How Would You Balance Splatoon 2?

[Cerebralbore101]

Good thing i didnt suggest anything that would make the game boring, then. believe me, i know too many nerfs make things boring. (was roadhog main)

Luckily Nintendo is better at balancing than Blizzard. Too many nerfs just make the one thing that wasn't nerfed OP.

 

[Ryuji]

Stingray needs to be buffed. Not damage-wise but the beam definitely needs to be wider. Also, the thermal image of the opponents needs to be able to detect them whenever and wherever they are and not just when you hit them with it. It's hard getting a splat if you dont know where the enemy is. Lastly, let us use sub-weapons when using it.

Autobombs needs to be more visible. The darn things are so small you cant even see them. I suggest that it has a laser locking on to you so you know it's there, similar to the Grillers in Salmon Run.

Clash Blaster. For a weapon that fires so rapidly it sure doesn't do a good job of inking. Make it better at inking please.

Dualies need a tad more range. Being on par with the Splattershot I think would be a fair change.

 

[Danku]

Dualies need a tad more range. Being on par with the Splattershot I think would be a fair change.

I think buffing the dualies to be Splattershot range would make the Splattershot completely obsolete. More ink coverage, mobility options, quicker ttk with dodge roll -> shoot, the only advantage the splattershot would have is accuracy and a 3 shot splat.

 

[Green Waffles]

Western Competitive seems to have all but dropped chargers, which I'm fairly certain is a result of the combination of range nerf, subs/specials they have, and the fact that ink armor is the greatest barricade for chargers.

You miss a shot(or have it blocked by ink armor) and bang, the opponent you just missed is already in your face since your maximum range is shorter. If chargers do not get buffed, I don;t think they'll completely disappear, but it will be a rarity, and the rare few you'll see in tournament top teams will be tap-shot gods.

If they got their range back I'm sure they;d be fine xP, no more damage up stacking so full charges are there only way to splat you from full health, and having ink armor means you can charge in fearlessly for at least 5 seconds.

 

[Danku]

Western Competitive seems to have all but dropped chargers, which I'm fairly certain is a result of the combination of range nerf, subs/specials they have, and the fact that ink armor is the greatest barricade for chargers.

You miss a shot(or have it blocked by ink armor) and bang, the opponent you just missed is already in your face since your maximum range is shorter. If chargers do not get buffed, I don;t think they'll completely disappear, but it will be a rarity, and the rare few you'll see in tournament top teams will be tap-shot gods.

If they got their range back I'm sure they;d be fine xP, no more damage up stacking so full charges are there only way to splat you from full health, and having ink armor means you can charge in fearlessly for at least 5 seconds.

Wait, chargers got hit with range nerfs? when?

 

[Hero of Lime]

Western Competitive seems to have all but dropped chargers, which I'm fairly certain is a result of the combination of range nerf, subs/specials they have, and the fact that ink armor is the greatest barricade for chargers.

You miss a shot(or have it blocked by ink armor) and bang, the opponent you just missed is already in your face since your maximum range is shorter. If chargers do not get buffed, I don;t think they'll completely disappear, but it will be a rarity, and the rare few you'll see in tournament top teams will be tap-shot gods.

If they got their range back I'm sure they;d be fine xP, no more damage up stacking so full charges are there only way to splat you from full health, and having ink armor means you can charge in fearlessly for at least 5 seconds.

Everything you've said is true, but I think there may be a bit more to it. I really feel like a lot of the maps we have so far are not friendly to chargers. Sure, there are good perches for them to get on and shoot to their heart's content, but the maps have so many factors that allow short range weapons to get the drop on chargers without them knowing it. Now this is the totally not biased shorter and mid ranged player that I am, (・ω<) but I think it makes for less instances where one skilled charger can hold down the middle of the map against a team that can't reach it.

Just out of curiosity, you specifically talked about the western competitive scene, are they far more commonly used by Japanese players in Splatoon 2?

 

[GearWax]

It isnt a panic button, the start up is to prevent it from being an "OH GOD IM BEING SHOT AT SPLASHDOWNNNNN phew, got em, that was close"

I tend to use splashdown for 3 things- panic button, surprise attack tool, and a safe super jump. Maybe then instead of speeding it up make you invincible during the startup? YES, I know that Bubbler and Kraken were removed for a reason, but this would be so brief it wouldn't even matter much.

Other buffs:
96 gal needs to get its 62 damage back. Now that defense up is gone, it wouldn't be seen as a weapon to negate defense up.

Aerospray needs a fire speed nerf STAT. It's WAY too overused.

Slosher is much better in 2 but I don't see many people playing it. Decreasing special charge could make it more appealing.

Dualies..... holy crap, they get WAY too much of an edge from the roll. I've gotten 21 kills with them on Splat Zones purely because of the roll. They should probably nerf the post-roll fire rate,

Chargers need a charge time buff because I don't see them nearly as much and it's clear they've gotten some sort of nerf.

Stop pissing on brushes. They're great combat tools if used right. Damage buff for them would bring out their combat skills more.

Clash blaster is pretty much by def worse than Luna. Range boost?

