Gameplay review and critque thread

[Maave]

You post it, we critique it! Record a couple of your Splatoon matches and we'll offer advice for upping your game.

General tips:
-Take a break! You play poorly when you're salty or sleepy.
-Mention your rank, so that somebody your rank or higher can respond

Most people don't have capture cards so here are some guidelines for recording with a camera
Camera recording tips:

Spoiler

-Make a stand for your phone or camera. I made mine from a macaroni box
-Minimum 480p please. 720p is good. 1080p is better but not required.
-Turn off image stabilization
-Avoid excess noise (pets, family members, etc)
-Avoid cursing. It's a family-friendly forum
-Avoid bright reflections on the screen. This isn't a big deal if the screen is still visible.
-Balance the light in the room. A dark room and bright TV can wash out the video.
-When the TV is black we might see you in the reflection. Look fresh (or wear a balaclava).

Uploading to YouTube:

Spoiler

Set the video to "unlisted".

I did some test uploads. These were done on a computer with fast internet (tested 93 Mbps down, 96 Mbps up) and a mediocre CPU (i3-3220T)

#1:
-6 minutes 45 seconds, 1080p 30fps, 828 megabytes
-upload time: 3 minute
-processing time: 6 minutes

#2:
-6 minutes, 1080p 30fps, 721 megabytes
-transcoded with handbrake: Fast 720p30 preset, 276 megabytes
-transcode time: 14 minutes
-upload time: 30 seconds
-processing time: 3 minutes

If you have slow upload speed:
-Record at lower resolution
-Clip out unneccessary bits with Movie Maker or iMovie or whatever.

Trancoding with handbrake - reduce file size for faster upload
https://handbrake.fr/
If you have slow upload speed you can transcode (compress) the video first to reduce file size.
Install and run Hanbrake, select the original video file, set a Destination File, select one of the Presets, then Start Encode. Try the "Fast 720p30" preset or "Fast 480p30" for even slower internet. If you have an old/weak CPU try the "VeryFast" presets. My mediocre i3-3220T CPU transcoded from the original 1080p video to Fast 720p in 14 minutes.

Giving advice:
-Constructive criticism, not destructive. Point out flaws and offer better alternatives
-If something is unclear, ask your own question:
--Squad or Solo?
--Scrim / Tourney?
--Weapons on each team?
-Use time stamps when referencing longer videos, there can be more than one time the player "grabs the rainmaker".
-If you need to use another source to explain something better, please keep it on topic.

 

[Maave]

This is an experimental thread. Post suggestions if you have them.

todo:
-'giving advice' section. HALP
-Talking: do we want to hear the player, should they say aloud what they're thinking?
-examples for good and bad video quality. I'll have some in a few days

 

[Magic8Ball]

For the "Giving Advice" section here is what I can come up with.
-Remember to give constrictive criticism and not destructive. If you don't have anything nice to say then keep your mouth SHUT.
-Don't be afraid to ask your own questions to better understand the circumstances of a clip or game, including but not limited to:
--Squad or Solo?
--Scrim / Tourney?
--Weapons on each team?
-Be sure to use specific time stamps when referencing longer videos, there can be more than one time when the person in question "grabs the rainmaker".
-If you need to use another source to explain something better, then please keep it on topic.

Obviously things can be added or taken away that's just a starting point.

 

[RelicRaider]

I like the strategy of flushing someone out with a bomb into your line of sight, I think I'll use that one next time I grab suction bombs or splat bombs, I tend to use them in scaring people away or tricking those that come around corners too quickly. Other than that, one of the most recent things I learnt was keeping the 'squid button' held at practically all times, just so you can keep shooting and ducking, and in a firefight you can duck away and either escape or get round to a side they're not expecting you.

 

[Fullmental]

OK, I'll bite and be first guinea pig in terms of uploading content. Just recorded two quick solo ranked matches a few minutes ago, been jumping a bit between A- and B+ currently, but can't quite stay in A- at the moment:

Spoiler: Gameplay Footage

Never mind my apparent inability to judge an inkstrike radius to avoid getting splatted in tight quarters...

