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Nintendo Switch Online App Launches on 21st July, Splatoon 2 functionality revealed.

You better not need the app to play with friends. Even fucking splatoon 1 let you join with friends and set up private matches in game
 
I don't know if you can play with friends without the app.

Listen to the bit here

Well I was responding to this initially:

Yes, you can. They showed a Friend Battle menu tile in the Nintendo Direct, and you'll have the option to set up Private Battles. It'll probably work exactly like it did in Splatoon 1.

I didn't see the Friend Battle menu tile he's talking about but if it's there then doesn't that basically confirm you can play with friends without the app?
 

Effect

Member
My phone hasn't been able to run the last 2 mobile apps Nintendo has made. If matches can't be set in game and this is the standard going forward, I can never play another nintendo game with online play again. Good job idiots!

I would imagine the basic stuff will still be on the system itself. Look at Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. You still can join another player to play in their session. You can still create tournaments. You can still add friends on the system. I would imagine the basic online multiplayer functions will still be accessible if you don't bother with the app. I would assume everything you could do in Splatoon 1 you can do in Splatoon 2 without the app. Same will likely be for Smash and other online games. It makes no sense at all to offload basic stuff. Nintendo clearly hasn't don't that as far as I can see.

However if you want to do more like the voice chat, actually invite people, pre-establish groups, look at stats while playing, etc then that might all be on the app. Though I imagine stats stuff might be in game menus as well.

If one can't use the app then getting groups the old fashion way likely would still be viable even if it's annoying. Posting in a thread to set a time, calling someone up, etc.
 

Formless

Member
Ugh, can't listen as I'm at work, but I pray you've misinterpreted whatever was said.

"The Nintendo Switch online app allows you to invite other players who have the game to join private battles, league battles, splatfest battles, and communicate with those players using voice chat"

ycxB3qh.jpg


It could be that Private Battle is just the normal way to do it without voice chat.
 
How do you use an over-ear headset with the docked switch currently?
I don't, I only use speakers because the Pro Controller doesn't have a headset port like other modern controllers.

I use my headset on PS4 and PC. It's incredibly simple and it's a shame that won't be the case on Switch.
 
Well I was responding to this initially:



I didn't see the Friend Battle menu tile he's talking about but if it's there then doesn't that basically confirm you can play with friends without the app?

I don't see why you can't play with friends without the app. Minecraft does it. So does ARMS. I'm thinking the app is just for voice chat.
 

Effect

Member
"The Nintendo Switch online app allows you to invite other players who have the game to join private battles, league battles, splatfest battles, and communicate with those players using voice chat"

ycxB3qh.jpg


It could be that Private Battle is just the normal way to do it without voice chat.

That's what I'm thinking. Private Battle likely is how it was in Splatoon 1. However the Lounge is for the app where everyone is in one big room and then automatically paired up in the voice chat system once the match starts.
 

atbigelow

Member
I almost can't believe that this is really happening because it's so ridiculous. The Switch's UI is so nice and sleek it's a shame Nintendo is making sure we don't see voice UI in it.

It's a shameful development on an otherwise great system.
 

Berordn

Member
Mic on the joycons would have been the easiest solution, but i t makes too much sense.

Does make you wonder why they packed the right one full of NFC readers and an IR camera capable of tracking every individual digit of your hand, but didn't think of audio input/output on the left one.
 

Instro

Member
Is there really not enough headroom in the Switch to handle all of this stuff on the device, it's really bizarre. CPU issue?

I mean it's fine as an additional app to have on your phone, but all of this should have been built into the system as well.
 

The1Ski

Member
The Splatoon stuff looks like a web app.

It's like the battlefield web app but only made (some) sense since for PC you're already at your computer.

I'm not going to play this but I hope for those that do play it, they release a tablet and web version so folks don't have to be tied to their phone
 

ryechu

Member
The lounge button will likely take you to whatever lounge you are currently in in the app. So if you are in a vc lounge with someone in turf war itll take you to that turf war. If its a private itll take you to that private. It was stated in a tweet a long time ago that you can create a room even when you arent at the system and itll stay open.
 
I didn't see the Friend Battle menu tile he's talking about but if it's there then doesn't that basically confirm you can play with friends without the app?

It's visible at 22:40 in the Direct. It's basically the "join a friend's game" option you see in other Nintendo online games. Then you can create a private lobby in Private Battle, again, like in other Nintendo online games.

The lobbies via the Nintendo Switch Online app are probably there for automatic team voice chat sorting.
 

Persona7

Banned
This whole phone app non-sense is annoying. Why do I have to juggle multiple devices to get basic functionality?
 
Over ear headphone users am cry.

Isn't the set they're selling for this game unusable if you're playing docked?

What a shitshow.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
I like all the stat tracking stuff. Sounds pretty extensive. Dgaf about voice chat so can't get myself worked up about the goofiness on that front.
 
It's visible at 22:40 in the Direct. It's basically the "join a friend's game" option you see in other Nintendo online games. Then you can create a private lobby in Private Battle, again, like in other Nintendo online games.

The lobbies via the Nintendo Switch Online app are probably there for automatic team voice chat sorting.

Ah good find, yeah looks like it'll basically be the same as MK8D. I'm guessing you'll still have no way to invite friends without the app, but at least you can still join them.
 

Yukinari

Member
The funniest part is being able to invite people on social media.

Like, going out of your way to invite people outside of the console in any way possible whether its using facebook or a phone app.
 

Trace

Banned
God this is dumb as fuck. Why the shit is Nintendo so ass backwards when it comes to online stuff? Just let people voice chat on the damn console.
 

Jubenhimer

Member
I think the App can work, but only if it has robust functionality. From the little we've seen, it does look more fleshed out than I expected, with games being able to have little mini applets onto the app itself, which can open up some crazy design possibilities. That being said, I think Nintendo did a very poor job explaining how voice chat works, as in, they didn't explain anything. They glossed over it like "Oh yeah, that's a thing", and even with it's poor explanation, Voice Chat itself looks limited. Unless you plan to set your phone on a coffee table to use it as an open-air mic, the current functionality seems to make it so that you need your phone out at all times, which for on-the-go, sounds very inconvenient and clunky. And if you want to mix the chat audio with the game through a headset, well you're gonna need that Hori Inkling headset which.... well, look at it .

DBOQupHUQAA_yjk.png


I think what would be better is a future update, that allows you to beam the chat audio to the Switch itself. The app will still be used to manage the room, but the chat audio on the Switch allows the option to hook up a more conventional headset to the console. In which case, you can just throw your phone in your pocket until you want to mute someone, or add more people. The point, is to eliminate the need to have your phone out at all times, and to use it as a sort of remote.

Then again, Nintendo did say this was a limited version, so hopefully they can reach a compromise with players in future updates, when they start charging for the service.
 
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