General Switch Discussion

[Ashley]

I'm seldom doing one thing at any given time.  Multitasking is just how I roll.  Hell earlier on I was practising Italian while emailing, listening to music and reading Twitter so I would expect the ability to play games and at least WhatsApp at the same time.

[bob]

I can post on here AND toot my own horn at the same time, so I guess you'd say I'm pretty good at multitasking.

[dazzybee]

What I meant in general though, is that we can't engage in things as much while multitasking, I mean, aside from habitual actions, we don't truly multitask, we quickly switch between activities; so doing so many things at once just means you're not quite as fully engaged in each action, which may be fine depending on what you're doing.

[Agent Gibbs]

Its embarrassing! can't multi task/run in the background i could almost live with, but being unable to lock the phone? say what now? so my phone needs to stay on evere eating battery due to an active screen that is irrelevant for voice chat AND allowing it to increase in temperature with each passing second?! 

and no drop down notifications bar or anything else - This is exactly the same as Pokemon Go, only that has a dedicated bluetooth GoPlus that adds in the feature to multitask......amybe nintendo are planning a Switch equivalent?

right now this is at best an Alpha of this app, it does it core function and that seems to be it! For this to be any sort of success you need to be able to connect your phone wirelessly to your switch and then use headphones (wired/wireless) whilst your phone is in your pocket with the screen locked

As en example, whilst on party chat on the PS4 (Oslevel) in destiny i used my phone to access the in game vault through a dedicated app, and between rounds answered texts. It as also useful for checking out youtube video's on how to do certain difficult tasks, which you can then relay to others via the party chat - none of that will work on Switch as you drop out of chat to do any of it

I'm of the opinion this app should be recalled and shouldn't have been released, because it is not going to do Nintendo favours on the reputation front when its major online game comes out and the communications options are this! its merciless abuse on line is justified and should really shock nintendo into immediate action! they are riding a wave of Switch success, they shouldn't thrown their own anchor down and fuck themselves

Edited July 21, 2017 by Agent Gibbs

[Clownferret]

We've been here before. And whilst at the moment the app looks seriously flawed. It's only purpose at present is for in game voice chat whilst playing splatoon. Personally I understand their logic in the app being used purely for this purpose.  I know some people on here just like to chat to friends whilst playing totally different games. Bottom line is that 1. People on here are once again taking the worst case scenario as gospel. 2. The app will most likely be entirely functional once it's released properly

[Rummy]

On 20/07/2017 at 2:09 AM, Josh64 said:

I haven't got a Switch yet because I needed Nintendo to prove that they really had learned their lesson this time and the online will be great when it arrives... they're doing a fantastic job at saving me money so far. 

Its a joke that this far into the Switch we're only just getting a 'basic' version of their online service and it's even worse that it's a complete shambles. 

Are DENA helping with this? Because it they are then that venture was a waste of money. This is laughable, truly laughable. I could get a better online experience on my fucking Dreamcast. 

I am so done. 

Tbh you're summing me up pretty much here too. I've been holding off on Switch depending on its online infrastructure/system - everything I've seen of this app now is just unacceptable to me. I don't think I can bring myself to buy a Switch if this is going to be the online implementation - tbh it sounds worse than the fucking skype setup we used to use for Splatoon - and we were doing that however many years ago now. It's truly just...unbelievable, almost.

The sad thing is any money I might have had for a Switch is actually likely to go towards getting a second PS4. I literally don't need one, but I keep getting a hankering for second one and it's a shame I'm likely to spend money on a second over a Switch - but I just can't justify the Switch's price for what it offers now.

 

14 hours ago, dazzybee said:

They delayed the whole service until next year because it isn’t ready. This app isn’t close to  being ready. 

Again I make my point that they're experienced enough to know better, and I'm glad you can see that here at least. Not sure why you actually expect an improvement in the app - but time shall tell. It looks to me like all the fundamentals of it are wrong to start with - these fixes surely will involve another overhaul.

Can anyone tell me why the app isn't ready yet? What the excuse is in it this time? Was this one also beyond their control?

[Mr-Paul]

People are looking at the worse case scenario because Nintendo have done nothing in the past that suggests that this will improve, that this is just a start and it'll improve in the future. There's no reason to make an app that can't run in the background. There's no reason why it should be limited to just the game you are playing, especially seeing it isn't being ran through the game itself but a phone app. 

Maybe it will be improved, but that will surely be down to reacting to the backlash rather than what they ever intended. There's no reason why such a crap app was made other than they're completely clueless on how to build an online system. I haven't got a Switch yet, but it's ridiculous that it has friend codes, after they had supposedly brought in an integrated system with NNIDs and then Nintendo Accounts, then bring in another for Switch! As far as I can tell, bringing in DeNA has been a shambles too. Many thought it'd help create an integrated system, whereas in fact things have almost become even more segmented, with individual game friend codes for their mobile games!

