Now that I made my general impressions video I can actually type a response to this thread!
Controls and movement
So first things first I'd like to point out I think the controls were great. I didn't utilize Y to recenter my reticle much but probably should have. But every other action seemed to be mapped to the perfect button. I'm unsure if the developers will support custom button layouts but I don't really see myself changing it even if they do. It felt natural switching in between squid and kid form after a couple games. I had gyro controls off because off where I sit in correlation to my television (made it a bit difficult at the angle from my desk) and found because of the WiiU tablet being larger than other controllers I've used before I was most comfortable at the lowest sensitivity (-5 I think it was). All in all this game feels very fast paced and just getting around the map is a blast.
Maps and Turfwar Strategies
We only had two maps in the GTF but both played very differently for the given gametype Turfwar. While on Walleye Warehouse it was simplified to keeping the enemy pushed back and watch your flanks, Saltspray Rig is a prime example of a map I wish I had voice communications. As the Direct on 5.7.15 suggested, if you're not careful, an enemy team can snag a victory using the bottom portion if you just focus on the top and vice versa. Another thing I wanted to point out about Turfwar in general, while the objective is to have the most floor covered with your team's ink, I think it should be prioritized to paint over enemy ink than find unmarked turf in most situations. The same amount of BP is acquired and you are disrupting the enemies total BP. While this isn't ALWAYS the best case, it is something to keep in mind post launch.
Online Connectivity and Netplay
I admit because i hadn't played the game myself I was worried about lag. But the GTF quelled these concerns. In game I not once experienced any lag to the point I forgot I was playing an online game. I did run into maybe 5 or seven connection errors while matchmaking, but most of the time downtime between games ranged from only about 20-40 seconds on average. I think this is awesome considering every match I finished I just wanted to jump back into the action. So giving the option to queue back up from past game stats is a great feature in my opinion.
Weapons and Loadouts
While first instinct is to scalpel out the 'worst' weapons and put everything in tiers, keep in mind the final build of the game has custom loadouts with various Ability modifiers on the gear we equip. This can change how effective a weapon is compared to how it performed in the GTF. So I can't say what I think is the best. I can however say I believe every weapon has general strengths and weaknesses, but Roller and the Shooters were highly effective in Turfwar.
This does not mean I think Roller is overpowered in the slightest. The only thing I think needs to adjusted with the roller is how quickly they can fill their special meter. An example I saw in a match was a roller was able to acquire their Killer Wail only a few seconds into the game without entering the center playing field. I think it should take roller a a bit more BP before using the specials or Kraken/Roller looping could turn into an issue (worst case hypothetical scenario).
I do think the Charger is not that strong in Turfwar because it ends up playing a supportive role. You can paint entire small hallways and lengths with one charge and your ink refills very quickly (or at least in that loadout it did), but it has real trouble because of the charge time and the range actually being shorter than projected. To call this weapon a Sniper I think is a misconception. it's more of a scouting rifle because focusing on hunting enemies with it guarantees low BP and most likely a loss.
Overall I think the customization in the loadouts are really going to play an important role in determining what is "good" and what is "bad" after May 29th.
Other stuff
Initially I thought the games were too short at three minutes, but after a few matches I realized what the short time limit did was cause a sense of urgency. Every second I felt I had to be pushing, painting and moving because that second couldn't be spared doing nothing. But I believe Ranked Splat Zone time limit is a bit longer, as it should be since it's more central objective focused rather than all over the map. I really wish there was an option to adjust sensitivity in game, but this is a minor gripe. My impressions of the game itself have been very positive, more than expected. I hope to see you guys in 19 days. And remember I will see you on the canvas!
Video and Gameplay for those interested....