EDIT: Oh, and may as well throw some context in here. This was me about 1.5 weeks ago when I was completely new to ranked:

Spoiler: I wasn't as good back then

 

[Magic8Ball]

OK, I'll bite and be first guinea pig in terms of uploading content. Just recorded two quick solo ranked matches a few minutes ago, been jumping a bit between A- and B+ currently, but can't quite stay in A- at the moment:

Spoiler: Gameplay Footage

Never mind my apparent inability to judge an inkstrike radius to avoid getting splatted in tight quarters...

EDIT: Oh, and may as well throw some context in here. This was me about 1.5 weeks ago when I was completely new to ranked:

Spoiler: I wasn't as good back then

Okay first thing, don't worry about painting spawn at the beginning just paint a path and go straight to the zone. Even if you do have Inkstrike it fills up pretty fast on its own without turfing spawn.
At 0:52 - it was a nice kill and you did some good sharking (hiding in wait of an enemy), but in the bigger picture you overextended and that's what caused you to suffer from a death afterwards. Another way you could have avoided death was to see that the sprinkler was there and that there were ripples coming from the wall. It's a hard thing to be aware of and I'm not great at it, but if you had seen the ripples or checked where the sprinkler was you could've at least traded with the squid. Also, I can see that you didn't Splatterdash when you were in enemy ink, but I think you do it later on.
At 1:34 - Yeah there really wasn't much you could do there. You tried painting the zone from a safe distance, which is good, and you got a kill in the process, so in the end it was the right choice.
At 2:10 - Debatable whether or not you should've used the Inkstrike, but I couldn't see the map so maybe there was a lot of enemy ink. However, your team was at a squid advantage at that point (and the third one had only just respawned) so I think it would've been better to hold onto it.
At 2:20 - At that point you shouldn't have gone to the side of their spinner. Your position was just bad as you weren't behind any cover and could easily be fired on. You should have retreated toward your side of the zone or behind the statue. Also during the firefight, you should have retreated towards the statue and not to a spot where you were easily cornered (although I'm sure you could see that). You had a hard time following your opponent based on their movement, so instead of fighting up close try and keep the spacing between you and your opponent as even as possible. Firefights in Splatoon aren't just standoffs, there is a lot of movement involved so try Splatterdashing or jumping to lessen your chances of getting shot.
At 3:15 - Again, overextending for kills. The Inkstrike didn't matter at that point since there was another Squid waiting to shoot you anyways.
At 4:20 (GOTTEM) - Another overextension. Not only that, but before this there were enemies not only in zone but taking it, so while taking an opponent out would help, it's better to stay to the side and contest the zone with a very good turfing weapon like the N-Zap. Also OFFENSIVE SPRINKLER I CHOOSE YOU.
At 5:02 - That was just greedy ;p Maybe you didn't see the N-Zap on the other team but he was visible before you decided to squid in, and if you didn't see him then I understand why you got caught in that fight. But again, Splatterdashing is very useful in situations like these.
Other than that it was a very solid win. You seem to do well with praying on your opponents who are unaware and you have a very offensive playstyle, one that seems to suite the Tentatek or a Carbon better, but if you like the N-Zap then keep on keeping on. Your Sprinkler placements could have been slightly better so just think before the match about where the best sprinkler would be for that specific zone. Like I said before, in straight up firefights you have trouble winning out but that just takes practice. Honestly I thought it was solid gameplay. You had good kills and were pretty aware of the objective except for a few points. Although in this match since your teammates were mostly good turfing weapons, I could see why your offensive presence helped. Keep climbing mate.
I can't do the second game right now sorry :/

 

[Fullmental]

Interesting analysis, thank you. I'll respond to a bit of what you mentioned with some of my thought processes behind my decisions and play style, so you can see where I'm coming from and perhaps offer further suggestions:

