Shifty Station - New Splatfest Map! Thoughts?

[SlyBlue]

"Breaking News! A special stage called Shifty Station will be added to the rotation during Splatfests! It appears to be exclusive to Splatfest battles, and apparently the stage design can even change from Splatfest to Splatfest."

For anyone who hasn't seen the update yet, here it is! Looks like this will be a new Splatfest map. What are your thoughts?

Personally, I'm disappointed.

Spoiler

"The only thing I truly looked forward to in the first game's Splatfest was the nighttime atmosphere. It looked really neat and gave Turf War a fresh feel making it worth playing for someone who usually only exclusively plays Ranked. My fingers are still crossed that this map isn't the only one we will see in Splatfest and hopefully we still get a night version of some others but I'm highly doubtful. It doesn't help that this new map just kind of looks like a bore and their mention of the stage design changing doesn't excite me. My opinion right now is negative. Hopefully I'll find myself surprised upon actual release but we will have to wait and see..."

 

[Maave]

I'm excited for it. I want to know the story behind it too. Are the Octarians celebrating Splatfest too, or are they so pitiful that a bunch of 14-year-olds invaded their land just to party for one night?

 

[Agent Z]

*Sheds single tear*

It's beautiful....

 

[MissingNumbers]

My fingers are still crossed that this map isn't the only one we will see in Splatfest and hopefully we still get a night version of some others but I'm highly doubtful.

If it's like any of the previous Splatfests, it's going to be two night-time variants of standard stages and then the third is Shifty Station instead of another map. Which I am totally down for personally.

but how can they possibly think all of this octoling teasing is acceptable

 

[Agent Z]

If it's like any of the previous Splatfests, it's going to be two night-time variants of standard stages and then the third is Shifty Station instead of another map. Which I am totally down for personally.

but how can they possibly think all of this octoling teasing is acceptable

I know, right? It's just getting cruel at this point. And Octolings are so cool too....

 

[Joseph Staleknight]

Shifty Station sounds like a neat stage with an intriguing premise. I can imagine it being Marina's personal Octarian Kettle which she's letting her Inkling fans party for the night. Just gotta make sure Octavio doesn't know about it, though. Also, possible hints at Marina's past at the OAC? Yes, please.

Gameplay-wise, my curiosity's piqued by the stage changing form each Splatfest. While it's most likely going to be a simple skeleton with spawn points at either end separated by a prominent middle section to fight over, I'm curious on how (and if) they'll work in some extra Hero Mode gimmicks. For example, could they make extra platforms only reachable by bouncy pads? Or perhaps grind-able Ink Rails that can change color like the regular ones at Moray Towers? That alone makes me anticipate the new stage more each day. On the other hand, they could make it a full stage where the changing gimmicks are just window-dressing. While it'll make it work just like normal stages we'd still feel cheated out of something game-changing. Guess we'll only know come this weekend.

 

[aeron!]

It looks pretty cool so I'm pretty excited. At the same time, I would be really disappointed if it was the only Splatfest stage - which is what worries me what with the 'ability to change' idea. I loved seeing stages at night, so I hope the Shifty Station doesn't take that away. In the event that it isn't the only stage, I'm kinda interested in its ability to change.

Also it's actually really pretty :D

 

[Flareth]

They nailed the atmosphere of it, for one. That and they didn't go the lazy route of calling it the Octodome or something similarly simple. I'll give 'em that.

What I'm curious about is the customized design aspect that they're shilling. Are we going to be seeing brand-new designs each time? Will they arrange the map each time to offset any playstyle the other maps might facilitate? Might they use it as an excuse to temporarily bring back old maps from Splatoon 1? I'm more than fine with whatever, but, y'know, knowing is half the battle and whatnot.

but how can they possibly think all of this octoling teasing is acceptable

Erm, what Octoling teasing? I doubt one stage taking place in an Octarian Kettle is a sign that they're making it happen.

 

[Spraylan]

I love it, I just wish they had kept the Twilight Zone name.

 

[RespawningJesus]

I really hope that this map becomes playable outside of splat fests at some point in private battles. I wouldn't imagine all of the varients of the map to do well in public matchmaking, and it would be a shame that all the effort that went into making the map and the varients just gets lost to time after the 2 year mark has passed.

 

[Danku]

As long as we get the standard night time normal maps as well, im totally down.

 

[RespawningJesus]

As long as we get the standard night time normal maps as well, im totally down.

Yeah, we get the two standard maps that go on rotation every two hours like normal, and then we get this map as the 3rd map in the map rotation.

 

[Lyn]

I'll have to play it before forming an opinion. For me, personally, it's impossible for me to digest a stage layout (let alone judging how that wuld play) without actually playing it first.

 

[Egg Queen]

Marina is really good at designing stages lol I like how Shifty Station doesn't force confrontation, unlike the other s2 stages. There isn't really an actual middle area, unless the two sides are together (as of right now, anyway :o ). I hope it's a sign that more stages like this will be coming in the future :^)

 

[Flareth]

So the actual stage is pretty darn big. Too big, even. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like if one team can take control of the map, they'll maintain control for the rest of the match unless something drastic happens.

It doesn't help that the two moving platforms in the center tend to get in the way more often than not. Well, more like out of the way—trying to get to the other side/rest of the map is a pain when they don't stay still long enough for you to cross (what with all the action going on concurrently).

But, I do like the look of it, and I do like playing on it (in spite of my quibbles). If the devs go back on their word and keep this layout for all future Splatfests, I'll not complain.

 

[Danku]

The good thing about Shifty Station: it doesnt force fights as there is no single concentrated area of interest where the inklings will fight, the action is pretty spread out, and I definitely value that in turf wars.
The bad thing about Shifty Station: oh my god the moving platforms are programmed nightmarish bad. It's so clunky, youre inkling doesnt move with the platform, so whenever you jump, you awkwardly flop around. also bombs behave very strangely on the map as well. They also seem to never be where you want them to be, but that might just be a personal complaint. It's a neat map, I'm glad we have an Octo Canyon map, but holy cow the moving platforms created some extremely intense salt for me at times, and it just felt wrong, like it didn't work the way you would expect it to work. :/

 

[MissingNumbers]

Honestly, the only majorly bad thing about the moving platforms for me is the same feeling I always got in the Octarian lairs: an odd feeling of motion sickness.

Well, there was also this time a Mayo player tried a Splashdown on a moving platform and it moved out from under them, plummeting them to their doom. I was so busy laughing I couldn't focus on the match.

 

[kiwi_tea]

It's definitely interesting. I like that you can hold the middle really aggressively from that box in the centre, especially with a squelcher, but you have to keep in mind the rhythm of the platforms in case of a flank. It's quite tidal.

I can't handle map view, the way the death Xs don't move with the platforms.

 

[Tadashi]

I bet Shifty Station is run by friendly Octarians who work for Marina instead of being controlled by that jerk DJ Octavio. If it was, then the ones that aren't Octolings would most likely have been cut from Marina's hair tentacles. Also, their peaceful nature would allow them to coexist with the Inklings, hence why Inklings can have Turf War battles there (but only during Splatfests, for some reason).

I wonder where they keep the Zapfish, though...

 

[Agent Z]

It's simple, but it's a good simple. Lots of good spots for Chargers :3