So I'm super hyped for Splatoon 2, so I decided to draw some Inkling Species Variants. Technically speaking, Vampire Squids are neither squids, nor octopi, but rather are the last living member of an almost extinct family that has similar characteristics to the squid and octopi families. Another interesting fact is that not only are they one of the few cephalopods able to use bioluminescence, but they also lack an ink sack. At the debts they live in, ink would serve no purpose due to the extreme darkness, so instead they are able to spew a bioluminescent substance if threatened.Â
Now that the small science bit is finished, let's move on to the gameplay mechanics that a Species Variant like this would provide.
As for advantages, the Vamplings as I call them, are smaller than your standard inkling, so they would also be a harder to hit target. Swim speed up and run speed up are also definite possibilities as well. Another advantage would be special duration up and ink saver sub. The last advantage actually ties in with the science behind the environment these squids live in. Cold blooded was chosen to be this final advantage due to the fact that vampire squids have been able to survive in the extremely cold waters of the twilight/midnight zone.
With every advantage, however, there are certainly going to be disadvantages as well, so here are my pick. Due to their small size, they are not necessarily too bulky or powerful, so they will suffer from low defense and attack stats. To counter ink saver sub, they would probably suffer from poor ink usage main. Super jump time would also have to be decreased due to it's high run and swim speed. One last thing, Vampire Squids actually have a very slow metabolism due to the little food available, so Vamplings would typically have a slow respawn time as a result.
Culturally,Vamplings would keep to themselves, due to being neither Octoling nor Inkling, and probably just hid out as a neutral party during the great turf war. Immigration would be minimal, however it wouldn't be nonexistent. Inklings will typically show caution around Vamplings at first, unsure if they are a threat or not, but would eventually form positive relations. Vamplings are somewhat off-putting by their semi-outlandish appearance, but are more timid than one would expect. Usually they have a neutral mindset to them, but when faced with a decision which is essentially picking the side of good or bad, the choice for bad is chosen by a small majority. If they are out and about, tipically they feel safer during the night rather than during the day. This preference is also shared with Giant, Colossal, Firefly, and Bigfin squid Species Variants.Â
