Gameplay Improvements to Side Order

[OnePotWonder]

I was originally going to make this another idea thread, but I feel like an open discussion is more befitting. What gameplay changes would you make to Side Order if you could? I have two main ideas.

First, I feel like they should make Marina's hacks palette-exclusive. The game becomes way too easy given the right hacks; Damage Up at max level is the same as starting the spire with all nine Ink Damage color chips, if not better. Making it so hacks need to be unlocked on each palette would stretch out the main content of the mode significantly, a marked improvement over being able to easily clear most of the palettes due to being carried by hacks.

The second change I'd like to see is more diversity for boss floors. I mean this in two ways. I think the 20F layouts of the three bosses' arenas should be different than the 10F versions. Specifically, more limiting; with less space, less cover, and less high ground. This would not only increase the difficulty of the 20F versions of the bosses, but also help make the spire feel less repetitive.

The main thing I'd like to see, however, is different layouts for the Control Room depending on which palette the player is using. This would make fighting Overlorder with each palette a unique challenge rather than just something to burn through at the end of each run. The main attraction would be the Control Room layout for Eight's palette, which would have three different spawn points for Overlorder, meaning the boss would change location between phases, and become exponentially harder as the fight went on. This change would not only mostly fix Overlorder as a boss, it would also fix Eight's palette as a final test.

One last minor change I would make is completely removing Danger. The only one to make the game feel more fun is Arpeggio Barrage. The rest are pathetically weak, only really affect certain builds or floors, or are Stronger Jelletons.

Feel free to share your own changes you'd like to see to Side Order.
Thank you for reading my thoughts, and have a wonderful day!

 

[Azhdarcho]

I like the idea of changing the boss room layouts. I think the biggest whiff was that there were only three bosses to begin with, but changing the floor layout would also offer some variety.

 

[Cephalobro]

I personally would've made it so there would be a checkpoint system in regards to going up the floors. And while the mode does have a checkpoint system of sorts, it ends up being rarely used because of how many Prlz it usually winds up costing. A checkpoint in the form of a hack you can get from Marina would've been the perfect way to keep it balanced, as it could just cost 500 Prlz and more to get it and its different tiers of it unlocked. It's a very convenient thing, but the player will have to work for it if they want that convenience, which all the more makes it balanced.

It would come in 2 tiers, one that would allow the player to continue after the 10th floor, and the second tier allowing the player to continue from the 20th floor. However, it would only be used on a run that a player has begun but lost. It wouldn't be active on a run that was completed. Not only that but Prlz would only be rewarded the first time during a checkpoint run. This allows the player to continue roughly where they left off without giving them an easy way to accumulate a lot of Prlzs by losing the runs on purpose.

 

[Forma]

First, I feel like they should make Marina's hacks palette-exclusive. ... Making it so hacks need to be unlocked on each palette would stretch out the main content of the mode significantly, a marked improvement over being able to easily clear most of the palettes due to being carried by hacks.

That'd definitely stretch out the content, but probably not in a good way. The other palettes are supposed to be the extra content - consider how demotivating it would be for a casual player who would get frustrated trying to grind prlz to get far enough in to unlock another palette that might give them a chance of getting to the end... only to realize they have to do the grind all over again. Even as someone who's good at the game, that just sounds like a gross, pointless grind to me.

The second change I'd like to see is more diversity for boss floors. I mean this in two ways. I think the 20F layouts of the three bosses' arenas should be different than the 10F versions. Specifically, more limiting; with less space, less cover, and less high ground. This would not only increase the difficulty of the 20F versions of the bosses, but also help make the spire feel less repetitive.

I'm in for this. I'm down for more bosses first and foremost, but what if there were multiple room layouts the game could pull from for these bosses? Standard layouts, smaller layouts, no cover layouts... I'm sure there's more creative potential there, too.

The main thing I'd like to see, however, is different layouts for the Control Room depending on which palette the player is using.

Wholeheartedly agreed with this whole section, no notes.

One last minor change I would make is completely removing Danger. The only one to make the game feel more fun is Arpeggio Barrage. The rest are pathetically weak, only really affect certain builds or floors, or are Stronger Jelletons.

I think danger floors are interesting in that they force you make a choice: take an immediate risk, or potentially suffer the consequences later. Some conditions only affecting certain builds or floors is enough for me to want them kept around - not knowing whether or not you'll suffer something potentially devastating or just something mildly annoying is exciting and creates tension. I do wish there were other conditions that more broadly affected seasoned players, though, since I'll admit most of them barely phase me at this point. Since I'm willing to do danger floors as soon as they pop up, I've never been close to experiencing the scenario the game posits where every floor you can choose is a danger floor, either. Perhaps the consequences of skipping a floor should be more severe so this situation comes up more in practice? There's got to be a balance, though, since if the penalty is too heavy that would really hurt casual players way more than it would hurt us.
How about new conditions to spice things up? I might return to post new ideas if anything interesting strikes me, but what about...

