The frustration at sniping is beyond the game. It is the fact that so many people in our society are so willing to have such poor etiquette. Etiquette has nothing to do with what is against the rules; it is about having a personal sense of fairness and decency. Snipers are not cheaters, they just suck as human beings.
I prestige a lot, and have been sniped here and there.
I'm now trying to do the math and make sure I "run away" as soon as the gym prestige is just enough to add a level.
Are you getting sniped even when you "run away" as soon as you gym has enough prestige to put in a mon?
or are you over prestiging and allowing for a big sniping window?
This is a strategy thay I have been forced to start using. Sad because I liked overshooting the mark on the last round for the next person that comes along and for the strength of the gym in general. Now I hit the mark and just leave.
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Happy thought: Maybe Niantic could look the other way while someone releases a virus frying a cell phone every time someone tries spoofing in pogo. :)
How true. The optimistic take is that several of these individuals are juveniles that will grow up and develop a greater sense of decency over time. The pessimistic take is that society is more fragmented now than in much of human history and that people can go through life without cultivating the sort of social sensibilities that would help them to stop sucking as human beings.
"Our" society tends to encourage that type of behavior. Its similar to the person who drives up the shoulder/bike lane only to merge at the 1st opportunity that someone leaves a gap that will allow their car to fit. It has something to do with anonymity. The gyms... same thing. If the laws would allow a public beating for this type of behavior then it would stop.
Think about it this way:
What is the incentive for them to be decent and fair?
As if your compassion would actually benefit them in any way?
I'm not supporting this kind of behaviour but people do things as they see fit provided they don't have any penalty for it.
This is the classic 'free rider problem' in economics.
I loves me some free rider problems, but also consider this: As most people mature, they develop general rules of behavior that persist even when penalties are no longer present.
For example, where I live (in the United States) voluntary tipping of servers is expected at most restaurants (and necessary for servers to earn a wage equal to the national minimum), but the only possible penalties are social/reputational. However, even when people eat alone at restaurants that they don't expect to revisit (e.g., those in different cities) a vast majority still leave tips.
Presumably, a disposition toward kindness and decency is developed (in most people) over time and from a young age. And when developed well, that disposition persists even in the absence of overt incentives.
Tipping a server is a social norm, and you'll be peer pressured by the server's expectations somewhat (and presumably the rest of the customers too, if you're not too subtle about it). In the UK we have to pay 12.5% customer service for food, but it is 'discretionary' so you can take it off if you wish (I have done that when the service was actually appalling), even though this is probably looked down upon.
I don't really consider 'waiting your turn' to be a social norm, at least not globally, and definitely not in a video game. You have literally 0 pressure if you are in a car and jack someone's spot. Nor if you are plugged into headphones and walk away after you jack someone's spot.
I would rather be sniped (unless its slot 10) than walk away and immediately have my mons sent back to me fainted. At least when sniped the gym gets stronger. And if I'm willing to prestige one round two or three more ain't the end of the world.
Also I have done drive by gym placements. I might have inadvertently sniped once or twice before too. I make up for it by constantly leaving empty slots in friendly gyms though. At least when I have potions to burn.
I'm not sure why you think that snipers are not cheating to have the opportunity to snipe. It is possible to keep a gym on your screen. But solo boosting a level should take less than 15 minutes regardless. The issue is likely that snipers are scanning to see what is being prestiged, and then flying to get there.
I agree that gym sniping is not noble.
My point is that in order to do it effectively, you pretty much need to do other activities such as flying/GPS spoofing which are blatantly cheating.
If you gym snipe without cheating, shame on you. If you need to fly to get there in time, you are risking your entire account, and good riddance.
I think most people still think of PoGo as a computer game with no real world component. So cheating comes easy for them.
Those people should be aware though that there are areas were there is a frightening real world component when they shave out people who are standing right around the corner.
As for my personal experience. I had two kids laugh at me once as they stole my gym spot. So I guess not everyone is quite ready for responsibility that comes with a game like PoGo.
To me, snipers are like shavers; neither activity is against TOS and therefore not technically cheating, but it is underhanded, dirty gameplay and reflects the individual's personal ethics, or lack thereof.
My personal ethics won't allow me to do this. I haven't been sniped, amazingly, but I try to run as soon as I assume I have reached the next level and quickly add my defender (who won't need reviving, as I haven't used him to prestige). And if it happens, I guess I'll take it in stride (I guess... we'll see), and will definitely remember the sniper's name. Not that I'll get even, but maybe, just maybe I might recommend this gym to friends on another team ;)
(Just kidding, two wrongs don't make a right, and honest players/team mates in the gym shouldn't get punished.)
Shaving would technically be against Niantic's ToS agreement only on the basis that people make a SECOND alternative account of a different team to shave off their own teammates to put their own Pokemon in (which is a majority of all cases seeing as usually people of the opposing team would tear down an entire tower so they can put their own Pokemon in), while sniping is just people being scummy and taking someone's spot before they do.