Spoiler

Unfortunately I do overextend for kills and can get greedy, and it's something I try to work on constantly. When I get too greedy, it leads to a lot of <1 K/D's and can throw me into a losing streak until I change something up. I also tend to get aggressive because when I don't, we tend to get overrun and then we're playing catch up all game long, particularly when my team doesn't seem to be very focused on the objectives. What I've been doing recently is trying the .52 gal in certain maps and even the luna blaster/nozzlenose in some turf wars to try and get a better feel for accurate, sure kills. Because of the weapon's relatively quick 2-3 hit kill but slow fire rate (or 1 hit kill but SUPER SLOW fire rate and short range on the luna), it forces me to think a bit more before pulling the trigger. I think the patience I learn from these weapons can translate to the n-zap (and almost anything else really), improving my skill over time, but it is a slow process because I'm not good with these in ranked, so it's always turf wars right now.

I'm not a fan of the tentakek though, it just doesn't seem accurate enough for me and there's no real advantage except maybe the burst bomb/inkstrike combo, and I am not a fan of the rollers much anymore either.

You mentioned a few situations where I put myself in danger and get splatted. In the video, one or two of the kills are followed by deaths where I do see the second enemy, but by that point I feel I am committed and need to engage, or I will get chased into a corner and splatted anyway. I don't always feel this way, but in this particular map I do. The problem with the museum map is there's only so far to retreat before you run into a wall (literally), and you get boxed in. This means I try to take any chance I can get to increase zone coverage. In fact you see this happen with one of the inkstrikes during that match, I have nowhere to go and get boxed into the corner and splatted. If I have a choice between trading on an early engagement and getting double or triple teamed, or fall victim to a special in a corner 5 seconds later, I try to go for the trade.

As far as inking at first goes, I do that for any match on nearly any map when using the N-Zap or similar. I've actually been told by many, many S rank players to keep doing this when I have a good inking weapon, and I've been told by many, many S rank players that it helps nothing. It's a very polarizing matter from what I can tell. Personally, I'm of the belief that it provides myself and teammates more options and ambiguity to formulate an attack after getting splatted or losing the zone, without worrying about specific paths that might get ambushed. Because I run a lot of swim speed and run speed, and because the N-Zap has such a quick movement rate while firing, I can ink for a few seconds early and still get to the objective only a step or two behind the team, plus I get a head start on my special, so I don't see much of a downside to this. When I rush straight for the objective with the N-Zap, I'm usually the first to be splatted on the team which helps no one.

@2:10: Inkstrike was to help out a teammate that was being engaged by two enemies, if memory serves. One had been splatted a few seconds before. Impossible to see without the gamepad, I think. The second mystery inkstrike was one I sort of started it then realized I had no good target, but since you can't stop the special I had to use it anyway. I just went for the enemy camp and hoped it would buy time while they re-ink, or maybe even splat someone.

 

[Maave]

OK, I'll bite and be first guinea pig in terms of uploading content. Just recorded two quick solo ranked matches a few minutes ago, been jumping a bit between A- and B+ currently, but can't quite stay in A- at the moment:

Spoiler: Gameplay Footage

Never mind my apparent inability to judge an inkstrike radius to avoid getting splatted in tight quarters...

Thanks! Not bad gameplay at all dude.

1st game:
The main thing I'd improve on is walking into enemy ink. A few of the deaths from the first game were caused by getting into enemy ink. If you want to ink the area, do it from your own ink so that you have an escape route. If you want to travel through (to run or make a sneaky kill), make a line and then travel through. If you want to ink+travel (in an area that you believe is safe) I think the quickest/cleanest way is to strafe for a second to make a wide path that's fully covered, then move to the front of the path and repeat.

2nd game:
Pretty good initial rush, I can't think of anything that would have prevented that first splat.
At 7:45 - three teammates are bunched up in one spot. Spread out a little so you can watch the flank and avoid getting group-splatted by a special. Since it's solo queue you'll have to move yourself, can't rely on teammates noticing the bunch-up. The inkstrike right after was just unlucky, I could see you were caught between incoming enemies and the inkstrike.
At 8:40 - Be cautious there, since somebody just exploded. It's hard to see if it's friend or foe but better safe than sorry. Enemies may be close by. And then don't run into the enemy ink.
At 9:15 - your attack worked but it was risky. They had the ink advantage and the sniper has his range - a deadly combo.

