Fixing Ink Vac's Identity Crisis

[OnePotWonder]

There are a few weapons in Splatoon 3 that just... don't really work as weapons. Their identities don't mesh with their stats. Glooga Dualies are supposed to be a high-damage slayer, but the slow dodge rolls they have to execute to access their maximum damage give them too much startup time before they can actually start slaying. Recycled Brella has a tighter spread than other brellas to make it easier for the weapon to land maximum damage at a distance, and a contradictory shield with low HP and fast launch speed, forcing the weapon to close the gap to its opponents in order to stay protected.

These main weapon flaws are fairly easy to notice and understand. Parts of the weapons that hinder their greatest strengths. There is one other weapon that significantly suffers from a self-sabotaging identity, though. You can already guess from the title, it's the special weapon Ink Vac.

Ink Vac's dilemma isn't nearly as clear as other weapons because it's so clearly defined by the incompatible half of its identity. Ink Vac is known for its suction effect, a short-range tool to support teammates and cripple enemies that encourages the various back- and midline weapons the special is on to move forward and take space for their team. Then you have the second half of the special; its skill shot. The attack with the longest potential range in the entire game, that leaves the special user a sitting duck while it's being aimed and fired. Your reward for supporting your team up close with Ink Vac's vacuum is an attack that's strongest at extreme distance. Hence the identity crisis. Ink Vac is both a short-range special, and a long-range special.

There are a few ways to fix Ink Vac's crisis, but I only care about the best and easiest one. Ink Vac struggles because it's a special that leaves the user incredibly vulnerable and its only self-defense capability is the skill shot it's supposed to use at a distance. Historically, how have other slow, vulnerable special weapons kept their users alive while they're being used? Look at Trizooka, Crab Tank, Sting Ray, Inkzooka, what do they all have in common that Ink Vac doesn't? Range. Ridiculously long range.

Ink Vac

Length of suction cone increased by 50%-80%​

Maximum radius of suction cone reduced from 3.3 to 2 units​

A big part of Ink Vac's identity is being a short-range special that forces long-range weapons to move forward, but that conceptually does not work. A long range weapon will not synergize with a vulnerable short-range special, it will only serve as a handicap. You don't see any true backline weapons with Ultra Stamp or Reefslider for a good reason. Ink Vac should embrace the identity of a long-range special by having actually decent range on its suction effect, letting it support teammates from its snipe on defense, and stay at a safe distance while supporting its team during a push. Then, to compensate for the longer AoE, it also becomes narrower, giving the special the same amount of power when targeting a single enemy or teammate, but reducing its collateral impact.
Additionally,

...

Enemies in the suction cone cannot deal damage with rush attacks​

Splatana weapons in the suction cone cannot dash forward when performing a charged slash​

Suction effect moved forward to no longer protect the user against attacks from the sides​

The special should not be especially vulnerable to rush attacks. Much less hard countered by them like it is now. An enemy targeted by the vacuum should be rendered useless regardless of class. It's the same reasoning as making Ultra Stamp's hitbox protect properly against shooters and chargers. And yes, the dash nullification is specifically a nerf to Decavitator since it could theoretically dash past the Ink Vac user to splat them from behind. I could fill a post with the number of changes targeted against that weapon I would want to see, but I digress. To compensate for the fix against rush attack weapons, Ink Vac's suction hitbox will no longer unrealistically protect the user from flank attacks.

Feel free to discuss any thoughts you have on Ink Vac in this thread.
Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day.

 

[LemonBoy]

I like that it's not possible to splatana/slider/stamp dash kill vac, though I personally think that vac should just be invinsible, or have high HP armor while in suction mode. It shouldn't apply when the suction mode is done, or while swimming. And maaayyybeee increasing strafe speed, though I haven't played vac in a while, so I don't know how fast it is already. I do like your changes to it tho

 

[OCTöHEAD]

would be cool if it would suck and you saw it get more full and start bulging and then suddenly erupting with a big *** inksplosion

 

[isaac4]

I don't have a lot to add here but I do like this reworked version of Ink Vac that you've come up with.
The idea of a special incentivizing a backline weapon to move closer with their team doesn't seem terrible in concept but they definitely failed with Ink Vac and haven't made a real effort to address the main issues with the special either.
I still think that Vac shouldn't have too much range just for how that might play out in an actual match on a smaller map and because the vulnerability of the special that you gave it becomes less important if Charger can reliably use it around the main weapon's range.
There should still be some incentive to move in closer than the main weapons typically would but not to the same extent as it currently is.
I also don't normally have any issues with what the splatana weapon class is able to do but I do agree that in this specific case, taking away their ability to completely invalidate Vac is a good thing.
Overall, these are good changes which could be more annoying to fight against than how I'm currently envisioning them but the special deserves to at least be functional.