Is it fair that Squiffers have laser indicators but Hydras don't?

[Luka Puka]

Hydras have a much longer range (but a longer charge time accordingly) and can kill pretty quickly given its accuracy and 3HKO. But with Squiffers they have pretty sucky range imo and can't kill reliably without extremely good snapping skill.

I just question the balance of Splatoon's weapons because if anything the Hydra Splatlings should have lasers and Squiffers probably shouldn't if those two should be balanced.

 

[Dessgeega]

All splatlings have sustained automatic fire when charged, and they have the usual targeting reticle that every shooter has accordingly. What benefit would the laser give over the reticle on a weapon that can struggle in close combat? In most situations it'd just give away your position.

The aiming mechanism has absolutely nothing to do with the game's balance.

 

[Saber]

@Luka Puka also the hydra like all splathings has heavy rng and falloff, putting a laser would tell you a general area, unlike the squiffer which though is a shorter range, is also a chargers meaning there is no rng.

Honestly all having a laser would do is nerf , the hydra since people would just be able to easily spot it while it was charging

 

[RelicRaider]

I think OP's main complaint is being too easily hit by Hydras because there's no laser indication, and struggling with squiffers because they have a laser and much shorter range, so they're too easy to take out. Personally I like playing squiffer, I'm not great but it's for less patient people like me to take a shot (heh) at playing charger, but I can see the difficulties. In the end though, a squiffer is a charger at heart and that doesn't change, Bamboozlers have laser too, and they have shorter range and aren't OHKO. I haven't had enough of a problem with Hydras to justify it having a laser, they're pretty vulnerable if you take them by surprise between charges or get up close and they're much more vulnerable.

 

[Luka Puka]

I'm mostly low-key torn over how such a long-range weapon doesn't have any indication of its position when aiming/charging while one that has no range in comparison does, while they both have killpower.

Well I guess there's no benefit to a Hydra having a laser but you could just hide it while you're charging by aiming it downward or at a wall you stood behind, and a laser wouldn't be much of a nerf anyway because I can't imagine anybody failing to notice extremely rapid-fire ink pellets flying from a range that rivals that of chargers. It would only backfire if somebody was dumb enough to charge it while aiming at their target. I'd say RNG really doesn't affect splatlings nearly as much as the .52 or .96 series, or even the N-Zaps, because of their fire rate and kill time.

A laser indicator for a Squiffer, on the other hand, that's visible to the other team, also has little purpose, as you could be easily spotted pointing a bright laser while you still have little range. People who have decent map awareness would also notice you standing there charging without a laser anyway. It's probably the equivalent of any fully automatic shooter standing in one place. You could argue again that you could just hide it while charging, but why should you, on a low-range weapon with a fast charge time?

@RelicRaider - Also, Bamboozlers have more range than Squiffers. If they had any less, they'd be pretty underpowered.

 

[Dessgeega]

If you want to get well and truly technical, the reticle for splatlings appears as soon as you start charging, just as the laser for chargers appears instantly. In both cases you don't see where you're shooting unless you're actually shooting. What's the difference?

 

[Luka Puka]

@Dessgeega
Wait what are you trying to say?

 

[Dessgeega]

Take a splatling on the firing range. Any of them. Just like a charger, the reticle appears as soon as you hold ZR. So no, it does not lack an indicator of it's position.

 

[Luka Puka]

Ohhh, you're talking about the reticle; sorry for being ambiguous. I meant the laser that the Squiffer has that indicates the player's position on the map to the other team. It's clear where a Squiffer is aiming with its laser, but because Hydras don't have lasers you can't know where exactly they're aiming. (Therefore there's not much use for snapshotting or whatnot.)