Is Starfish Mainstage the most unbalanced map?

[Nutmeat]

It seems like literally every turf war match on this map is a blowout, and most of the time I'm on the losing side.

I realize "unbalanced" is a tricky word for a symmetrical map, but there's something about Starfish that does not really allow for momentum swings, once you lose mid you're basically getting pinned in spawn until the clock runs out.

It has turned Starfish into a map that I really dislike, to the point that I don't even want to play right now because its in rotation, and I really want to play right now. There isn't anything in particular that I dislike about the map, the games just never end up being fun. I can handle losing, too. The only thing I really hate when playing Splatoon 2 is getting spawn camped, and it happens every time at Starfish. I know at least some others must experience this because there are usually 3 other people on my team getting camped with me.

 

[Mr Hemulen]

I know what you mean, but personally, I don't find that to be a particular problem on this map. What do you do to try to break free from spawn when they camp you?

 

[Nutmeat]

I know what you mean, but personally, I don't find that to be a particular problem on this map. What do you do to try to break free from spawn when they camp you?

I usually will try to break free to the left and go around mid to get into their territory. I'm really just wondering though why this always happens on this particular map. Its not always my team getting camped either, a lot of times I'll be on the "winning" side. I usually will never spawn camp the other team, but I do on this map because I fell like its a "camp or be camped" situation.

 

[Jayy]

I don’t know this for sure but what I think is in maps where it feels like one team does the camping or the other, it comes down to how spawn is situated before reaching the mid point. So in main stage...

You exit spawn by dropping down to the pit before climbing up the ramps, or go straight through pit and climb middle wall, or...
You skirt the sides and climb those ramps that way until you overlook the mid from either side.

But the thing is, to me, before you actually reach the stage there is this long strip of flat ground separating the stage from these points of exit. If you’re climbing the ramps from the pit, you’re bottlenecked and at an evelvation disadvantage. And if you’re on either side of the upper levels, you may have height but you have no choice but to drop down to that strip of flat ground.

Assuming your team has the range disadvantage the other team has a clearer view of your return to the stage and your team has to drop to the empty no mans land of flat ground before approaching the mid.

So it feels like to me in that map, the team holding mid has the advantage of easily anticipating where your team has to go in order to move in. I’m no expert by any means but at that point, probably comes down to team comp maybe?

 

[Nutmeat]

I don’t know this for sure but what I think is in maps where it feels like one team does the camping or the other, it comes down to how spawn is situated before reaching the mid point. So in main stage...

You exit spawn by dropping down to the pit before climbing up the ramps, or go straight through pit and climb middle wall, or...
You skirt the sides and climb those ramps that way until you overlook the mid from either side.

But the thing is, to me, before you actually reach the stage there is this long strip of flat ground separating the stage from these points of exit. If you’re climbing the ramps from the pit, you’re bottlenecked and at an evelvation disadvantage. And if you’re on either side of the upper levels, you may have height but you have no choice but to drop down to that strip of flat ground.

Assuming your team has the range disadvantage the other team has a clearer view of your return to the stage and your team has to drop to the empty no mans land of flat ground before approaching the mid.

So it feels like to me in that map, the team holding mid has the advantage of easily anticipating where your team has to go in order to move in. I’m no expert by any means but at that point, probably comes down to team comp maybe?

Yeah I think you're right about how spawn is situated in relation to mid, your exit routes from spawn are very predictable and easy to punish, the other team can basically hang out at mid and swim down to attack when necessary.

 

[Mr Hemulen]

And if you’re on either side of the upper levels, you may have height but you have no choice but to drop down to that strip of flat ground.

You dont need to drop down, you can jump to the grates from up there. From the grates there are various options.

 

[Jayy]

You dont need to drop down, you can jump to the grates from up there. From the grates there are various options.

Ah. Didn’t think of/remember that part. Can you jump from the grates to the overlook?

 

[Mr Hemulen]

Im not familiar with callouts. But for example from the right side grate you can go up to the perch/high area overlooking mid, round the grate toward the stage, flank etc.