Is Ranked Mode currently "bottlenecked", or am I just crazy?

[Mendax]

So, I've heard a lot of reports of players saying Ranked is "bottlenecked": all the S/S+ players are in the C's and B's with everyone else, and because of that no one can improve in rank. That seems to be the case with my gameplay: in Splatoon 1, I was around S/S+, but here I can't even stay in the B's...
However, by the same token, I'm seeing a bunch of people who are already in the A's and even in S, across the board.

Is Ranked actually stuck, or is it just leagues harder than I remember?

 

[IcySetsuna]

Probably harder I suppose. That or it is bottlenecked, considering it is a new game and people are trying to get back on S. Perhaps wait until all of the S ranks are back, then continue doing ranked.

But I say, screw that; no brakes

 

[vanille987]

Pretty much bottlenecked, they are a lot of players that are too good or too bad for their ranks.
I'm in either B or A in all ranked modes but honestly not sure if i'm good or mostly lucky Since even in A, they are players who don't have much of a idea of what they are doing sometimes.
Then again, i saw enough God-like snipers and splattershots in the C ranks that i dare to say were carying their team.

The fact that you can skip ranks may or may not be a reason for this, i pretty much went from C- to B in TC in one go by simply using the splatting, tank somewhere and make sure every opponent that touches the tower dies scoring 20 kills a match. (Nobody tried to get to my or avoid my shots)
And now i have a very hard time maintaining my B rank in TC thanks to suddenly facing VERY good players.....

Hopefully, ranked mode players will be more evened out in the future and will i do appreciate the new ranked points mechanics. (especially since i'm stuck forever in A in splat 1)
i feel its to forgiving sometimes and contribute to ranked being 'stuck'.

 

[Fullmental]

Pretty much bottlenecked, they are a lot of players that are too good or too bad for their ranks.
I'm in either B or A in all ranked modes but honestly not sure if i'm good or mostly lucky Since even in A, they are players who don't have much of a idea of what they are doing sometimes.
Then again, i saw enough God-like snipers and splattershots in the C ranks that i dare to say were carying their team.

The fact that you can skip ranks may or may not be a reason for this, i pretty much went from C- to B in TC in one go by simply using the splatting, tank somewhere and make sure every opponent that touches the tower dies scoring 20 kills a match. (Nobody tried to get to my or avoid my shots)
And now i have a very hard time maintaining my B rank in TC thanks to suddenly facing VERY good players.....

Hopefully, ranked mode players will be more evened out in the future and will i do appreciate the new ranked points mechanics. (especially since i'm stuck forever in A in splat 1)
i feel its to forgiving sometimes and contribute to ranked being 'stuck'.

If I had a nickel for the number of "bad" players in S rank in Splatoon 1...ultimately I've found you need to adjust your play style and weapon choice based on the teammates you expect to play in a certain rank. For example, I'll pick up a jet squelcher for lower ranks in TC and SZ right now a lot more often than I would in my S rainmaker mode. Simple fact is newer players aren't used to the long range a jet squelcher has or how to counter it. On the flip side I have better luck with the splatlings in S ranks than in lower ranks just because my reaction charge time to unexpectedly bad plays in lower ranks can get me in trouble easier than in higher ranks where people act more predictably. Sometimes a simple weapon change for me is the difference between struggling in B+ and cruising through A+

 

[ForteReborn]

Pretty much the game is punishing you in each mode, whilst the first game just gives you ranks for all the modes. Plus the shattering of the bar makes me antsy, ugh.

 

[Belial]

It's a little botle necked, but I prefer this to trying to crawl out of C low hell at least in Splatoon 1. Took way too long if you got unlucky. Play campaign and Turf war a little long and try back again later? I'm -b rank in splat zones since it's usually the one I'm on for but I don't find it to be an issue yet. I'm climbing steadily. The other modes I can't say. Is there a specific problem mode?

 

[leowtyx]

It's frustrating how you could just tell which one is carrying the enemy team, but none of your teammates care and just bum rush the objectives and gets sniped.

Whenever we managed to wipe the enemy team and thought we would win, but then looked back, all my teammates are dead too!

 

[MindWanderer]

I certainly found C to be much harder than it was in Splatoon 1, I had to fight hard for every win, whereas in Splatoon 1 I breezed through C- and C without breaking a sweat. But I did win, and skipped straight from C- to B-. (Just Tower Control so far.)

 

[Agent Z]

I'm up to A and B in all 3 modes, but it wasn't easy to do at all. I can't tell you how many times I was on the receiving end of a curbstomp battle. They make you leave the lobby and join a new match every time to prevent you from getting shredded by the same people over and over again, but it doesn't work because I just wind up with them again anyway, all on the opposing team. The team balancing could use some work.

 

[tradgunkie]

I was A- in Splatoon 1, so was just hoping to get back up to that rank as quickly as I could. I started out and did great in both TC and SZ right of the bat and jumped from C- to B- in no time. Then Rainmaker kicked my butt and I shattered my C-.

