Teaching Help

[Enperry]

I have a friend that got Splatoon 2 and I'm trying to teach him, but it's really hard because I keep talking super competitively and saying things like "Directs", "Sway", and "Splash Damage" but I keep forgetting he has never played Splatoon at all (He got it yesterday). I'm having a hard time boiling it down to "you can turn into a squid" and "You move faster as a squid" because I'm going at it too fast. Tips?

 

[Dessgeega]

Explain those terms then, to start. "Oh, a direct is when you hit someone directly with a weapon, hence the term, it's usually used for weapons that can kill in one hit." As long as your friend isn't dumb, you can just explain that Splatoon has a ton of slang and distinct terms like every competitive game and that you'll do your best to describe things in straightforward ways as you go.

 

[Flammie]

Pretty much what Dessgeega typed.
A dictionary is there to describe words you don't understand, so you have to play the part as a dictionary for your friend, easy as that.

If you both have a switch, take to a private room and show off everything, any type of weapon and so on, if your showing it on your own switch and both of you don't have two together, you should have him go through single player (Octo Canyon) instead.

 

[Dessgeega]

Really, your friend is in a good position having you to explain things. Follow Flammie's advice and follow up with explanations for anything you say that goes over your friend's head, and they'll surely adapt quickly enough.

 

[Ansible]

Consider taking a slow, leisurely pace with them.

This will keep you from inadvertently exploding their head by infodumping 3 years worth of squiddy knowledge in a condensed time span. Of course, don't treat them like a fool but like someone who's entirely new to this... this... inky madness—which they are as you pointed out. They're a new student, it's their first week of class, and they're learning a new subject they've heard about but never had direct exposure to until now.

Consider starting with the basic stuff: generic terminology, background, slip in a single specific term once in a while with a brief definition while letting them know you'll dive deeper into it later—go full on tutorial mode on them if you must. All the while encourage them to explore things on their own and allow them to ask any questions. Even over things that seems random or innocuous to you, because this is a whole new thing for them, such as if they ask "Why is a there are there cats here when everyone is sea people?!" or "Whoa! Who's the cute chic—EWW—why'd she jump in the sewer?! Can I foll—okay let's go!" you give them a brief answer, wait if they want to know more, and encourage them to explore and ask more questions along the way.

Your results will vary as that's how I often teach some people (anything): give the general info and/or basic demonstration, encourage exploration, demonstrate and answer questions as needed, repeat. And occasional directed nudging helps too.

And if you think your teaching sessions become too aimless or not going the way you want, consider having three concepts/lessons already planned ahead of time. Start them off from there or lead them to it when you both play. For example, teaching your friend about the ins and outs of super jumping, beakons, and abilities: stealth jump, quick super jump, and drop roller either right off the bat or during a private lobby as you introduce them to the different modes. This can serve not only to slowly prep them for competitive (if they're in to it) but is also good general level knowledge for whenever they play on their own.

Let me know if I need to clarify anything. =)

 

[Gameboy224]

You could always go into Octo Canyon and teach him as the game is teaching him.

If you're friend is starting from ground zero, might as well teach them starting at the same point as the developers expected them to. There, both you and the game can guide them to get used to the fundamentals of movement, general aiming, etc. Or even just let him figure parts out for himself and interject when you have some extra tips to throw in.

 

[Superpudds]

I can't stress having your friend play through Octo Canyon enough. It is easier to work on different techniques/refining things when you are not being targeted by real people. The bots are more forgiving.

 

[SilverBrick]

Octo Canyon, and lots of Turf War. Get him to try different positions, like holding the middle as a Charger or flanking as a Roller.

Also, instead of forcing him to learn what he can't apply, let him make mistakes and give him a starting point to learn. For example:

He tries to run at an E-Liter, but they one-shot him. Remind him that the E-Liter takes a lot of time to recharge. If he's smart, the next time he'll try to bait out the first shot, then attack while they're recharging. You could even link it back to the OctoCommanders, to give him appreciation for what singleplayer taught him.

Also also, let him try different weapons, as long as he has them unlocked. The game locks weapons (roughly) according to the skill level required to wield them, so if your friend has them unlocked he's probably ready to use them - and it's his choice as to what he uses. Do convince him to try more than a single weapon though, expecially if he unlocks something that seems up his alley.