Upcoming Pokémon Go Updates Aim to Make Game Easier for Beginners [Update: Rolling Out]

[MacRumors]

In the face of waning popularity, developer Niantic recently announced a few updates to Pokémon Go that aim to make the game easier for players, with a focus on training at friendly Gyms and capturing wild Pokémon (via Engadget). The updates are for "trainers of all levels," but they appear to mostly benefit newcomers who might have given up on the game prior to the changes.

The first update is a way to make it easier to catch rare Pokémon by incentivizing players to grind through common Pokémon. Through a "catch bonus," users will increase their chances of catching lesser-seen creatures every time they nab one that they've already caught a handful of times. These are tied to the game's existing medal system, so "for example, as you reach a higher tier for the Kindler Medal, your bonus to catch Fire-type Pokémon such as Charmander, Vulpix and Ponyta increases."

The second addition will focus on training at friendly Gyms, allowing players to bring a total of six Pokémon into training instead of the current limitation to one creature. The game will also temporarily adjust the CP of the opposing Pokémon to your level "to generally match your Pokémon's battle capabilities," making it easier for low-level users to boost their team's prestige at a Gym.

Basically, this will make it possible for lower level players to train Pokémon and get them into gyms at all. Under the current system, casual players stuck at lower levels or are just starting off can't do much to get a Pokémon into a friendly gym or snag the free bonus coins that are available as a result. It doesn't make it any easier to take the fight to other teams, but now even if you're at a lower level than other players in your area, you will have a reason to actually stop at gyms again.

Niantic didn't confirm when the updates would roll out, but the company did say they will be "coming soon." In late September, Pokémon Go ended its reign as the highest grossing app in the United States App Store, which it held for 74 days. Other major updates have introduced a buddy system, but players are still waiting for trading, friend battling, a new generation of Pokémon, and the Apple Watch app announced at Apple's September 7 iPhone event.

Update: Pokémon GO version 1.11.2 is rolling out as of October 10.

Article Link: Upcoming Pokémon Go Updates Aim to Make Game Easier for Beginners [Update: Rolling Out]

 

[Pakaku]

Any way to directly battle other trainers yet? I thought that was supposedly a big deterrent in keeping people interested.

 

[earthTOmitchel]

Any way to directly battle other trainers yet? I thought that was supposedly a big deterrent in keeping people interested.

Still no mention from Niantic, unfortunately That's gonna be one feature, maybe with a new generation, that will bring me back.

 

[WRChris]

Still no mention from Niantic, unfortunately That's gonna be one feature, maybe with a new generation, that will bring me back.

Hopefully I'll be able to turn gen 2 off if they do add it to the app. Never cared for any other than 1st gen.
I have noticed that even though I'm only level 18 my Pokémon are just as good if not better than most people in my area who are levels 20-26. I've got a good feeling when I finally get to max level my Pokémon are going to wreck all those people who pay for the app.

 

[Sasparilla]

Still playing as the game makes my daily walking fun, I would have given up playing it otherwise as it becomes increasingly discouraging the higher you go - Pokemon's can break out of the capture process easier & more often the more experience you get wasting your time and capture balls, the amount of points it takes to get to a new level (and additional capture balls / temp incubators / Raspberry's / modules etc.) increases at stages as you go to higher levels - Level 19 and its 25k points to get to a new level, at level 20 it becomes 75k points). The game is almost perfectly designed to make people give up the higher they go.

Have noticed with the last release much of the glitchiness that was introduced with the "buddy" release was gone, now there are many more pokemon's popping up (including more rare ones) and I have to watch what I catch or I'd burn through my capture balls very quickly now which wasn't a problem prior to these last releases (which may be by design since they want to sell those to you).

 

[earthTOmitchel]

Still playing as the game makes my daily walking fun, I would have given up playing it otherwise as it becomes increasingly discouraging the higher you go - Pokemon's can break out of the capture process easier & more often the more experience you get wasting your time and capture balls, the amount of points it takes to get to a new level (and additional capture balls / temp incubators / Raspberry's / modules etc.) increases at stages as you go to higher levels - Level 19 and its 25k points to get to a new level, at level 20 it becomes 75k points). The game is almost perfectly designed to make people give up the higher they go.

Have noticed with the last release much of the glitchiness that was introduced with the "buddy" release was gone, now there are many more pokemon's popping up (including more rare ones) and I have to watch what I catch or I'd burn through my capture balls very quickly now which wasn't a problem prior to these last releases (which may be by design since they want to sell those to you).

I'm one of the unfortunate players whose main source of poke stops/gyms was reported by a park owner and deleted by Niantic, which killed the game for me. I still open it every now and then, but since no Pokemon ever spawns in my house, it's pretty rare. The Apple Watch app will probably perk up my interest again too

 

[ianKent]

That's not what the game needs. Start monetizing the game.

-Show Ads on the bottom of the game, with a permanent ad footer banner.
-from the money you get, create real-world gift card winnings at random pokestops
-pokestops with "possible" gift cards in them could be special color/type (businesses can contribute if they want)
-each gift card needs to be at least $50 or equivalent to cost of living based on the country the pokestop is in
-a few hundred gift cards a day all over the world OR based on revenue from the permanent ad footer banner
-this will re-energize the community into a long-term gameplay
-I'll accept $150K for this idea. Enjoy.

 

[179202]

That's not what the game needs. Start monetizing the game.

