Communications error

The user interface during a communications error.

A communications error^(NA), or communication error^(EU/OC) occurs in Splatoon and Splatoon 2 when players in an online match become unable to connect to the other consoles due to issues with one or more player's internet connections. It results in forfeiture of the current match, and unconditional loss of Vibe or Rank points for all players affected.

Background

In Splatoon and Splatoon 2, a central server is only used for the initial connection and matchmaking purposes, after which participants are connected to each other via peer-to-peer communications.

In the event that the network connectivity of a player is interrupted for whatever reason, even partially or temporarily, their participation in a match will be adversely affected. Many pieces of information are transmitted between players at all times, including player and objective locations and ink behavior. Should this information be processed out of order, or should any console delay in sending this information to others, anomalies can occur such as turf not being inked when shot or players appearing to teleport around.

It is possible for multiple players to have communications problems simultaneously; if communication across the entire match suffers enough, the match will be forcibly ended for all players. When this occurs, the message "A communications error occurred" appears, and the player will be returned to the Lobby screen.

Splatoon 2

Warning message.

In Splatoon 2, receiving multiple communications errors in a short amount of time may block players from participating in online play for a period of time. The first couple of disconnections yield a warning message when attempting to join a match:

“	Your previous online play session didn't end naturally, which is PREEEEETTY suspicious. If this keeps happening, we're gonna have to block you from playing online for a while. Make sure your Internet isn't busted and try again.	”
— Message displayed after disconnecting.

After multiple disconnections, the player is temporarily blocked from online play, where the following is displayed:

“	Your previous online play session didn't end naturally, so we're gonna have to drop the hammer on ya. Make sure your Internet isn't messed up, and try again in (insert number) minute(s).	”
— Message displayed when blocked from online play after disconnecting.

Repeated disconnections may extend the time of being blocked from online play.

Effects of disconnection

Should a player be disconnected in the middle of a match due to a communications error, they will be returned to the Battle Lobby, and the following actions will be taken:

For the disconnected player, the following applies:

• In both Regular Battles and Ranked Battles, Vibe or Freshness will be deducted and the match will be considered a loss.
• In Ranked Battles, points will be deducted based on the player's rank and team composition.
• In Salmon Run, the player will be penalized as if they had lost in the first wave (i.e. their Job Title's point range will be reduced by twenty points, reducing the Pay Grade by 5%) regardless of which wave they were in when the disconnection occurred.

In Splatoon 2, for the teammates playing with a disconnected player, the following applies:

• In Regular Battles, teammates will not lose Freshness if the player was disconnected early in the match.
• In Ranked Battles, teammates will not get a crack in their rank meter if the player was disconnected early in the match.
• In Splatfests, teammates will not lose their Splatfest Power if the player was disconnected early in the match.
• In Salmon Run, teammates lose half as many points as they normally would if they lose in the corresponding waves (i.e. losing ten points in Wave 1 and losing five points in Wave 2) if the player was disconnected early in the match.

The yellow team has an icon for a disconnected player (to the right) and a splatted player (on the left).

The icon for a disconnected player in Salmon Run (to the right) and a splatted player (on the left).

When a player disconnects, the post-match scoreboard shows them with 0 points and turf inked (excluding win bonus). However, their correct number of splats, specials, and deaths is still displayed. In-match, players who disconnect disappear in a puff of smoke and will not respawn. In Salmon Run, the disconnected player's character will be completely absent from the scoreboard and winning or losing animations.

In Splatoon, the player that got disconnected shows in the UI as being permanently splatted, having a dark squid icon with crossed out eyes. In Splatoon 2, the disconnected player has an X over their icon while their weapon remains colored instead of being grayed out like it normally would be. In Salmon Run, the disconnected player has a gray blank icon with the player not showing up on the results screen, while a splatted player has an X over their icon with their weapon visible. Additionally, the Golden Egg quota will immediately be reduced to the amount it would have been at if the shift had started with that lower number of players.

Solving the problem

Any form of networking issues may result in a communications error. Problems may occur on the user's end, such as wireless interference or lack of available bandwidth due to other devices on the network; problems may also be due to outages or disruptions at the level of an Internet Service Provider.

If receiving communications errors while playing Splatoon or Splatoon 2 online, it is advised to close high-bandwidth applications such as video streaming services or large file downloads. Use of a wired LAN adapter or ensuring a NAT type of A or B may improve wireless connections.

Side effects

The "connection is unstable" message.

• Delay in ink appearing on the stage.
• Lagging or teleporting players.
  • Frozen (not moving) players.
• Players displayed as being splatted by far-away opponents.
• Delayed "Splatted" message after splatting a player.
• "The connection is unstable" message.
  • When this message appears on players' screens during a match, Inklings will be unable to move. Animations, such as firing weapons, may continue to play.

Notes

• If the console loses internet connection completely, players will be taken back to Inkopolis rather than the lobby screen.
• At the beginning of a match, the camera may pan across the map repeatedly, indicative of a player with a bad connection or an imminent communications error.

Trivia

File:Error.jpg

A Communication Error in the Lobby.

• It is possible to disconnect even if internet quality is good. Players who are away from their controls for sixty seconds will automatically disconnect.
• Sometimes, if the player is still in the Lobby and is on other networks (for example, on the Wii U Internet Browser or the Nintendo Switch Album), the communication error message will appear.