...........
Obviously things can be added or taken away that's just a starting point.

thanks. I've shortened the wording slightly and added these to the main post

I like the strategy of flushing someone out with a bomb into your line of sight, I think I'll use that one next time I grab suction bombs or splat bombs, I tend to use them in scaring people away or tricking those that come around corners too quickly. Other than that, one of the most recent things I learnt was keeping the 'squid button' held at practically all times, just so you can keep shooting and ducking, and in a firefight you can duck away and either escape or get round to a side they're not expecting you.

I need to work on the corners myself. I devised the 'bomb flush' move when I learned the Custom Range Blaster. I couldn't aim very well so I'd toss then blast - one or the other would hit the enemy. Turns out it works with other weapons as well. You'll want some ink saver (either one work)

 

[Green Waffles]

@Fullmental
SPREENKLOR WEHPAWN
I can't resist <3

My qualifications for giving advice are I'm S-S+ inkbrush user ( i use all three but the regular is my most used ) I have a highschool diplomma, and I once walked into a killer wail while trying to deploying an inkstrike. My work experience includes...

I'll do my best to keep this brief, as you've gotten a nice bit of feedback already xP
- Use sprinklers more! They are essentially an extra half a squid, the catch is obviously it's a dumb as dirt squid who stands in place and just shoots ink in a circle, so you have to put him somewhere seemingly safe. I'll spoiler a short list of sprinkler tips further down the post.
- Discretion when extending for a kill. Admitetly feels a bit nit-picky of me, but there were a few times where I noticed you backed up or went in when I would have done the opposite( however, most of the time I was in accord with your splat timing)
***2:48 you spooked the roller nicely, it was unlikely he would turn around to fight back if you charged at him. But what I noticed along with the roller booty was a delicious inkstrike dessert. I would have tried for the double splat as soon as I saw the roller was retreating, the bamboo was behind their propeller after the inkstrike, and the other guy was helpless with his inkstrike out and pants around his ankles. Again, nit-picky because you did still get the inkstriking dude, just that I think you could have slain the roller too.
***7:18 I noticed that extra ripple of the other squid as you where crossing to the other zone to splat the roller. I would have shot where the ripples stopped before charging in after the roller(but then again the other shooter's accuracy wasn;t spot on so maaaybe he would have missed and you'd get a double)
-----there might be one or two other spots I might have acted differently(as far as extending for a splat) but those were the only 2 that really stuck out. So TLDR on that..... practice watching the ink ripples, you can even see someone using ninja squid if you know what to look for ;P

-last one is that problem you have acouple times with inkstrikes. No shame coming from me, I have walked into more than my fair share of killer wails and inkstrikes right in my face, in plain sight. I can't help it, I guess they entrance me or something xP
BUT I'll offer a couple tips that have helped me *ahem* curb the malady. FIRST keep an ear on yer tv, sometimes you can somewhat hear which direction a nearby hazard is flying in from, even if you can't see the inkstrike landing reticle. And SECOND, over-estimate the affected area. I really felt your pain with that inkstrike on flounder heights... I've been in that EXACT scenario a few times, I usually end up jumping down to avoid it, if it's even slightly closer than the exact middle of the zone.

BLECH, I still made it long xP well, hopefully you find it helpful.

Spoiler: Sprinkler tips from a sub-o-holic

-Place sprinklers on ANY wall facing away from your enemies' primary line of fire. for reference, the wall just below their propeller but before the zone on museum is one great spot. Just be mindful that your sprinkler does have a bit of a stick-out for its hitbox. SO if you put the sprinkler too close to an edge, the enemy can still destroy it without have to extend out of a safe position.
-the can be a great camper annoyance, this is a great strategy against any opponent who has a nice cozy spot where they will shot ink for over half the match, especially effective against chargers, scoped chargers, or beakon users(right after they place it, throw it right on or next to their beakon, it will most likely destroy the beakon, ink up their hidey hole, and maybe even shoot em' a bit)
- I could write a short guide on sprinklers <3 so 'll leave it their to spare you.