Having a mobile app that connect to an online network - great, good, excellent. Having that be the only way to use the online network and the actual console's online options being so limited - unacceptable.

They should have just focused on getting on-console online gaming right, then created the app to help with online gaming on the go.

[Rummy]

58 minutes ago, Clownferret said:

1. People on here are once again taking the worst case scenario as gospel. 2. The app will most likely be entirely functional once it's released properly

1. Can people stop this please. Stop saying it's people taking 'worst case'. If the app requires the screen to be on/unlocked constantly - is that a fact or a 'worse case scenario'? If the app does not allow you to switch focus to anything else on the phone without cutting - is that a fact or a 'worst case scenario'?

If these two things ARE fact - I can already tell you that it's not good. @Cube @Goron_3 @are1981 @Pestneb and I'm sure others who I can't recall immediately will know that we already had to make our own voice chat solution with Splatoon on WiiU - this for us was Skype through phones/smart devices/computers. Even this as itself isn't a perfect solution and we shouldn't have to be seeking them to complement our online play - BUT even if so; if the above two issues of the app are correct then I can pretty confidently tell you the experience of this app for chatting etc for Splatoon 2, compared to our experience with Splatoon 1 where we had to seek our solution through Skype ourselves, will certainly be shitter for reasons already mentioned(screen battery drain, inabilty to multitask/use phone without app interruption etc).

 

2. You're saying people are taking a worst-case scenario then blindly present an unfounded 'the app will most likely be entirely functional once it's released properly'. Based on what? You can't accuse people of going worst-case with actual information to base it on, then blindly offer a positive counter with literally nothing to support it.

[Agent Gibbs]

Rummy is right, its not far to accuse people of acting like this is worst case scenario, because as far as i am concerned we are at the worst case scenario - online chat through a phone app that requires itself to be in the foreground and the phone remain unlocked and with no other functions occurring. Those images of the admittedly third party headset are horrifying, and even if the first party solution isn't as bad, it is still not even remotely as convenient as any PC or other console offering.

If this isn't the worst case scenario what exactly is? the only way this could be worse is if the app was exclusive to one mobile platform as well

Remember this will be a PAID service and right now it barely meets the most basic of requirements, so I'm sure Nintendo will make changes and the app eventually will run in the background or at least with the screen locked, but i have to wonder how much was planned and how much will be reaction to feedback? essentially we are doing Nintendo's beta test of its online infrastructure because its rushed out the Switch due to the WiiU, it might be unpopular but i'd argue splattoon and any online game should have been delayed until the app was better, or released as the single player elements only

[Glen-i]

Well, I always felt that Nintendo going mobile was a mistake. Sarky remark aside, if this eventually gets Ninty to buck up their ideas and make some kind of voice chat functionality on the actual Switch itself, then I'm all for this app going down the toilet.

[dazzybee]

It WILL be a paid service, but it's not; this is n't the paid service, they've explicitly said this. This is simply a way to get voice chat into platoon 2; otherwise they wouldn't release it. For me it's more illogical to presume it won't change and improve than to think it will, and time will prove me right. It's awful; but excessiveness of the negative reaction about it is surprising even for N-Europe.

As for if this ins't the worst case scenario, what is. No voice chat is worse.

[Sheikah]

It WILL be a paid service, but it's not; this is n't the paid service, they've explicitly said this. This is simply a way to get voice chat into platoon 2; otherwise they wouldn't release it. For me it's more illogical to presume it won't change and improve than to think it will, and time will prove me right. It's awful; but excessiveness of the negative reaction about it is surprising even for N-Europe.
As for if this ins't the worst case scenario, what is. No voice chat is worse.

It doesn't have voice chat. You have to use an external app, which as far as I can see puts it in the same box as using Skype.

[Rummy]

43 minutes ago, dazzybee said:

For me it's more illogical to presume it won't change and improve than to think it will, and time will prove me right. It's awful; but excessiveness of the negative reaction about it is surprising even for N-Europe.

As for if this ins't the worst case scenario, what is. No voice chat is worse.

I'm likely going to hold you to this so might as well ask now - to what level do you believe it will change and improve?

I don't think the reaction is overly negative either - this isn't some E3 reveal about something potentially coming next year - this is a current market reality with a product in consumers and retailers' hands.

 

Edit: can't get my quotes to work proper on phone but @Sheikah I'd say see my post above and it's actually already worse than Skype. Locking out so much on the phone in addition to the screen is a terrible terrible design choice(or lack thereof rather)

[dazzybee]

7 minutes ago, Rummy said:

I'm likely going to hold you to this so might as well ask now - to what level do you believe it will change and improve?

I don't think the reaction is overly negative either - this isn't some E3 reveal about something potentially coming next year - this is a current market reality with a product in consumers and retailers' hands.

