I forgot to ask another question, have you been exposed to Discord and various Splatoon servers on it?
For the most part, the majority of the competitive community are active on Discord, so seeing it could be insightful.
Two I would recommend are:
Inkademy:
https://discord.gg/9YYw842
You can see other players discussing things about the game (and about Splatoon 2). You can ask question
LFG (Looking For Games) Server:
https://discord.gg/svuhsdU
Personally I've been looking, but there's not much out there for an unproven A- player that's done ranked for all of 2-3 weeks. I'm in a casual play group but we don't really team up and play competitive style matches. The reason I'd like to join one though is to try to learn to coordinate with and read other players. While it can be a rewarding experience to play with a Discord group or something, I also think it can help me glean some info on my team's strategies in solo ranked too, up to a point.
Don't worry, there's no rush, you can do so when you're ready. I'm sure there are those who would be willing to accept you on their team now as well.
I'm apparently a lone wolf. I mean, I enjoy playing with friends and other people, prefer it actually, but every time I've joined a group it died, exploded, or turned me off.
Yea, new teams and such can be unstable environment. It's kind of like applying for a job lol.
It can be discouraging, but don't give up. You can start by just finding people to squad with regularly. Could use the SquidBoards Shoutbox, or use the LFG Discord server I linked to above to find people to squad with.
I'm on a semi-competitive squad and enjoy it. It's nice having people to chat with or make strategies with during games, as well as having reliable people that can squad with you whenever. Not only that but tournaments are a blast, we've only ever been in one so far but when we won our first set we were ecstatic, not just because we won but because we did it as a team and as a group of good friends.
Glad you're having a good time! It is a thrilling experience, especially when shared with others.
I'm a free squid. XD haven't touched a team and don the plan to til I can become a reliable enough player. Upon thinking of some of my moves in ranked battles I tend to be a real loose cannon, it gets me a brilliant K/D rate when everything goes well, but it can get me in situations difficult to escape from too. When I sit back and defend I win a fair amount in solo queue but my contributions aren't all that much. I'm still finding a good middle ground. When I do, that's when I may see if anyone's interested in squadding.
I think that's a nice goal to go for before squadding with others. Hope you can find that middle ground and squad with others soon.
I've had interest in joining a team for a while, but I'd like to have the ability to consistently stay in S+ first. Since pretty much every competitive team I see is full of S+ 99 squids, I feel like I'd be a hinderance or a let down to them otherwise. I'm also fearful of the team just dying, becoming inactive, etc.
Not every team has S+99 players only. There are many teams with C- ranked players, although not as well known as some of those teams you see with S+99 players, but they still are a team and hopefully are having a fun time. Your rank shouldn't dictate whether you join a team or not (though it does play a role in what team you can join).
Yea, the fear of a team dying and stuff is natural, and can be upsetting if you get attached to the players/team, but it's not over even if that happens!
Was once trying out for a team that didn't really jibe with my style...so I helped to found my own team, instead! We're the Watch Me Whiprays, and we've been around for a bit over a year now...only 7 members currently, but we're super fun, casual, and friendly with each other. I've loved every moment with my team! :D
Nice! Glad you're having a great time with your team.
I've been considering joining a squad but I was talking to a few of my ultra competitive S+99 friends and it's terrifyingly serious. I was turned off to competitive gaming when I started getting into competitive Pokémon but realized how amazingly time consuming and intensive it all is. Also, I'm a sore loser. Any form of intensive competition is something I want to avoid. As cool as it would be to be an amazingly skilled player on a renowned squad, it's just not for me.
Yea, if competitive gaming isn't for you, then it's fine, but you can join a team that isn't all about competitive Splatoon. Just playing together for fun and enjoying the game is nice.
Frankly, I'll probably never be on a competitive team just because I don't have time for that. There are teenagers and "pros" who play their game of choice 16 hours a day. Having family, a job, friends, and a bunch of other hobbies means I just can't compete in that regard.
I don't think anyone plays for that long (hopefully not, that sounds pretty unhealthy), but you are right in that some people play for many hours per day. I guess if you are aiming for the very top, having a busy life can make it difficult to reach that goal.
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Sorry that I come across as trying to make you join teams and such, it's just a fun experience, competitive or casual. But you do not have to listen to me on that regard, it's okay if you feel otherwise.
Although, you don't necessarily have to join a team to partake in the competitive community, you can discuss the competitive scene, watch tournaments/teams on Twitch and etc.
Thank you all for responding, I really appreciate it.