 

[RelicRaider]

Good work, you could be a solid A or A+ player. I'm only an A rank myself at the minute, but I've been getting a lot more wins lately so I'm perhaps improving. The one thing I'd ask is high is your sensitivity when playing the N Zap? I noticed a couple of times in firefight smother enemies outpaced you when moving and firing, and that's something that only gets worse the further you go on. I have mine on 3.5 currently (1.5 for chargers) but I'm thinking of pushing it up to 4.

 

[Fullmental]

Thank you. The sensitivity is set at -1.5, anything else is too sensitive to me because it introduces jitter. Whether a result of my less than steady hands or my gamepad, I don't really know for sure. I can make fast movements with the gamepad fine and can rotate 180 just fine, I just tend to under-adjust against more mobile opponents when shooting.

 

[Ansible]

I should have made notes last night during our twin session, but that's hindsight for ya. At the same time though, I rather not give you a grocery list of improvements.

However, I'll just give you this: I noticed in your trades and almost-won-but-got-splatted-instead engagements you hardly moved at all or mostly stood in place like a redshirt extra in a sci-fi shootout. I'm guessing that's to steady your aim but it also makes you a stationary target. I say it's okay if you have the advantage over someone, yet not so much when they're fighting back.

Meanwhile, when you weren't being recklessly aggressive you had the right tactic for an occasion, such as dropping inkstrikes to keep the other team at bay or attacking the same enemy from a different direction. =)

 

[Fullmental]

Hi, thanks for weighing in! I never really noticed that point before but now that you've said it I do see that. I'll have to work on moving around more for future matches, especially when using high mobility weapons like the N-Zap and similar.

 

[jaddasroots]

Nice supportive thread! Would love to help out with giving any tips or advice w/ chargers/dynamos ^^

 

[Fullmental]

So, kind of disappointed to see no one else tried to post here, but since I recently got into S rank I figured maybe I'd post another video. This one's from a stream I was doing today with the Zink Mini Splatling, so there's some commentary on it that occasionally explains my thoughts on kills/deaths, and I'm curious to hear what some other veteran players would have to say about my play. Any advice?

 

[Magic8Ball]

So, kind of disappointed to see no one else tried to post here, but since I recently got into S rank I figured maybe I'd post another video. This one's from a stream I was doing today with the Zink Mini Splatling, so there's some commentary on it that occasionally explains my thoughts on kills/deaths, and I'm curious to hear what some other veteran players would have to say about my play. Any advice?

Not home at the moment soooo can't really get to it right now :/ but rest assured that I'll get to it! Thanks for reviving the thread tbh XD

 

[Ansible]

@Fullmental, CONGRATULATIONS on your rank up!!

(We should squad again some time)

Here's three major things I've kept noticing. They're not necessarily bad habits outright, they can in fact become a strong part of your playstyle if properly harnessed. But currently they're untamed and get you into trouble:

• Habitually and repeatedly going into melee range
• When you get hit confirm but don't splat, you tunnel vision and immediately chase after your prey no matter the circumstances
• Not always being aware of your surroundings/situation when over extending or charging into the fray

 

[vanille987]

I would like to post a video here tbh, but never got the chance to get the tools to record game play on my wiiu...

(Once splatoon 2 releases and the switch gets the update to record game play, i definitely post here though!)

 

[Ansible]

In all honesty, I severely doubt the Switch will get any recording feature anytime within 2018... if at all. ^^;

You may end up considering a capture. Or consider using an already available digital camera, video camera, or smart phone for recording. May not be classy or "professional" but with trial-and-error you can get the job done. Especially if you just need to critique yourself and little more.

 

[Maave]

Oh yeah I don't expect anybody to have a capture card. A camera in front of the TV is good enough for this kind of critique.
I'll check Fullmetal's in a bit, been bussssy lately.