Communications error
The so-called "communications error" is a common problem for many players of Splatoon online. It results in forfeiture of the current match, and unconditional loss of Vibe or Rank points for all players affected.
Background
Online real-time action games like Splatoon cannot feasibly be handled through a central server because the throughput for all concurrent games would be far too great to process. Instead, 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 the network connectivity of a player is interrupted for whatever reason, even partially or temporarily, their participation in a game of Splatoon will be adversely affected. A lot of different pieces of information get sent around between players at all times, including player locations and ink behavior. Should this information be processed out of order, anomalies can occur such as turf not being inked when shot or players teleporting around.
Sometimes, multiple players have communications problems simultaneously, and if communication across the whole match suffers enough, the game will forcibly end the match. When this occurs, the message "A communications error occurred" appears and the player will be returned to the Lobby with no option to take any further action.
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 credit will be lost according to the game mode they were playing:
- In a Regular Battle, the Vibe deducted will be the same as though the battle were lost.
- In a Ranked Battle, 10 points of Rank will be deducted.
If a player drops, the match results will show them with 0 points if their team lost, or the bonus score amount if their team won. The player is never actually awarded any points won from a game they disconnected from.
Solving the Problem
Any form of networking issue can result in a communications error. Sometimes this may be on the user's end such as with wireless interference or lack of available bandwidth due to other devices on the network. Other times this may be out of the user's control, such as when the Internet service provider is experiencing difficulties. Good network maintenance will help to prevent the onset of communications errors in Splatoon.
When playing Splatoon online, it is advised to reserve the network for only the Wii U system or systems participating. Other devices such as video streamers or web browsers should be closed down while Splatoon is being played.
While communications errors can occur from a plethora of networking problems, by far the most common issue with Splatoon is when network data gets scrambled while playing over the Wii U's built-in Wi-Fi. Use of a wired LAN adapter will nearly nullify communications errors entirely. When a match is severely affected by other players' networking problems, however, a wired LAN adapter still cannot prevent a communications error.
