Thoughts about spawn camping?

[Tails97]

What are your thoughts about the idea of spawn camping (This being where an entire team pins the other one back to their spawn point and keeps them there through continuous splats)? Is it a sort of do or don't for you personally? Does it frustrate you or do you see it as a show of skill and control over the flow of the match?

For me personally... Well, I have mixed feelings about it. I tend to wind up upset and/or frustrated when it happens (Because more often than not I'm just wanting to actually play the game and not be killed again and again mere seconds after stepping off the spawn point), especially when it sometimes happen again and again through continuous matches (I've had this happen a lot in Blackbelly Skatepark. Just pins again and again with few "even" matches. Bad luck?). However, while I might get angry from it, I also tend to see it as a show of skill and teamwork on the enemy team's part. I mean, if the enemy team is that well at pushing and pinning a team back like that, to me that seems like a show of skill considering that there's little ways to communicate intentions.

Now, in the moments where I've actually been a part of the pinning team, I... usually don't participate in it (Even thought people are usually spamming the "C'mon" command at me). I suppose I see how helpful it is when the enemy team pulls it off, but when my time is doing it... I just don't like to be a part of it because honestly it makes me feel a bit guilty (Perhaps I'm a big baby). I know how it makes me feel, so why would I want to do that to another person? That's just how my thought process works on the whole matter. I in no way feel that people should not camp because I would hate to sound like I'm taking a high ground (That's for other players to decide do or don't).

Anyway, what are your personal thoughts about that subject?

 

[Hero of Lime]

I would always avoid doing it if my team managed to trap the enemy team in their base. It always felt so gross to rack up splats on people who can't fight back, especially when just about every time I encountered spawn camping, it was not a show of superior skill or teamwork, it was always because one team had a DC, or maybe a player who was clearly just squid partying, or even possibly sabotaging their own team.

Having been on both sides of spawn camps many times, it takes all the fun out the match and I just don't care anymore. When I would be on the dominating side, I would just run around the map inking every last un-inked surface I could find as the timer went down. When on the spawn camped side, I would either just sit in spawn, try to get some retaliatory splats, or try and start a squid party hoping to bring some lightheartedness to the battle. Very rarely would the spawn campers chill out and want to have any fun, and would usually still try and kill me despite basically surrendering. Those kinds players are just the scum of the game to me, you already won the match, and got plenty of splats, how about a little pity on the team that can't fight back?

 

[Tails97]

I would always avoid doing it if my team managed to trap the enemy team in their base. It always felt so gross to rack up splats on people who can't fight back, especially when just about every time I encountered spawn camping, it was not a show of superior skill or teamwork, it was always because one team had a DC, or maybe a player who was clearly just squid partying, or even possibly sabotaging their own team.

Having been on both sides of spawn camps many times, it takes all the fun out the match and I just don't care anymore. When I would be on the dominating side, I would just run around the map inking every last un-inked surface I could find as the timer went down. When on the spawn camped side, I would either just sit in spawn, try to get some retaliatory splats, or try and start a squid party hoping to bring some lightheartedness to the battle. Very rarely would the spawn campers chill out and want to have any fun, and would usually still try and kill me despite basically surrendering. Those kinds players are just the scum of the game to me, you already won the match, and got plenty of splats, how about a little pity on the team that can't fight back?

The first part you said about it feeling gross is exactly why I don't enjoy participating in the camping when it happens in my team's favor (Aside from feeling guilty about it). I more or less search for any an all places to ink as well when that happens. It's not a very pleasant experience both ways.

 

[Gekko]

I don't do it. Even if my team start spawn camping, I stay away. Unless it is Rainmaker where it is kinda obligatory on some cases since the pedestal in mostly at the spawn.

Other than that, enemy team deserve a chance to try to win turf back. Shutting them out completely like that is unfair.

 

[Tails97]

I don't do it. Even if my team start spawn camping, I stay away. Unless it is Rainmaker where it is kinda obligatory on some cases since the pedestal in mostly at the spawn.

Other than that, enemy team deserve a chance to try win turf back. Shutting them out completely like that is unfair.

Agreed.

 

[Dessgeega]

Instead of being a jerk and commenting how there's been threads like this before, I'll edit this and stealth-comment

Spawn camping is inevitable. I've said before it annoys me because basically no one's getting to play the game properly, but if I'm being honest here it can be damned funny occasionally. A good example that comes to mind is Bluefin Depot. Take out the irritating Squelcher camping on the northeast platform near the steps, win a prize!

 

[peat-warrior]

This topic again?

Dessgeega, there is no need to complain about threads with the same topic. Not everyone is a Splatoon veteran like you and it is very natural,
that newbies always will have the same questions.

 

[CapBoyAce]

Interesting topic. I do find it irritating, but like you said, it is a great cordination on the enemy's side. Maybe having a 10 second grace? (Or is that too much? o_O)
EDIT: Nah, you guys are right. You can get out of it (see posts below) if you have enough skill.

 

[chrisblass1]

If i get the chance to do it then i'll do, i like to pin down my opponents and limit their options so it makes it easier to predict their next move and punish it. Not only that but i dont mind the easy win either. When it happens to me i try to figure out some way to break out of it and if i cant i just accept defeat and carry on.

