ON or OFF: Motion controls

[Mayul]

Hello everyone!

I'm having a bit of an internal conflict.
I don't use motion controls, but I hear using them is actually better for Splatoon. I'm currently level 8 and having internal conflict about turning it on and relearning the game that way. Honestly, I don't want to motion controls, but I don't want to gimp myself either.

Anyone want to share their experience with motion controls good and/or bad. Maybe some reasons for me to keep the traditional style of play.

 

[Silver]

I used to use stick controls. I played using stick all the way until I got to S rank but then I hit a ceiling where I felt like I couldn't do anything anymore so I decided to make an alternate account dedicated to learning chargers and my first step was to use motion controls. So getting started I went and played through single player again but only using motion controls this time then I went into multiplayer and tried to play with motion. It took me a few days to get used to it but now I use motion controls, I got S+ 2 days after switching and I feel so much better about it.

Motion controls are ideal for the game and they actually feel very good, it doesn't at all feel like a gimmick. But you do not have to change, if you don't like motion controls then you can stay with stick controls. There's nothing that will force you to change, it's all your personal preference.

 

[Ansible]

Recently purchased a WiiU. Splatoon is the first game I played. Had no idea what was up with these squirrely controls. So I turned it all the way down.

I was a bit around your level too, 10 or so, and after becoming more accustomed to the game as well as what the motion controls were all about I decided to turn the sensitivity up a little little bit. Then I cranked it to max and kept it there!

At first your aim will be superb as a whisky-addled drunken marksmen spinning on his head if you do it that way. So I suggest slowly increasing the sensitivity every few sessions, then decreasing, then increasing until you've found your sweet spot.

As @Silver said, the motion controls aren't a gimmick. It's almost comparable to using a mouse and keyboard when playing a shooter, MMO, or RTS compared to a controller. Some matches I don't even have to touch the right analog stick at all, just steer and angle the gamepad. And remember you can always reset the camera when you press "Y."

 

[stitchedwithlove]

I've stuck with motion controls through and through so I never have exclusively used the analog sticks. Why? Well, usually I try to stick with the default controls with any game. It gets too fiddly for me to change according to my preference.

I love the motion controls because of what @Ansible said: they're comparable to a mouse and keyboard. Furthermore, I feel as though I'm more in control and able to shoot more accurately.

When I play using motion controls I also use the analog sticks to assist with my movement, so if I'm strafing around an enemy for example I'll flick both the controller and analog stick. It's a bit difficult for me to explain, so allow me to show you via YouTube. Thatsrb2DUDE has explained and showed it wonderfully:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp_jSukjhHr7kDrasj5K8dA
Video 1

Video 2

Keep in mind that he's well acquainted with the motion controls, so don't expect to get it naturally on the first go. This is also just an example so you don't have to replicate this play style. More importantly, remember that practice makes perfect!

I gotta also give him +10 points for the delightful British accent.

 

[Breademic]

Use motion controls!

Since you're still at an early level, I would recommend switching immediately so that you can develop the skills to use it effectively. Don't make the switch too late into the game.
Take it from two S+ ranks and myself (an A rank ;-;).

 

[Award]

As all the others have said, turn on motion controls and don't look back! While the game won't mandate that you use them (and there are some high level players who manage, somehow, to not use them, I'd say the game is barely playable at a high level without them. Especially if you're into using accurate weapons like chargers, splash-o-matic, squelchers, etc. Like @Ansible said, it's very much like using a mouse for a shooter on PC (as a console and former PC gamer, shooters were born and bred on PC as a PC format and designed around keyboard and mouse.) Console shooters have always been gimped due to the horrid analog stick controls and have always been "inferior" to their PC counterparts for that reason - the console versions of PC shooters have "auto aim" and/or "aim assist" where you're not entirely the one shooting - the console "guesses" what you're aiming at and snaps your scope to it within a few pixels. Splatoon does NOT have auto-aim or aim assist. It's a free camera, and, as such, thanks to the motion controls, is the very first console shooter that actually mirrors what a PC shooter has been since the 90's!

For extra credit there was once a PC peripheral called "Air Mouse" by a startup called Gyration which was a gyro control in a gripped mouse body. They pitched it for gaming - I got to try out the early for-sale prototype at a trade show once. It was cool but, at the time, lacked precision. Ultimately they ended up selling them for meeting room presenters. It was Gyration that Nintendo licensed the gyro tech for for the Wiimote and is part of the Gamepad. I.E. the Gamepad is a PC Air Mouse perhiperal, and Splatoon as as pure a shooter as anything on PC. :)

Shooters were meant for mice, and the Gamepad gyro happens to be an Air Mouse. You'll get used to using it! ;)

 

[Ansible]

For extra credit there was once a PC peripheral called "Air Mouse" by a startup called Gyration which was a gyro control in a gripped mouse body. They pitched it for gaming - I got to try out the early for-sale prototype at a trade show once. It was cool but, at the time, lacked precision. Ultimately they ended up selling them for meeting room presenters. It was Gyration that Nintendo licensed the gyro tech for for the Wiimote and is part of the Gamepad. I.E. the Gamepad is a PC Air Mouse perhiperal, and Splatoon as as pure a shooter as anything on PC. :)

Shooters were meant for mice, and the Gamepad gyro happens to be an Air Mouse. You'll get used to using it! ;)

Fascinating!

