TheEggoEffect
Inkling
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2024
- Messages
- 5
- Switch Friend Code
- SW-0136-8126-5525
TL;DR Competitive players aren't gatekeeping; we're just disappointed that, in our eyes, Nintendo trivialized a previously difficult accomplishment, removing its esteem in the process.
You've probably noticed by now that a lot of more competitive players aren't a fan of the golden Big Run score being a fixed 135 eggs. This has, understandably, caused a lot of uproar among casual players, calling it a classic case of elitism and competitive players taking all the fun out of what is supposed to be a lighthearted game about squid paintball. I want to address this issue from the perspective of a competitive player and explain why I personally dislike the 135-egg requirement.
For me (and probably a good number of skilled players), much of the fun in this game comes from is skill ceiling, how endlessly it can be optimized. This is true in PvP, where there's a constant drive to aim better, move better, and make better decisions, but it's especially true in Salmon Run. Learning and implementing all the little tricks to make your score that tiny bit higher - optimal special usage, when to lure bosses vs when to deal with them quickly, snatcher optimization - is something I've spent a ton of time doing, and the payoff of my 170-egg high score this Big Run is something I'm really proud of.
Although I'm mostly intrinsically motivated, I still want a way to show my hard work to other players, and posting clips on Discord or Reddit doesn't quite cut it; this is where Splashtag badges come in. Without a real way to share my high score with other players, badges provide the next best thing. I wear my Top 3000 X Rank and Top 5% Eggstra Work badges because I'm proud of being among the best that there is, and because these accomplishments were legitimately challenging. Top 3000 required me to consistently play well against the upper echelon of players, and the Eggstra Work badge required near-perfect planning and execution in a preset seed. Big Run used to be similar in that you still needed to be one of the best to get gold; the problem was that it bred unhealthy habits, spending half your weekend grinding and still not being sure you "won."
I definitely prefer the new system with the predetermined score; I just think it's too low. The current score for gold only requires you to get 45 eggs per wave. For people who spend a lot of time optimizing their Salmon Run play (like me!), this is trivial. A single fog wave, if played well, can easily net you more than half of the requirement. Under the new system, it feels like just about anybody in EVP (which itself isn't a huge accomplishment) can get 135 eggs with good enough luck and enough grinding. In the eyes of most competitive players, the cutoff being this low took a lot of prestige out of the gold Big Run badge. That's the real reason so many people are calling for a higher requirement for gold. We're not gatekeeping; we're just disappointed that, in our eyes, Nintendo trivialized a previously difficult accomplishment, removing its esteem in the process. The reward feels less meaningful for the amount of effort we put in.
Note that while I'm defending the competitive mindset, I am in no way defending the behavior of some of these "elitist" players. Belittling others just because you've put more time into improving than they have isn't going to solve anything.
You've probably noticed by now that a lot of more competitive players aren't a fan of the golden Big Run score being a fixed 135 eggs. This has, understandably, caused a lot of uproar among casual players, calling it a classic case of elitism and competitive players taking all the fun out of what is supposed to be a lighthearted game about squid paintball. I want to address this issue from the perspective of a competitive player and explain why I personally dislike the 135-egg requirement.
For me (and probably a good number of skilled players), much of the fun in this game comes from is skill ceiling, how endlessly it can be optimized. This is true in PvP, where there's a constant drive to aim better, move better, and make better decisions, but it's especially true in Salmon Run. Learning and implementing all the little tricks to make your score that tiny bit higher - optimal special usage, when to lure bosses vs when to deal with them quickly, snatcher optimization - is something I've spent a ton of time doing, and the payoff of my 170-egg high score this Big Run is something I'm really proud of.
Although I'm mostly intrinsically motivated, I still want a way to show my hard work to other players, and posting clips on Discord or Reddit doesn't quite cut it; this is where Splashtag badges come in. Without a real way to share my high score with other players, badges provide the next best thing. I wear my Top 3000 X Rank and Top 5% Eggstra Work badges because I'm proud of being among the best that there is, and because these accomplishments were legitimately challenging. Top 3000 required me to consistently play well against the upper echelon of players, and the Eggstra Work badge required near-perfect planning and execution in a preset seed. Big Run used to be similar in that you still needed to be one of the best to get gold; the problem was that it bred unhealthy habits, spending half your weekend grinding and still not being sure you "won."
I definitely prefer the new system with the predetermined score; I just think it's too low. The current score for gold only requires you to get 45 eggs per wave. For people who spend a lot of time optimizing their Salmon Run play (like me!), this is trivial. A single fog wave, if played well, can easily net you more than half of the requirement. Under the new system, it feels like just about anybody in EVP (which itself isn't a huge accomplishment) can get 135 eggs with good enough luck and enough grinding. In the eyes of most competitive players, the cutoff being this low took a lot of prestige out of the gold Big Run badge. That's the real reason so many people are calling for a higher requirement for gold. We're not gatekeeping; we're just disappointed that, in our eyes, Nintendo trivialized a previously difficult accomplishment, removing its esteem in the process. The reward feels less meaningful for the amount of effort we put in.
Note that while I'm defending the competitive mindset, I am in no way defending the behavior of some of these "elitist" players. Belittling others just because you've put more time into improving than they have isn't going to solve anything.