- Half Ink Tank - your maximum ink capacity is halved. Limited shots would probably be way too intense, so this would be a good compromise. I feel like you don't want to mess with the player's build too much since Side Order's main focus is on said building, so I'm not sure I'd go farther than this.
- Explosive Jelletons - Andantes detonate like Splat Bombs when they get close. For extra fun, maybe whenever a Lento rams into one, the timer starts and they detonate wherever they land.
- Difficulty up - that hard floor you selected is suddenly its rigorous variant. Expecting to play a turbine stage? Now it's the zones variant. Hope you built for that!
- Random floor - just what it says. This would probably substitute like difficulties (normal for normal, etc.), but it would combine especially deviously with difficulty up. Probably something you can only get on higher floors?
- Tougher layout - a boss floor exclusive one that would force one of the harder layouts on the player. Especially punishing if you opt not to do a danger floor early on.

Maybe there could be difficulty hacks to go along with a revamped system, too - one to turn them off entirely, and another to turn every floor into one in exchange for bonus prlz.

 

[Eel-Ectric]

Some Splatoon artists have had the idea of what if when you cleared a palette, you would fight a order-ified version of the owner.
I feel like that would help with how boring the Smollusk fight becomes after the second time and with giving more magnitude and importance to each palette clear.
I think that Side Order was also too small (?) if I make sense? I obviously don't expect a full game, but it seems small. Maybe more variety in color chips or rooms?

 

[isaac4]

I think that Side Order was also too small (?) if I make sense? I obviously don't expect a full game, but it seems small. Maybe more variety in color chips or rooms?

I get what you're saying and I agree.
I'm okay with repeating the same floors again and again but there isn't enough variety to make each run feel more unique.
I also think there should have been more weapon specific chips like giving Slosher multiple sloshes similar to Dread.

 

[Neko :D]

If you could choose your difficulty, that would be nice. I know that you basically already can, but what I mean is at the beginning it gives you an option between something like "Easy, Neutral, Challenging" Or something along those lines. Easy would mean lots of hacks and less enemies. Neutral, the way the game is played now. And challenging would be all the weapons are like eights palette <--- My idea of hell. But it would definitely change people's perspective of side order.

 

[isaac4]

Getting back on this topic, Wave Breaker and Splash Wall should not have been added to Side Order.
I could probably see a reason for why they would have wanted to add Wave Breaker even though it's better to just get any other special instead but Splash Wall??
I guess you could try using it to block a path but the time it takes to set up and with the amount of enemies there are in the higher floors it just won't give you much time to work with so I don't get it.
I also have a problem with some of the kits chosen for the Order weapons but that'll just start getting too off topic.

 

[OnePotWonder]

Getting back on this topic, Wave Breaker and Splash Wall should not have been added to Side Order.
I could probably see a reason for why they would have wanted to add Wave Breaker even though it's better to just get any other special instead but Splash Wall??
I guess you could try using it to block a path but the time it takes to set up and with the amount of enemies there are in the higher floors it just won't give you much time to work with so I don't get it.
I also have a problem with some of the kits chosen for the Order weapons but that'll just start getting too off topic.

No, I think criticizing the palette kits is perfectly valid. Particularly Eight’s. What’s the point of having a challenge palette if you give it one of if not the best main, sub, and special combo in the game?

 

[McSquid82]

No, I think criticizing the palette kits is perfectly valid. Particularly Eight’s. What’s the point of having a challenge palette if you give it one of if not the best main, sub, and special combo in the game?

I think it's because that might be true for multiplayer, Side Order is a single player mode. That's why they have a bunch of chips that would be game breaking in multiplayer, but not here. It's a way to have damage up, increased fire rate and all that other good stuff because the enemies you're fighting aren't Inklings or Octolings, but something else entirely. It helps level the playing field.

 

[OnePotWonder]

I think it's because that might be true for multiplayer, Side Order is a single player mode. That's why they have a bunch of chips that would be game breaking in multiplayer, but not here. It's a way to have damage up, increased fire rate and all that other good stuff because the enemies you're fighting aren't Inklings or Octolings, but something else entirely. It helps level the playing field.

My argument here is that Eight’s palette’s default kit is the strongest one in Side Order. If it wasn’t limited to only using so many hacks and colour chips, it’d definitely be the easiest to clear with.