Has the Air Mouse, or anything similar, been put into production any time recently? As someone who uses a trackball and graphic tablet, I'd love to give it a whirl.

 

[Rockenberg]

Motion control is definitely better, but I use the "left, right" stick control feature as a support. Like when I need to look from behind a wall or even turn to a position that I can't comfortably turn to with my body.

 

[Award]

Fascinating!

Has the Air Mouse, or anything similar, been put into production any time recently? As someone who uses a trackball and graphic tablet, I'd love to give it a whirl.

I think they're still sold either by Gyration or another manufacturer under some other name. Back in the late 90's the original was a production model but it was a limited production prototype that they sold directly through their trade shows only with a CD that bundled a bunch of fairly generic games that were made to support it specifically. I remember the motorcycle racing demo is the one they had at the booth. They were kind of pricy at the time, or so it seemed before mouse brands like Razr & SteelSeries came on the scene. The ones you'll find today, you'll find in the business tech stuff along with laser pointers, pocket projectors, and bus powered USB hubs for sharing in meetings & Power Point presentations. They never really caught on outside the conference room set.

Motion control is definitely better, but I use the "left, right" stick control feature as a support. Like when I need to look from behind a wall or even turn to a position that I can't comfortably turn to with my body.

Absolutely, I forgot to mention that - even with max sensitivity, the right stick is absolutely still my main rotation device. You need to rotate fast and furiously in frantic battle, and unless you're standing and spinning motion just won't handle the full axis rotation. The motion controls are mostly for dialing in your actual aim, not for lateral rotation which is still more efficient on the stick. Supposedly Starfox Zero will work the same way, which despite all the griping fans, given how well it works for Splatoon sounds like an ideal setup for a space fighter game.

 

[mercenariez]

I vote for motion controls if you're being competitive. When you're lazy it's easier to use joystick though.

 

[antlererr]

Hello everyone!

I'm having a bit of an internal conflict.
I don't use motion controls, but I hear using them is actually better for Splatoon. I'm currently level 8 and having internal conflict about turning it on and relearning the game that way. Honestly, I don't want to motion controls, but I don't want to gimp myself either.

Anyone want to share their experience with motion controls good and/or bad. Maybe some reasons for me to keep the traditional style of play.

I used to hate them. Until I started to snipe. Boy I am so much better now even with my Tentatek Splattershot! I highly recommend them

 

[Ansible]

@stitchedwithlove *raises eyebrow* A Splatoon playing British brother. Fascinating. Very useful movements I'll need to keep in mind and try.

@Award, pity. Guess it was one of those devices that was before its time.

 

[Flareth]

I use the motion controls only when I'm using a charger. I believe it's mandatory to have them on when using it: I've tried to make do with just the R-Stick, and it's nearly impossible to hit anything, or even aim at all. The splatlings are in a similar boat, though I've had equal successes without having them on.

Most of the other weapons I feel don't need them, with the exceptions of the longer-ranged, higher-accuracy shooters like the .96 Gal and the Squelchers... of which I've used neither, so I'll have to test them out in the near future.

 

[birdiebee]

Turning motion controls back on like

 

[s_miyahon]

Motion controls have a learning curve to them, but once you get the hang of it it's super worth it. It's a lot more precise IMO

 

[Award]

Most of the other weapons I feel don't need them, with the exceptions of the longer-ranged, higher-accuracy shooters like the .96 Gal and the Squelchers... of which I've used neither, so I'll have to test them out in the near future.

I'm sorry, did you seriously just say "high accuracy shooter" and .96 Gal in the same post? o_O :D

 

[Flareth]

@Award

Sorry, I should clarify. By "high-accuracy," I mean a weapon that has to be aimed carefully in order to land each shot (as opposed to more spray'n'pray type weapons like the Splattershot Jr. and Sploosh-O-Matic).

Like, if I'm using the .96 Gal, I can't afford to miss any shots on account of the gun's slow rate of fire. The problem with using the R-Stick to aim in this case is, well, how do I put this... releasing the stick centers your aim on one spot, and if it's not at a good-enough angle it requires some fine-tuning to correct, which depending on the sensitivity can be a pain in the neck... with motion controls, that issue is lessened by virtue of being able to freely aim...

I liken it to using a charger, where aiming with the motion controls allows you to follow your target with relative ease. Using the R-Stick, I find myself stopping the cursor, only to have to move it again when the targeted squiddo flees again... it's a convenience thing, really.

(Incidentally, I get the feeling the H-3 Nozzlenoze is a better example, but I'm even less familiar with that gun, so I wouldn't know for sure.)

 

[Legacy]

At first I felt like you, motion controls felt weird. It was difficult to control the camera/aim. But with some time and practice I managed to get the hang of it and it is splendid. It all just takes time.
But I suggest you try them both out, and feel whichever fits your preference. There are some really good analog players out there, so don't be discouraged! Hope this helps a little.

 

[Tuff]

I used to use Stick Controls for the longest time but I mostly hated how overly sensitive the Y-axis was compared to the X. I ended up relearning the game with motion controls on the same account. Before I could never hit A+ but now I am usually either in A+ or S. I ended up liking Motion Controls so much better anyways but it is weird to relearn if you're not used to them.

 

[dubious]

Since I'm usually not still while playing, motion controls are more a death trap for me. At least with dual sticks there's no real issue of sudden jerk movements at bad times.