 

Edit: can't get my quotes to work proper on phone but @Sheikah I'd say see my post above and it's actually already worse than Skype. Locking out so much on the phone in addition to the screen is a terrible terrible design choice(or lack thereof rather)

The app will be able to work in the background. And the app itself will have more functionality than it currently has.

Likewise, do you feel it won’t change at all?

And yeah it is out, as a beta, I currently have ios11 beta andit’s a clusterfuck, I don’t judge apple though because I know what it is. Although they’re very different things so not sure my comparison works; Nintendo app isn’t buggy, it does exactly what it’s set out to do. It’s just a very early version of what it will become, I understand that.

Also, it’s free. And Splatnet 2 its awesome. How come no one is talking about how awesome that is?

[Cube]

26 minutes ago, dazzybee said:

The app will be able to work in the background.

You don't know that for certain. It's just as likely to be an intentional choice as it is something they can't get working. 

[Sheikah]

Did they ever get Pokémon Go working in the background (and I don't mean that watch thing)? I know it's not made by the same company, but that's a serious flaw in the app that wasn't fixed as far as I know, so I wouldn't automatically assume that everything will work out fine here either.

 

 

[Sméagol]

Tomorrow I'll try to hook up my Wii Speak, see if that works.

[Agent Gibbs]

5 hours ago, Sheikah said:

Did they ever get Pokémon Go working in the background (and I don't mean that watch thing)? I know it's not made by the same company, but that's a serious flaw in the app that wasn't fixed as far as I know, so I wouldn't automatically assume that everything will work out fine here either.

 

 

The answer would be yes and no - its locked behind a paywall!

Pokemon Go can run in the background and when the screen is locked ONLY when connected to Pokemon Go Plus! if you don't have that £30 accessory then if you multi task or lock the screen the app stops.

Its not made by nintendo sure, but right now the Switch app is identical in how it works in that respect and it concerns me

[Ashley]

Which is kind of why I asked about the Mii app (the name completely escapes me right now) and Super Mario Run.  They both drained batteries like hell when launched.  Does anyone know if that's ever been fixed in subsequent updates? If not, it doesn't exactly bode well that performance issues will be fixed down the line (obviously new features will be added).

[Clownferret]

@Rummy

It was exactly the same when the paid online service was announced. Everyone went crazy although it was blazingly obvious that the price would be sub £20. Likewise with this app, its a beta with a feedback section. I think you'd be nuts to assume it won't change not the other way round. The one thing I think won't change is that it will be purely for in game chat and not for general chat with anybody who is playing the switch but not the same game as you.

[khilafah]

Love how people now using the excuse. It's just a beta version.

My god, gotta love that Nintendo defence force.

[Jonnas]

16 hours ago, Ashley said:

Which is kind of why I asked about the Mii app (the name completely escapes me right now) and Super Mario Run.  They both drained batteries like hell when launched.  Does anyone know if that's ever been fixed in subsequent updates? If not, it doesn't exactly bode well that performance issues will be fixed down the line (obviously new features will be added).

I can't speak for those two apps, but Fire Emblem Heroes (a game that sees frequent updates and support) has improved its own battery drain ever since launch.

I don't know if it's the same developers behind the other apps, though. And if the people behind this netspeak app are the same as behind Pokémon Go, that certainly doesn't bode well.

23 minutes ago, khilafah said:

Love how people now using the excuse. It's just a beta version.

My god, gotta love that Nintendo defence force.

If you're responding to someone in particular, respond to their arguments and counter-argue. Sneaking in an inflammatory remark is not clever, pleasant, thoughtful or needed, especially if you're not actually making any attempt to debunk the original argument.

This thread is engaging in a substantial discussion, pointing out the multiple flaws in the app, the potential reasons behind them, whatever silver linings there might be, and how likely is it that it can be improved. Let's keep it that way instead of resorting to ad hominem, alright?

Edited July 22, 2017 by Jonnas

[Jamba]

So who has used the switch with a wired connection? Anyone tried a mix of wired and wireless LAN? 

[Clownferret]

4 hours ago, khilafah said:

Love how people now using the excuse. It's just a beta version.

My god, gotta love that Nintendo defence force.

What a fucking stupid comment. IT IS A BETA. The full service won't launch until.next year. This is purely a functional stop gap for splatoon and yes it's pretty shit right now but you cant judge the final service on the current set up.

[Jamba]

38 minutes ago, Clownferret said:

What a fucking stupid comment. IT IS A BETA. The full service won't launch until.next year. This is purely a functional stop gap for splatoon and yes it's pretty shit right now but you cant judge the final service on the current set up.

Dude don't waste your energy on trying to convince people. Their opinion and decision on buying a Switch is their own as was yours. You have one and are enjoying it loads, you don't need to stress about what other people think. We could spend all our time in here saying that we think other people's decision making process is dumb but it's not going to make for much of a discussion.

 

See what @Jonnas said above.