u/Zro_C

This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post

Genuinely worse than stingers

Ever since Grandfest I’ve been picking up this game on-and-off occasionally, so I may be rusty, but I also have 790 hours in this game plus the many other hours I have since the start of S1, so I am experienced.

And from my experience, I have found that Tricolor generally VASTLY favors the defending team for many reasons.

Firstly, it’s thanks to the general team distribution. While attackers and defenders TECHNICALLY have the same number of players, attackers are split into two, which overall makes their total painting power less (For example, if every player painted 5 points a second, both attackers would have 300 pts after a minute, while the defenders would have 600). This generally makes it harder to win a turf war since even if everyone is alive, defenders will always have more painting power than the attackers.

It hurts them in combat as well, since it’s vastly more challenging to coordinate with a duo. While defenders are usually split between both attackers, they do still technically have a numbers advantage and can help fight the other side when they’re making a big push or other team is controlled since they’re usually not too far, so defenders usually have a numbers advantage in fights. It also requires immense coordination from your teammate. If an attacker makes a push in a normal game, they have three other teammates that can capitalize off of it, which is helpful when some of their teammates are respawning, out of position, or clueless. In Tricolor, you have to hope that your one teammate can push with you, which is hard since most of your time as an attacker is spent controlling your base from the defenders to make sure they don’t push. Additionally, it’s much easier to lose a teamfight since you only have two people, and it’s much more punishing, as a double-kill causes your whole team to be out, losing significant progress, and attackers can make a very easy push. Granted, most maps make it pretty easy to kill attackers if they’re REALLY far into your base, but then it takes time to clear their ink, and by the time you’re don’t they’ve likely already started another push. Plus, remember this is Turf War, so if they get an easy wipe if the last 30 seconds, they’ve gained a LOT of territory you can’t come back from.

Onto my next point, the stages. They heavily amplify the above problems as they often give defenders massive advantages. Most base-game maps have linear, lockout-heavy unapproachable layouts. This means it’s very hard to approach mid, there are lots of positions for backliners to protect mid, and pushes can be easily punished due to lack of cover and escape routes. With the new team layout, this problem becomes worse as now defenders SPAWN in mid, so it’s very easy to reclaim, and it often has the best positions which lets them not only watch all ways that attackers can approach but doesn’t put them too far away from the Ultra Signal, too.

On Eeltail, for example, the bridge (which is already a lockout normally) becomes even worse, as it overlooks all routes out of spawn, can only be fought from low ground, and gives easy access to the Ultra Signal. I remember Mahi-Mahi being one of the better Tricolor stages but really only when the water level drops, as without it, defenders can very easily walk into your base which has virtually no cover and if any weapon with more range than Dapple Dualies claims your plat it takes ages to get rid of them. The island route exists but it requires two jumps over water, has you right next to the attacker’s base, and doesn’t even get you very far into mid. Plus, when you’re in mid, the only backup option for attackers is an uninkable (there’s literally a dead end that would have been a perfect spot for a sponge but they didn’t put one there).

Finally, and my most important point: it just doesn’t feel very fun. Even with most stages being very linear, I still feel like I have options for different strategies, but in Tricolor I feel like I need to follow a step-by-step tutorial on how to win which just isn’t fun. Most short-range options suffer a lot in Tricolor, and while mobility weapons can weave and distract defenders, they have little options for leaving their base. I know the strat about rushing at the signal to lower the timer, and I don’t know if I’m doing it wrong but it never seems to work, since it takes a lot of time respawning and going back to mid to claim just one signal, in which only one does not really help. Plus, it’s just not fun continuously feeding. I don’t enjoy backlines and anchors, and while I haven’t gotten defense yet this fest, it’s practically the only viable weapon for defenders since one good Backline or ranged AOE (Splatlings, Blasters, Dynamo) can lock out attackers. And while you shouldn’t fight the other attacking team it simply feels wrong, not fighting enemies doesn’t feel satisfying but at some point you just have to decide you have to let the other attackers win and you’re forced to play support for them, and if attackers do manage to get ahold of mid, since defenders’ spawns are so small there’s not that much space to push in, meaning you’re basically sitting in mid to kill defenders, and if they manage a comeback they’re already in mid.

I remember back in Rock vs. Paper vs. Scissors where I was stuck on defense and thought Tricolor was so attack-favored and I hated it. It might have been the stage, but I think people simply learned the strategies like not clumping up near the signal because I’ve disliked Tricolor since the start and hope people can agree with me even though this might be the last time we ever play it.

(I still hope they put Tricolor in Private Battles and Recon though)

My first custom chart and I like it! BRG is one of my favorite songs and I’d love to see a harder chart for it.

Please give me criticism and feedback! I want to get even better at making charts and I’m not well versed in higher append difficulties like these so I want to know more!

(Also not sure whether it’s a 33 or 34 or even a 35).

I can barely FC Append 29s so this isn’t actually seeing the light of day for a WHILE and just staying in my saved creations, but I think it turned out good.

‘Dev’ commentary:
0:09-0:15 — One of my favorite parts of the chart, I’m a drummer so a lot of this chart is synced to the drums. I think the flicks on the downbeat and regular notes swinging gives a fun rhythm and it’s clear what the fingering should be.

0:20 — The goal for the ‘sore wa sa’ parts were to let the player run their pinky, ring, middle, and index fingers along the gold notes, but I’m not sure if that’s obvious or if it’s hard to transition from what you were doing previously to this.

0:33 — This crosshand part looks really good aesthetically but I’m not sure if it’s good gameplay-wise since the fingering isn’t obvious.

0:37 — Sometimes this part bugged out and didn’t register the right-hand hold, which made the player take a huge amount of damage. I wanted the gold slides to add to the right one but that killed me every time I practiced it even though my fingers were on the slider.

0:49 — I like the chorus. The color of the notes indicate which hand you’re supposed to use making it more approachable but the colors go away at 0:53. I just maybe think it’s a little too easy for the chorus?

0:57 — Also one of my favorite parts to play. I use my right index for the slider and right ring for the regular notes, and my left index and middle for the flicks, but on the last offbeat regular note, I do a crosshand.

1:00 — Sometimes if you keep your finger still it just lets you clear but it’s safer to move with the slider or just use your whole hand.

1:05 — This part is cool and kind of a spam test for the player to see if they can do 8th note triplets on one hand.

1:08 — The hold notes represent guitar strings and they move along with the guitar notes! A highlight of this chart but probably the hardest part too. For that part, use my left ring, right index, and right ring on the slides, and I use my left and right middle fingers for the notes. Once you get to the note in the middle, you use your left index and continue holding, swapping out your right, and then do the same in reverse for the next middle note. Then, after the green hold, I use my left pinky, left index, and right ring for the holds, and left ring, left middle, and right index for the notes.

1:37 — This part is fun and can be done with just two fingers if you’re fast enough and can switch tasks easily.

1:41 — Looking back I wished I did more trippy wave effects like this since a lot of the chart is symmetrical, it looks really cool imo.

1:45 — I’m worried I added too many effects here and it becomes too hard to see the notes.

1:49 — I really wanted to mix another slide and spam but with more complexity, but I had to tone down the number of notes to not become too hard. I think it might be a little too soft for one of the final hits of the song.

2:04 — The regular flick notes should be done on the right hand and the rest on the left hand. The right-hand triplets here can also be done by flicking downward which I think is way easier.