Squad Balance

[Reila]

I will use whatever weapon I want. Balance be dammed.

This game was made by the developers to be highly competitive. That was their goal for developing the game.
If you don't like competitive play. Go. Leave. No one here is making you stay, nor comment in this thread. So why don't you quit taking away from what other people consider fun, and go have fun your way.

Source? Because Splatoon doesn't seem to be a game developed with competitive play in mind at all. I am pretty sure a shooter (of sorts) developed with competitive play in mind would have, you know, voice chat. If anything people like you are trying to turn the game into a competitive game when it isn't being developed primary with this purpose (kinda like Smash and Mario Kart).

 

[Lozjam]

I will use whatever weapon I want. Balance be dammed.

Source? Because Splatoon doesn't seem to be a game developed with competitive play in mind at all. I am pretty sure a shooter (of sorts) developed with competitive play in mind would have, you know, voice chat. If anything people like you are trying to turn the game into a competitive game when it isn't being developed primary with this purpose (kinda like Smash and Mario Kart).

"The guiding impulse for making Splatoon was not to say, 'Let's make a shooting game for beginners, but a game that people are going to be able to enjoy with a variety of playstyles, variety of skill levels,'" he said when asked if he thought Splatoon would be a good fit for professional competitive gaming. "And so it's not outside the realm of possibility that the game could be enjoyed in that way."

"Personally speaking, I feel like there is sort of a sport element to Splatoon in that you're constantly adjusting to situations on the battlefield; looking, 'Oh this space is open here, let's attack,' or, 'Oh, we need to defend here.' So there's this offense-defense dynamic," he added. "And in that way [it] resembles a sport."

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/splatoon-origins-and-esports-potential-of-nintendo/1100-6426789/

One of the main aims the team had in making Splatoon was to make it a game that appealed and was fun to play to a really wide variety of players. That includes players that were familiar with the shooter genre, and to also widen the scope of players who haven't had as much experience with shooters and make sure they can also pick up the game and enjoy it.

That said, it wasn't that we set out to make a game for people who haven't played shooters before. That wasn't the aim. But to have that wide scope while also making a game that would be satisfying for players who are used to ranking up and rising up levels and unlocking new types of things.

I feel personally that in their play experiences, the development team have observed that people will really put a lot of thought into how they are playing. So, maybe before I played on the offensive, and this time I'll play more thoughtfully and hang back and cover the place in ink. And in that way, that Splatoon allows for adaptive playstyles, the game has elements of a sport, and with all the thought we’ve put into the things we've mentioned so far, I think it will appeal to e-Sports players.

That's one of the reasons why we've included all the variety of weapons and gear that you'll find in the game. To make a concrete element a more advanced player can sink their teeth into and enjoy.

Source: http://www.usgamer.net/articles/hisashi-nogami-interview-
Voice chat definitely isn't necessary for a competitive game, especially with this one. Players at E3 still pulled off profound feats of teamwork, and despite being next to each other, they didn't speak. That's because Splatoon runs on good design. Many other competitive games know that you don't need voice chat as well.,
Anyway, in that way, using certain squads to your benefit will be a huge tactical strategy for the game. I am very convinced that any squad can win over another one of equal skill. Each mode has places in which a certain build is great for the game.

 

[DaKid]

That all only tells people that there will be room for some strategy and competitiveness, not that it will be really that competitive.

 

[Bottlecapn]

Damn, guys. I don't want to compare this to Smash, as I believe the two should stay seperate, but we're discussing the game with the mindset that it will turn out to be a fun game to play competitively, but if you're not one for balanced competition, and you want to play how you want to, that's just fine. I really do hope there's no divide between 'casual' and 'competitive', and we can enjoy the game as a single unit, but we need to discuss this thread the way it was started. We're discussing the balance of teams, remember? Let's try to keep it to that.