the conclusion that splatting evolved as an extreme last resort with a high chance of failure. As such, Inklings would probably have developed more traditional means of healing damage... But when the respawn point was invented, did this send all that medical study out the window?

I'm sure they are still able to heal traditionally, but Splatting with respawn points seems like it might be so much more convenient. Does this mean that inkling doctors have a hard time finding jobs?

Or are respawn points too expensive to have everywhere? In either case, you just brought up a point that the rest of us failed to consider.

 

[Globin347]

And as for these localization differences...

hate me if you will, but I like American D.J. Octavio better (if only because the American version is much more memorable.)

Edit: that should be "more", not "better".

 

[Paragon-Yoshi]

Well, we earlier came to the conclusion that splatting evolved as an extreme last resort with a high chance of failure. As such, Inklings would probably have developed more traditional means of healing damage... But when the respawn point was invented, did this send all that medical study out the window?

I'm sure they are still able to heal traditionally, but Splatting with respawn points seems like it might be so much more convenient. Does this mean that inkling doctors have a hard time finding jobs?

Or are respawn points too expensive to have everywhere? In either case, you just brought up a point that the rest of us failed to consider.

Respawn Points might also have a limited range.
Aka it cannot attract Inklings outside its range.


But as for your medical argument:
Welp, I believe there was never any need to fix body damages.
The regeneration process, be it naturally or via Respawn Pad, doesn't leave any room for medical treatment.
As there is no need.

But sicknesses and injuries on organs, might be a different story.
Their body may be made of ink, that can "replaced", so to say.
But the internal organs are completely solid.
So obviously, injuries on them would be bad, if not treated.
As healing process for organs might not be any better, as it is for us humans.

Same counts for sicknesses.

So yeah, there'd still be a place for doctors in Inkopolis and Octo Valley.

 

[Pinko]

And as for these localization differences...

hate me if you will, but I like American D.J. Octavio better (if only because the American version is much more memorable.)

As everybody says. I happen to be the black sheep who likes EU over US.

 

[Globin347]

Well, I have no problems with you liking the EU version more.

I do, however, find it a little annoying that you disregard any idea originating in the North American version of the game as non cannon.

But we should get back to theorizing.

Paragon-Yoshi is right; under both currently supported models, the inklings have organs not made (entirely) of ink. If these were to be danaged, splatting wouldn't help.

I do, however, feel that because it involves destroying your body and trying to create a new one before you starve to death, dry out, or are ingested, splatting without a spawn point is too dangerous to be used as a medical tactic anyway.

I do not believe, by the way, that the ink composing an inkling's body (in the liquid model) is identical to the ink in their ink sacs; I assume that the ink composing the inklings has far more organic structure and mechanics (the ability to contract like muscles, blood vessels, etc.)

To repair these structures would require more than simply adding ink.

 

[aceofscarabs]

My fanon is that Inklings have a Core Squid inside their bodies, which are made from ink held together by some biochemical process. The Core squid is immune to water, but not their outer bodies.

 

[Globin347]

That is similar to the morpha theory Paragon proposed at the beginning of the thread.

So, out of curiosity, how does sunken scroll # 5 factor in to this?

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

(Another link to the scrolls, for convenience.)

 

[aceofscarabs]

This one? Clearly their core squid is interwoven into their head, with generous amounts of ink used to 'mold' the shape of their bodies. I imagine them using a kind of ink/cartilege analog for bones.

 

[Globin347]

Interesting... but what about the ink sac? Is that not part of the core squid?

 

[BlackZero]

So, in 13K years, squids evolved into non-comporeal life forms that "possess" and animate ink?

 

[Aromaiden]

Now I wish I was an Inkling; they sound so awesome.

 

[Globin347]

So, now that the morpha theory has been re-proposed, we have three models.
The solid, liquid, and morpha models.

 

[Flareth]

Wait, I'm a bit lost here... that's what happens when you get called away for work.

Let me see if I have this right...

"Solid:" The Inklings have a regular body, something like ours.
"Liquid:" The Inklings are made of solidified ink, which can liquefy under various circumstances.
"Morpha:" The Inklings are bio-mechas, with a squid/kid outer husk and an inner Core Squid controlling it.

Now I know that each summary is extremely barebones (and probably wrong), but I'm doing this to see if I've caught up with the thread properly. What am I missing here?

 

[BlackZero]

Solid Inkling, Liquid Inkling, and Solidus Inkling.

We will also be offering Inklings in tablets and chewables.

 

[Globin347]

Flareth:
You have the gist of it, although the inklings in the solid model can still liquify to turn into squid form...
But they aren't made of ink.

It is a little confusing, I can see.
the important things are that the solid and liquid models have internal organs much like ours (which may or may not be made of ink in the liquid model), and that the solid model won't dissolve in water. It just can't swim.

I am also beginning to see that these models are more like points on a continuum than completely separate entities.

...even I don't completely understand it, and I was the one who turned the various ideas into models in the first place.

Edit: I'm not taking credit for the ideas behind the models. I merely took related ideas other people had posted and combined them.