The frustrating thing was that I was getting 20-30 kills a game but still losing nearly every game. I realized after a while that my teamates didn't know how to play rainmaker. I was pushing past the rainmaker splatting opponents and clearing a path to the goal, but no one was moving the rainmaker forward. It wasn't until I shifted gears and decided that I would carry the rainmaker every game that I started winning games.

I'm now up to C+, so hopefully I'll be able to keep the climb up. Know your teamates and be ready to shift roles from your normal game. The flexibilty should help in the lower ranks when some people have no idea what they're doing.

 

[Agent Z]

I was A- in Splatoon 1, so was just hoping to get back up to that rank as quickly as I could. I started out and did great in both TC and SZ right of the bat and jumped from C- to B- in no time. Then Rainmaker kicked my butt and I shattered my C-.

The frustrating thing was that I was getting 20-30 kills a game but still losing nearly every game. I realized after a while that my teamates didn't know how to play rainmaker. I was pushing past the rainmaker splatting opponents and clearing a path to the goal, but no one was moving the rainmaker forward. It wasn't until I shifted gears and decided that I would carry the rainmaker every game that I started winning games.

I'm now up to C+, so hopefully I'll be able to keep the climb up. Know your teamates and be ready to shift roles from your normal game. The flexibilty should help in the lower ranks when some people have no idea what they're doing.

Yeah I've always found Rainmaker to be insanely painful. I mean, if I've already inked a path right to the goal for you, there is NO REASON to fire the Rainmaker. JUST SWIM ALREADY.

 

[leowtyx]

I was A- in Splatoon 1, so was just hoping to get back up to that rank as quickly as I could. I started out and did great in both TC and SZ right of the bat and jumped from C- to B- in no time. Then Rainmaker kicked my butt and I shattered my C-.

The frustrating thing was that I was getting 20-30 kills a game but still losing nearly every game. I realized after a while that my teamates didn't know how to play rainmaker. I was pushing past the rainmaker splatting opponents and clearing a path to the goal, but no one was moving the rainmaker forward. It wasn't until I shifted gears and decided that I would carry the rainmaker every game that I started winning games.

I'm now up to C+, so hopefully I'll be able to keep the climb up. Know your teamates and be ready to shift roles from your normal game. The flexibilty should help in the lower ranks when some people have no idea what they're doing.

What abilities do you use for Rainmaker?

Yeah I've always found Rainmaker to be insanely painful. I mean, if I've already inked a path right to the goal for you, there is NO REASON to fire the Rainmaker. JUST SWIM ALREADY.

They make my blood boils.

 

[Maave]

Oh yeah, it's pretty messy. My rank increase was like
-Cs: unfair diceroll
-Bs: slightly fair
-As: first matches were a huge difficultly spike. I think I was in the C-rank "hose em down" mindset

I did the same as vanille987 and used a Heavy Splatling to carry through C. Squids just walk right into the fire.

 

[Hamachiカマ★]

My answer for everything is RNG. Some great players are still just getting the game or just starting ranked. So you'll sometimes get high level play in C rank.
Actual S+2/3 players have reached S or S+ If you are an S level player it is a lot harder, especially in different modes if you're not excellent in them all.

But there are people who are carried still. If they are making it so you can't always rank up with COMPOTENT people please make individual performance more valuable.
No joke I was in an A rank battle and the tri-slosher was inking downwards (-__-)
How is that remotely fair? But I take it with a grain of salt. You just have to spend more time in ranked. I spent 3 hours+ just to get to A- from B+ (in rainmaker)...before it would've taken 25-30 min.

 

[Lyn]

It will improve over time, but a lot of this unfortunately has to do with that ranked mode is solo queue only (which is a BIG no-no in a team game like this, and League Mode is not a fair excuse being that you both need to level up in the solo queue to play it and it's a completely different mode.) It's 100% bad design and nothing else can really be blamed, these are things competitive games have had solved for a long time.

 

[Holidaze]

I found no issues, In fact, getting destroyed by better players made me think of how i could improve my gameplay or what weapons to use to climb back to S+ in all ranks.

 

[Holidaze]

Yeah I've always found Rainmaker to be insanely painful. I mean, if I've already inked a path right to the goal for you, there is NO REASON to fire the Rainmaker. JUST SWIM ALREADY.

Also, whenever I pick up the Rainmaker and start firing, its usually cause the team I'm with let someone slip pass their push. And while the other 3 are pushing, leaving me alone. And spamming "This way" while not trying to see if I'm in trouble, or to escort. Really boils my bubbles.

 

[Agent Z]

Also, whenever I pick up the Rainmaker and start firing, its usually cause the team I'm with let someone slip pass their push. And while the other 3 are pushing, leaving me alone. And spamming "This way" while not trying to see if I'm in trouble, or to escort. Really boils my bubbles.

I can't wait until we get Splatbrellas and one person carries the rainmaker and the rest of us huddle around him like Captain Winters in Payday 2.

 

[Holidaze]

Really though, I am excited for the brella coming out. Wonder if they'll bring bubbles with it on release.

 

[MindWanderer]

Really though, I am excited for the brella coming out. Wonder if they'll bring bubbles with it on release.

Nope. Splat Brella comes with Ink Storm, appropriately enough. There are a few variants of existing weapons that will get the Bubble Blower (spoiler doc is here).