Goo tuber is impractical because storing charge really isn't that helpful. A range buff could make it more viable.

Finally, roller vertical swings need to be tied to L or A. It baffles me that it isn't.

 

[calamaro]

Buff the damage on the N-Zap. That is all. Well fix the stingray also.

 

[Danku]

I tend to use splashdown for 3 things- panic button, surprise attack tool, and a safe super jump. Maybe then instead of speeding it up make you invincible during the startup? YES, I know that Bubbler and Kraken were removed for a reason, but this would be so brief it wouldn't even matter much.

but youre already invincible when youre descending. the vulnerability when youre ascending is what makes it balanced imo

 

[Green Waffles]

@Hero of Lime Very true, the maps are definately more open, which leaves more avenues for attack and retreats, chargers should have acute map awareness to begin with, so knowing when to retreat shouldn't be an issue, and now neither should having their only escape route blocked either (barring MAD flanx brah! ;P) When the charger starts tunneling for a splat(pun intended) that is the prime time to punish their arrogance with INK STAINS

And sadly, I do not now at all what the JP scene is like now. I'm not tapped into their tournament loop at all (and I don't know half a lick of japanese anyways x_x ) But from what little I do know (through hear-say, granted xP) is that most teams in Japan did not have a charger very often for spla1 tournaments, unlike here in "the west" where teams often had a dedicated charger spot, whom would alternate between eliters and splat chargers almost exclusively.
So, currently, the future seems grim for competitive chargers.
I'm positive anyone with even a little bit of drive can still make work and have fun using a charger in solo/casual. (I really dig the 4k's kit, tbh)

 

[Hero of Lime]

@Hero of Lime Very true, the maps are definately more open, which leaves more avenues for attack and retreats, chargers should have acute map awareness to begin with, so knowing when to retreat shouldn't be an issue, and now neither should having their only escape route blocked either (barring MAD flanx brah! ;P) When the charger starts tunneling for a splat(pun intended) that is the prime time to punish their arrogance with INK STAINS

And sadly, I do not now at all what the JP scene is like now. I'm not tapped into their tournament loop at all (and I don't know half a lick of japanese anyways x_x ) But from what little I do know (through hear-say, granted xP) is that most teams in Japan did not have a charger very often for spla1 tournaments, unlike here in "the west" where teams often had a dedicated charger spot, whom would alternate between eliters and splat chargers almost exclusively.
So, currently, the future seems grim for competitive chargers.
I'm positive anyone with even a little bit of drive can still make work and have fun using a charger in solo/casual. (I really dig the 4k's kit, tbh)

I've definitely seen more chargers in the A and S ranks than I did previously, so they still have a presence, it just does not feel as mandatory to have one like Splatoon 1 seemed to mandate. I am happy with the change, since I see a fairly diverse group of weapons in the higher ranks, which I would never see in 1.

 

[MissingNumbers]

Ink Mine- More damage, or ANY damage so it's not a worse point sensor.
Toxic Mist- Honestly, this sub is just awful IMO, especially compared to the disruptor. Give it INSTANT slowdown and drain a bit of ink immediately to anyone in range BEFORE activating the gradual slowdown/drain.

The purpose of the Ink Mine now is to place it where an enemy might attempt to sneak in, making them an immediate target. Anyone with Point Sensors would've already needed to see the enemy before it's actually used.
As for Toxic Mist, the point of it is to be a scare tactic and to block off an area. Disruptors might as well have just been instantly-exploding Splat Bombs as far as your escape options are concerned.

 

[Green Waffles]

Toxic mist is useless if no one is there to followup on an enemy who enters it, you have to... condition your opponents to expect to get splatted if they dare enter the spooky mist. After that, yeah: if you keep your appearances to the enemy scarce, the mist becomes a threat "DO NOT go there >=P "

 

[RespawningJesus]

I think the only thing stingray needs right now is a touch of better turn speed, and a targeting reticle, just for starters.

Even then, after using the Splattling last night for a good while, the stingray isn't as useless as most people are making it out to be.

Cant really say much for main weapon balance at this time, since I haven't unlocked them all yet, but the sub weapons seems to be in a good spot right now. Specials also seem to be in a decent spot too, minus the stingray. Ink Armor might be a concern later down the line, but right now, I think it is fine.

 

[Hamachiカマ★]

The stingray needs a bit of a buff as I only find it helpful in tower control and in other modes it can be very easy to dodge unless I'm really putting in effort...

The ink mines and toxic mist, they aren't bad per say but very situational, unlike other subs. However I can see why they exists and are like this but I'd prefer to be able to actually hit someone with the mist and have the effects stay like before. As well as the ink mine doing just a tad bit more damage or hit people a bit faster.

Mmmm I see a lot of people mentioning ink armor but no solid reasoning for a nerf. Should the aerospray get a nerf because so many Westerners use it?
That makes no sense. I guess I can see how annoying it can be but in higher level play you have to work around it. They aren't overpowered like the bubbler, it's not instant and it is 1 hit or more if the team has more but that's RNG.

Last I would not add the auto bomb rush, that sounds OP as heck. I personally can deal with auto bombs even if they are annoying but 10 would just be a nightmare lol.

