For Pokemon Go to maintain its player-base and popularity, I think a number of things will need to be done. As the game stands, it won't hold up for more than a few weeks for some people. The average player is likely just interested in the most basic form of the game (finding Pokemon, but not leveling up or battling). For that player, keeping the game interesting is going to be different than for other types of players.

I can identify the following types of players:
1) Those who are entirely casual and just enjoy the game because of GPS and Pokemon combined. No or miniscule interest in gym battles or leveling.
2) Those who are casual but also enjoy gym battles and leveling up. Not worried about grinding all the time to be the best.
3) Those who are casual but go out and grind here and there.
4) Those who are dedicated and want to be the best.
5) Those who do static (non-moving, or basic movement) GPS spoof to be in category #3 or #4 (perhaps wanting to be legit, but reason here or reason there).
6) Those who hardcore GPS spoof (unabashed, shameless).
7) Those who bot.

Obviously, some clean-up is in order: The first step means banning bots. But what do you do about GPS spoofers? That's a bit of a more difficult subject. Some may deserve a ban more than others. Someone who GPS spoofs to sit in one spot because they live way out in nowhere land isn't in the same spoofer category as someone who is moving around at 25km/h hitting every pokestop, battling gyms from his basement, and catching 100 pokemon per hour.

I think in order to make the game more appealing, the following core changes should be implemented:

1) Improve the GPS-related features. If a Pokemon is close by, it should be an exciting experience, and it should be easy to get closer to that Pokemon. The game rides on GPS, and Pokemon, that's it. If the GPS features don't get better, the game won't get better. If I can get a better feel (a sense of immersion) into what Pokemon are around me, and how far or close they are (and what direction), then that's going to be a good thing. Yes, it means it's easier to catch a Pokemon for a legit player... but I think making the direction of Pokmeon a mystery (with buggy bush animations) is too little. We need hot and cold mechanics, directional, so chasing down Pokemon can be interesting. In addition to all this, GPS needs to mean something everywhere... not just in populated areas. If I have no one who plays Pokemon Go around me within a 20km radius, I should still be able to play the game, and adventure into different areas, and enhance my Pokemon/account.

2) Put the Pokemon first, and the player level second. Improve what end-game is. Currently, end-game means getting the best Pokemon (IV, CP, movesets), and having the highest level player (grinding). This makes the game player-centered all the way to the ultra high levels, with Pokemon really coming second. Pokemon need to be put first. How do you do this? I don't know. But the game needs to be Pokemon-centered. This may mean a number of big changes and tweaks. Grinding obviously needs to be in the game, but it's too much.

3) Give meaning to the Pokemon you catch. This game is about catching Pokemon by the masses in order to proceed. I think we should be choosing to capture, or battle Pokemon in the wild. This will give revives and potions some meaning. The game should be about assembling a smart team of Pokemon, rather than having a Snorlax, Dragonite, and Gyarados (x2 of each), or something like that. Give meaning to having a Gengar, or an Alakazam, or something else. Give more meaning to the move types (rather than just DPS, since the x8 and x1.25 multipliers aren't really big enough to matter, compared to huge DPS differences). Right now, pidgey isn't pidgey, it's just candy to evolve more pidgeys for xp. Instead, the game should be centered around training your Pokemon, and giving you more freedom and choices. This will introduce more strategy, more meaning to having a greater variety of Pokemon (with different movesets), etc.

Obviously there are major and minor features which could be added, but I think those 3 major things need to be addressed. The servers need to get better, Pokebattles could be improved, new forms of battling, trading, all that stuff should come on... but the above three points are paramount in my opinion. Otherwise the grindfest will result in maybe 5% of the playerbase, or less, playing the game in months to come.

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Jul 24 2016 07:05pm

thanks for sharing

Reading threads like this make me not want to play the game, it's much better when I just worry about myself and keep in my small circle of friends. Very exciting and fun experience otherwise.

What's wrong with this generation where you can't play a game the way it was intended to be played without cheating or trying to get ahead somehow. People try to play less than they have to, it's almost as if they just want to be known as "good" or having something "good" and they're putting less time and effort in to the game. How can cheating bring any kind of pride or excitement and happiness? Please, for the love of Moltres, ban them all!

werent you the kid that said you quit pokemon go last week and now you are giving us an in-depth opinion?

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=74779537&f=252



OK!

Yessir.

Because then they can brag to others about how they are better then them. I met a guy who went to a local lure party event and he was lvl 27, and was showing me some of his pokemon and he showed me one that said he had just caught it in California earlier that day when we were currently in Minnesota. When I brought it up his eyes lit up like a deer in headlights then tried shrugging it off like it was just a glitch.

Some people just want something to boost their ego.

+33

i read this whole thread

I think the recent update to balance moves is a step in the right direction. Hopfully they willbcontinue to improve the batlle system.

Personally i was dissaponted they went so far away from the original games battle system. The limit in moves to 2 instead of 4 make the mechanics even more binary. (I doubt they will change this).

Id be very interested to see how they handle direct player to player battles. I think they can build out that system to a great extent.


As far as botters go, as long as there is money to be made these will exist. Just ask Blizzard. Thats not to say they should do nothing, just that its like any huge exploit or dupe - squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Now as for spoofing - this im a little mixed on. Yes obviously is not intended, but it is such an intregal part of the game - its movement in any mmo. For those that cant spoof (for real reasons, not cause lazy) they will quit or thats how they will play... Im still thinking on this, its a unique game issue

Anyway, if they dont do something to bomb this game, its here to stay as long as they add battling and trading and hats (think tf2)