Looks like my theory well is running dry at the moment, so instead of a theory, how about an idea for a Splatoon spin-off that still advances the story of the main games in some way?
So, I've thought about an Octarian vs Salmonid war kind of game, this story takes place after the final Splatfest. The gameplay would be like classic Fire Emblem where you will move the Octarians to try to take down a big bad Salmonid boss who will be sending out lesser Salmonids as minions.
Now for more of the story in detail:
The story is that Salmonids grew tired of Octolings taking their Golden Eggs and now have launched an attack against the Octarians as an act of revenge. The Octarians didn't know about Octolings attacking Salmonids and concluded that Salmonids became too hostile to remain neutral. The trade partnership between the two species was now terminated. This is bad news for the Octarians since now they need to leave the domes for a safer place and to make matters worse, DJ Octavio is still trapped inside a snowglobe and all of the remaining Octolings have left to the surface due to Calamari Inkantation playing a second time. With no recognizable leader in sight, the Octarians decide to come to the surface anyway. None of them are hypnotized by the way, so it was a decision they made on their own.
However, the surface isn't what they used to see when they were hypnotized, it was ravaged by a huge Salmonid invasion, particularly also as an act of revenge. To make a safe place, the Octarians have no choice but to fight the Salmonids. Throughout the campaign, the Octarians will get to talk to many of their former Octoling comrades, gaining some insights into their reason to leave the domes and live in Inkopolis. With a deeper understanding, the Octarians try to finally make peace with Inklings as they get deeper into the now claimed Salmonid version of Inkopolis. They are first met with fear and aggression from the Inklings, but slowly get support from them after they tell Inklings that Octolings lived among them for quite a while.
The Octarians eventually get to Inkopolis Plaza, where they encounter Marina, who knows a new peace treaty between Inklings and Octarians can be formed decide to give Octarians new mechanical weapons to help them win against the Salmonids. Then leave the Octarians to overlook the battlefield. During the final battle, the Octarians encounter the biggest Salmonid yet and the leader of the Salmonids: the Salmonid Queen, a chubby Salmonid with Goldies surrounding her. During the final confrontation, the Octarians use the weapons that Marina provided for them, but regardless, they are becoming outnumbered due to Salmonids pouring out of Inkopolis Tower. This is where the Octolings and later the Inklings arrive to help the Octarians deal with the influx of Salmonids happening every 3 turns, eventually giving time for the Octarians to block the entrance of Inkopolis Tower.
With that done, the Octarians can finally focus on defeating the Salmonid Queen, once approached, she starts moving throughout the battlefield, forcing more coordination. Due to an influx of Salmonids somewhere else, Octolings and Inklings leave the battlefield to deal with that. The Octarians, however, keep fighting the Salmonid Queen until she's splatted. With no other queen insight, the Salmonids lose interest in taking revenge and return to the waters from which they came from. The efforts done by the Octarians to drive Salmonids from Inkopolis has met with positive reactions from Inklings. The two species can finally co-exist completely, with the Octarians agreeing not to take the Great Zapfish anymore as long as the Inklings accept them. Along with that, the Octarians no longer want DJ Octavio as their leader anymore.
So, I've thought about an Octarian vs Salmonid war kind of game, this story takes place after the final Splatfest. The gameplay would be like classic Fire Emblem where you will move the Octarians to try to take down a big bad Salmonid boss who will be sending out lesser Salmonids as minions.
Now for more of the story in detail:
The story is that Salmonids grew tired of Octolings taking their Golden Eggs and now have launched an attack against the Octarians as an act of revenge. The Octarians didn't know about Octolings attacking Salmonids and concluded that Salmonids became too hostile to remain neutral. The trade partnership between the two species was now terminated. This is bad news for the Octarians since now they need to leave the domes for a safer place and to make matters worse, DJ Octavio is still trapped inside a snowglobe and all of the remaining Octolings have left to the surface due to Calamari Inkantation playing a second time. With no recognizable leader in sight, the Octarians decide to come to the surface anyway. None of them are hypnotized by the way, so it was a decision they made on their own.
However, the surface isn't what they used to see when they were hypnotized, it was ravaged by a huge Salmonid invasion, particularly also as an act of revenge. To make a safe place, the Octarians have no choice but to fight the Salmonids. Throughout the campaign, the Octarians will get to talk to many of their former Octoling comrades, gaining some insights into their reason to leave the domes and live in Inkopolis. With a deeper understanding, the Octarians try to finally make peace with Inklings as they get deeper into the now claimed Salmonid version of Inkopolis. They are first met with fear and aggression from the Inklings, but slowly get support from them after they tell Inklings that Octolings lived among them for quite a while.
The Octarians eventually get to Inkopolis Plaza, where they encounter Marina, who knows a new peace treaty between Inklings and Octarians can be formed decide to give Octarians new mechanical weapons to help them win against the Salmonids. Then leave the Octarians to overlook the battlefield. During the final battle, the Octarians encounter the biggest Salmonid yet and the leader of the Salmonids: the Salmonid Queen, a chubby Salmonid with Goldies surrounding her. During the final confrontation, the Octarians use the weapons that Marina provided for them, but regardless, they are becoming outnumbered due to Salmonids pouring out of Inkopolis Tower. This is where the Octolings and later the Inklings arrive to help the Octarians deal with the influx of Salmonids happening every 3 turns, eventually giving time for the Octarians to block the entrance of Inkopolis Tower.
With that done, the Octarians can finally focus on defeating the Salmonid Queen, once approached, she starts moving throughout the battlefield, forcing more coordination. Due to an influx of Salmonids somewhere else, Octolings and Inklings leave the battlefield to deal with that. The Octarians, however, keep fighting the Salmonid Queen until she's splatted. With no other queen insight, the Salmonids lose interest in taking revenge and return to the waters from which they came from. The efforts done by the Octarians to drive Salmonids from Inkopolis has met with positive reactions from Inklings. The two species can finally co-exist completely, with the Octarians agreeing not to take the Great Zapfish anymore as long as the Inklings accept them. Along with that, the Octarians no longer want DJ Octavio as their leader anymore.