 

[GearWax]

Last I would not add the auto bomb rush, that sounds OP as heck. I personally can deal with auto bombs even if they are annoying but 10 would just be a nightmare lol.

Auto bomb rush is shown in the sub/special guide under bomb rush's artwork. So it's PM confirmed.

As for Mist, if that's your primary use than I'd say reduce the slowdown rate to compensate for adding a tiny bit of instant effect.

 

[Ulk]

I only have a few suggestions.

Buff Toxic Mist or nerf Dodge Rolling, take you pick - This is probably more of an oversight, but I don't think Dualie users are supposed to be able to just dodge roll out of toxic mist (except when they use the ability Drop Roller)

Nerf Tri Slosher - The most obvious choice. The hitbox almost has a constant damage output of 60 something, with only a few and very weird exceptions like the bottom hitbox part.

Buff and Nerf Luna Blaster - I think the halving duration nerf was completely pointless. It made the weapon worse, but not in a sense where it's any less lethal. I think the duration should be buffed again. Not necessarily to a base duration of 22, but at absolute least 16. Instead what they should do is implement a system that forces the Luna Blaster, and perhaps also other certain weapons with high damage output per shot, to accumulate a certain amount of damage with their own sub-, special or main weapon to kill, so they can't just simply snatch kills with their massive hitbox.
For example forcing it to accumulate at least 60 damage by itself. So if the opponent is already at 50 damage and the Luna Blaster has a minimum damage output of 50 as well, the enemy Inkling will have taken 100 damage but not be killed, meaning the Luna would still need two shots to kill despite the Inkling technically being at 100 damage. On the other hand if the Luna user was a little more precise and had a damage output of 62.5, and the Inkling was already at 40 damage, he would have passed the 60 line and would be able to one-shot the enemy Inkling.

 

[the]

Like many others, I think the stingray should either get a damage buff or a reticle. Or both.

Also, I haven't seen many people use burst bombs at all. Were they nerfed? I know some people had issues with them in splatoon 1, but I think they were fine at the end of that game's life cycle. So if they were nerfed I guess just make them like that. (Or maybe they weren't nerfed and people just don't like the sets that have them?)

Curling bomb rush feels so slow for some reason. When you throw a regular curling bomb it moves fast but the special has like no momentum. I'd buff the speed on that one.

You can actually already increase the speed!
Standard curling bombs move fast if you just toss them out, but if you hold the button you can charge the bomb, and it will move slower, and explode quicker after being tossed.
But the way normal bomb launchers work is that you can increase the range by holding down the button before throwing. So the way the curling bomb launcher works is that you can throw slow bombs by tapping the button, and slide them farther by holding it down! Ofc this means if you want more range you won't be able to throw as many bombs, so you should plan your tosses based on the situation you're in.

 

[Green Waffles]

@Ulk regrading your proposed luna nerf. It sounds like you just described clash blaster.

Which, as of now, I feel is hot garbage xP
I've not given up on it, I felt the same about squiffers and dynamo rollers 2 years ago, but so far I've had to live off of the splat bomb to get any real effectiveness outta ol' crayola gun.
Directs do 60 damage, indirects do 30 damage, and the icing on the cake is that it does not ink a solid line like every other blaster, so inking is sub par at best (it seems like a small thing, but when you consider that this weapon is short range... )

and having the stingray as a special isn't doing clash blaster any favors =[

 

[Savage]

Aerospray needs a fire speed nerf STAT. It's WAY too overused.

The Aerospray is highly used because of its ease of use for beginners. It's just like the original. Once people begin to see that besides the rate of fire, its short range, horrid accuracy, and 5HKO makes other weapons a better choice, they'll move on. I think the main weapon shouldn't be touched at all IMO.

Dualies..... holy crap, they get WAY too much of an edge from the roll. I've gotten 21 kills with them on Splat Zones purely because of the roll. They should probably nerf the post-roll fire rate,

I disagree with this as well. From their max range, dualies can be quite inaccurate. Also, after the roll(s), they cannot move for a short period of time which can be abused quite well seeing how all dualies besides the squelchers have short range.

Chargers need a charge time buff because I don't see them nearly as much and it's clear they've gotten some sort of nerf.

I completely agree with this. Chargers definitely feel weaker from Splatoon 1. Perhaps because of attack up being removed? Anyways, I've been hearing that they had a range nerf which if that is true I would love to see reverted.

Stop pissing on brushes. They're great combat tools if used right. Damage buff for them would bring out their combat skills more.

I don't think anyone is hating on the Octobrush which completely outclasses the Inkbrush right now IMO.

Also, as a side note, I do think the Sting Ray should be buffed with either a bigger beam or more damage. I definitely do not think it's useless as I use the Heavy Splatling and get many kills with it, but I do think it needs a buff.

I think the toxic mist is fine IMO. I main the Splash so I use it quite frequently and it's making me question if I should switch to the Neo Splash when it is released XD I find it useful for blocking off chokes, capitalizing on a flank, assisting a teammate currently being assaulted by an enemy, or even in a 1v1 gunfight. If it does get a buff however, I would like it to drain ink a bit faster, but that's it.