-Show Ads on the bottom of the game, with a permanent ad footer banner.
-from the money you get, create real-world gift card winnings at random pokestops
-pokestops with "possible" gift cards in them could be special color/type (businesses can contribute if they want)
-each gift card needs to be at least $50 or equivalent to cost of living based on the country the pokestop is in
-a few hundred gift cards a day all over the world OR based on revenue from the permanent ad footer banner
-this will re-energize the community into a long-term gameplay
-I'll accept $150K for this idea. Enjoy.

Horrible idea! Just fix the tracker and make pokehunts fun. Announce when the first legendary will appear possibly too.

 

[Sasparilla]

I'm one of the unfortunate players whose main source of poke stops/gyms was reported by a park owner and deleted by Niantic, which killed the game for me. I still open it every now and then, but since no Pokemon ever spawns in my house, it's pretty rare. The Apple Watch app will probably perk up my interest again too

That seriously stinks, sorry dude.

 

[itsmilo]

They tots f up the momentum with their slow updates and lack of communication. Now its also too cold to play it already

 

[Loco Emperor]

How popular is this bs presently.

 

[Speedy Dingo]

Hopefully I'll be able to turn gen 2 off if they do add it to the app. Never cared for any other than 1st gen.
I have noticed that even though I'm only level 18 my Pokémon are just as good if not better than most people in my area who are levels 20-26. I've got a good feeling when I finally get to max level my Pokémon are going to wreck all those people who pay for the app.

Your Pokemon won't be any better than anyone else's in terms of how strong they'll be in the end just because you're finding that beating level 20-26 people at your current level is "easy". There's many factors as to why you can beat higher level Pokemon and trainers, and with enough resources to grind down a gym and all the Pokemon inside, it can be done. Have you beaten a dragonite or gyarados with a pidgey? Probably not, because that would be the wrong Pokemon to use in that situation. Have you used, say, a starmie vs a magmar? Or any water vs fire type Pokemon? Even with lower CP, the water-type has an advantage to potentially win, not because you caught a special Pokemon. It all comes down to strategy and your Pokemon's moves.

On another note, I want trading more than anything. I had about 10 Kangaskhans just sitting there so I traded them in for candies.

 

[aristobrat]

They tots f up the momentum with their slow updates and lack of communication. Now its also too cold to play it already

It's just getting comfortable again here to play -- Mid-Atlantic US. Humidity finally doesn't suck.

 

[Jeremy1026]

I've got a good feeling when I finally get to max level my Pokémon are going to wreck all those people who pay for the app.

Mid-20s at this point does not mean they paid for anything. I'm level 26 and haven't spent a single dollar on IAPs. I have spent about 700 poke coins on stuff, all earned from holding gyms.

 

[g-7]

-Show Ads on the bottom of the game, with a permanent ad footer banner.

No. Just no.

Seriously.

NO.

 

[Romy90210]

This game is already dead.... Have not oppened the app for about a month now...

 

[ghostface147]

Everyone I know has stopped playing it. I figured they would when all you do is collect the same pokemon over and over and maybe go to a gym.

 

[macduke]

I'm so glad they decided to dumb down this complex and exhaustive game play. I could never remember if I was supposed to throw the ball first, or feed them the raspberry first. I'd rather just open the app and have the Pokemans jump into my arms. Glad this will be sorted out for noobs like me who are struggling.

 

[atomic.flip]

This game is already dead.... Have not oppened the app for about a month now...

Agreed. I played it almost compulsively for a couple of months. But after searching high and low for damned dratini and not finding a single one from south OC to Santa Monica I was just frustrated and eventually put the game down. Haven't touched it in a month and a half. Don't plan to until they fix the hunting and tracking system as well as the lack of trading and battling.

 

[KindredMAC]

We need an update with the following:
-Trading
-1-on-1 battles
-Poké Compass for tracking
-Expand the possibilities of finding Pokémon the are not native to an area.
-Release the Legendaries and Mews already for f*cksake!

 

[definitive]

How popular is this bs presently.

Probably on its last leg.

 

[WiseAJ]

I only play it to get a daily walk in. My progress in "Catching 'em all" is going so slow since I can't find any of the 40ish ones I'm missing or able to gather enough candy to evolve for them.

 

[usarioclave]

It's getting boring. At some point everyone else with the time is level 30, and you get stuck at 20-22.

Plus, combat is pretty pointless. 200xp? Who cares? Trying to attack a gym? Why bother? You don't actually get any benefits to holding a gym. What about a couple of pokeballs or candy every hour you hold a gym? What if you actually got stuff when you beat someone, or a whole team, in a gym?

Plus it'd be fun to do one-on-one battles at home. Why not? How about trading pokemon?

 

[WiseAJ]

It's getting boring. At some point everyone else with the time is level 30, and you get stuck at 20-22.

Plus, combat is pretty pointless. 200xp? Who cares? Trying to attack a gym? Why bother? You don't actually get any benefits to holding a gym. What about a couple of pokeballs or candy every hour you hold a gym? What if you actually got stuff when you beat someone, or a whole team, in a gym?

Plus it'd be fun to do one-on-one battles at home. Why not? How about trading pokemon?

Only reason to get onto a gym is to get the free pokecoins every 21 hours. I only spend about a half hour a day now walking to hatch eggs and put pokemon on 2-4 gyms to collect the daily coins.

 

[littyboy]

The whole idea of placing 1 pokemon to defend a gym and allowing people to use MULTIPLE pokemon just to defeat that one made the whole point of capturing a gym pointless. What idiot thought of that idea? You can have a 3000 CP pokemon get beat by multiple 1000 CP pokemon. Doesn't make sense to me.