So I swear I played the other games. I swear! But this game has so many different types of currency and progression and I don't know what half of them do.
Anyone got a nice, brief explainer here? I'm specifically referring to things like Clout! What the heck is that?!
Universal currencies
Gold (money) can be used to buy headgear, shirts, shoes, and locker items from Hotlantis, the general store. You can also spend 5,000 gold at the Shell-out machine (the gumball gacha machine in the Lobby) once per day for a random reward. Any subsequent uses of the Shell-out machine that day cost 30,000 gold. Days reset at 8PM EST.
Experience points are won from any type of non-Salmon Run or Tableturf battle and are used to level up your character, which unlocks lower weapon costs as well as earning you Conch shells (only during Splatfest).
Catalog points are for earning rewards from this season's catalog, which go up to level 100 and will be reset in three months for next season's Catalog.
Tableturf points are like Catalog points but for the Tableturf reward system. As of now the level cap is 50. Currently I'm TableTurf 33. Thanks to that, I have a unique end-battle pose that I haven't seen used by a single other person in the game this far.
Splatfest-only currencies
Clout is points for your Splatfest team. Clout is one third of the winning criteria used for judging the winning Splatfest team.
Conch shells are a Splatfest-only currency you get by leveling up your character with EXP, or by leveling up your Catalog with Catalog points. Conch shells give you one free use of the Shell-out machine. They are also used as one third of the winning criteria used for judging the winning Splatfest team (the final third is popularity).
Sea snails, not to be confused with Conch shells, are also a Splatfest-only currency that you earn for participating in Splatfest
after Splatfest is over. Sea snails are a very valuable currency to be given to Murch in order to add Power levels (ability slots) to your gear, and to reroll existing abilities on your gear.
And finally,
Festival shells, not to be confused with Sea snails
or Conch shells, are another Splatfest-only currency that increase the odds of your team entering a 100x or 333x Splatfest battle, in which your team's resulting clout is multiplied by the respective amount. You earn Festival shells by winning 10x Splatfest battles, which occur rarely and randomly.