 

[RespawningJesus]

Spawn camping, it happens, no matter what game you play. I don't really care if it happens to my team, or the other team. Years of shooter experience has pretty much made me numb to the whole thing. If my team gets spawn camped, I just try to pick off the enemy one by one so that my team can push out more, and break the camp. If I am doing the spawn camping, then, no mercy. No matter what side of the camp you are on, play to win, and don't give up.

 

[Slushious]

If it's my team doing the camping, I'll just double on back to mid and either clean up whatever mess they may have left behind (ewww, all their color in ours, how gauche =p) or hang out and wait to see if any of them do manage to break out. I don't have speed-ups, so at least the runner has a few seconds to enjoy their hard-won freedom.

These days if it's my team being camped, as long as I can keep my head, I'll just sit on the spawn pad and wait for one of them to get overconfident. Squids love to underestimate suction bombs, it seems. If nothing else, at least I'm making bank off of the constant ink spraying.

 

[Magnus0]

I only really have problems with it on certain maps, blackbelly in particular. Because of the slope right in front of the base you literally can't see, much less hit your opponent with straight fire. You need a blaster or a slosher to even have a chance of hitting the enemy, en then you still have to guess where the enemy is because you can't venture outside of your spawn. It's especially infuriating if you are a charger.

 

[Amarae]

If we're talking about the ethics of Spawn Camping, I'm sorta a no-holds-barred kinda gal, I'm absolutely willing to do so should the opportunity arise. Same thought process of using QRSJ on TC mode, or running the Rainmaker back into your own base after taking a lead.

Problem for me is viability, I've seen enemies slip through the cracks and SJ out of spawn before to catch whomever had em pinned flatfooted objective wise. Too many lost matches where half my teams got em on the ropes only to find they all skipped out and are pushing the RM to podium together.

But yeah if you're in a good spot, I'm fully down to spawn camp.

 

[R2D221]

If you get yourself spawn camped, it means that the enemy is playing better than you. There's no other way. The whole thing about “giving them a chance” is nonsense, it's all happening within the rules of the game, and releasing the spawn camp means you risk yourself losing.

That being said, I don't always try the spawn camp strategy. But once the opportunity arises, I'm willing to take it.

 

[CapBoyAce]

Squids love to underestimate suction bombs, it seems.

OH YEAH! THE BOMBS! I forget about them :P

 

[Allison Jane]

I do feel like it takes away a lot of the fun, in turf war. I don't participate in it. If I manage to ink my way there to their spawn, I do what I can and leave to score more points. I don't feel like I can get better by trapping someone in a corner. Whenever I am on the receiving side of this, I do get frustrated by I also try use it as a test of my abilities. So when a specific player (usually two together) keep splatting me, if I can overcome the odds and splat one (and rarely) two of them, I feel a sense of pride in earning that kill.

 

[ThatOneGuy]

I usually go for this strat, just because it stalls time rather effectively. And usually, when your team gets into a spawn camp, your team has outplayed the other team multiple times. So you deserve a spawn camp. I refrain from doing this in turf war because it is kinda cheesy to do in a non-competitive game mode.

However, most of the maps in the game suggest to this type of behavior anyway. Maps like Port Mackeral and Flounder Heights incline to this spawn camp behavior or "sharking" playstyle, where the one team has map control and they have the upper hand being able to drive off attackers easily. Notice how many top competitive teams don't get spawn camped for too long though. It's because they know how to counter the strategy by picking off the enemy one by one and pushing as a team. They know that they cannot just go for trades because that favors the other team. Since they can easily jump back safely to the team that has map control and has more room to move.

 

[Maave]

It's a video game, I'm trying to have fun, not murder the enemy at all costs. It's really annoying when I have weapon that can't counter it well, like a Bento Splatterscope - no bomb for toss over the edge, straight-shooting weapon that can't shoot over and isn't not great for coverage

it's all happening within the rules of the game

The game can be flawed. Urchin Underpass had a complete overhaul because it was too easy to lock a team out. Saltspray Rig is non-existant in ranked mode because it's so broken. Some maps have spawncamp deterrence, others not so much. They'd have to tweak a lot of the maps which they aren't going to do since they've been working on Splatoon 2.

 

[sammich]

i spawn camp to a point.

1) has our team simply "reached that point"
2) will it distract the enemy from the objective
(3) is the enemy team too distracted to notice a quick sweep)
4) is there a D/C meaning that either it'll be all too easy or we have no choice BUT to hold them in since they'll overpower us otherwise
5) does the match simply not matter and i want to feel the pride of reaching the enemy spawn

i almost never get THAT close, though. once you reach a certain proximity to the enemy spawn it's simply too risky with little reward unless you're a carbon or a close-range shooter preferably with a panic-button special. actually, a lot of teams get swept while spawn camping (either by a rush of multiple specials, by a well-timed flank, or even just by luck), allowing the enemies to perform a sudden, hard-to-counter comeback.

more often than not i put myself on "defense duties," hanging back while watching for flanks. it feels like nearly every match there is a moment someone on the other team pulls a triple and the entire game falls to me simply still being there to jump to and/or to pick off an enemy or two while they're feeling gutsy to minimize the damage.

if i had been with my team before the triple, might i have prevented the whole thing? possibly. but it might have resulted in an even worse quad. that's what happens when you push into risky territory just because you're feeling ****y.

 

[R2D221]

The game can be flawed.

Fair enough, but I still think that the concept of spawn camping itself is not flawed.