Do you like the ex-raid pass system?
I don't. I am a pretty hardcore player, but ex-raids are very annoying.
1. I got one ex-raid pass. It was at a time and place that wasn't convenient for me, but I went anyway, because, well, I wanted a mewtwo, but PTC was down when I got there. I did get logged in just before my team went, but did so by using Starbucks wifi, between that making my phone laggy, and being frazzled, and bad luck, I didn't catch the Mewtwo. If it were a regular raid, I'd just go to more, until I caught what I wanted. If it were a wild catch, I'd just play more until I stumbled on one again.
2. Now it seems that despite what Naitic has said publicly, about their selection criteria, it seems I won't get another chance, because passes are mostly given to infrequent players. I've been raiding at my gold gyms in parks like a Tibetian monk spinning prayer wheels, but this seems to make me actually less likely to be selected.
I'm starting to feel very bitter about this ex-raid thing.
Answers
I’m a level 37 player that has spent a decent amount of money in the game, and I have yet to receive a pass. This has been pretty irritating for me, and I’ve been playing less.
Of course, this update has brought me back for obvious reasons, but I’m not going to be long for the game if I don’t get a raid pass soon.
I'm in a similar situation. One of the most active raiders in my area and one of the first to get gold gyms around here, have been actively grinding raids at ex gyms and have nothing to show for it. I'll disregard ex raid chances as a factor from now on, hope Niantic is happy with me buying less passes. Luckily gen 3 mons give me a whole other avenue of the game to enjoy for the next month or two.
I find it amazing that Niantic have shown no indication that they are aware of how much discontent this system is breeding within their community(s).
They have made comment, but it appears they have taken no action at all to try to help the bad feeling running through a large part of the player base.
They have never been good at communicating themselves...but it appears they aren't good at the listening part of communication either.
Niaintic will teach 2 massive lessons to the gaming industry.
1. How to actually make a true AR game based on the real world
2. What NOT to do as far as community interaction and player base communication.
...I fear both legacies will be text book examples in the gaming industry in the future.
It appeared that they were finally getting "it" - the communication part - but it didn't last beyond the announcement that the beta test was over.
It's a good thing that I'm very patient... and really like the incentive to exercise that the game gives me. But so much wasted potential :(
I don't think I'll ever get and EX-raid pass at this rate. But I learned a while ago, when legendary raids become a big problem for rural players, that I would not be able to do or achieve everything.
It gets to a breaking point, though--in my city we are there after 15 weeks of EX passes. People are starting to get passes on consecutive weeks now, yes regardless of whether you've done 500 raids or 10 raids. So just cover the bases if you are hardcore, but it is pretend to think and convey that gold badges mean dipstick.
I live in a city where legendary raids at parks or sponsored locations get hit with hundreds if not thousands of players, most of them spoofers. Only 3-4 locations get selected among thousands of possible gyms each week. I don't care about casual players having a 'leg up' - I just want an actual shot at being able to have the most hyped Pokemon in the game.
I think there is a location/situation sweetspot, I can name/recognize/identify 100 or so high level/active players in my city.
Here much of the time we have to try to get successful legendary raids started (chat), but that little bit of effort means we aren't overwhelmed in some other ways.
Also the city is pretty accepting and cordial, many times even that way to spoofers--telling them a hard start etc. We've had all the EX rounds and 90% of the time those upcoming locations stick out like a sore thumb, raid at 5 or 6 places each week then hope you get picked. Rarely you do get picked, but you get the feeling it'll happen since you know/recognize people you raid/chat with gradually getting them
There are dozens and dozens of sponsored locations and parks, some of which have been hit multiple times and others that have never been selected. It's not at all obvious. The margin for error is even slimmer now as recent research at Silph Road suggests that they only select players who have raided at the EX location in the past week.
The majority of players on my Discord chat have not received a pass, and they raid more actively than I do. One player finally received his pass today after completing upwards of 1000 raids; another received his first pass at the beginning of the month and then a second the very next week. I don't begrudge (legitimate) players getting their first passes instead of me, but I do have a problem with people getting selected more than once when the pool of active players is so insanely large.
Not saying a location in your particular city, but some particular cities on planet Earth are easier to obtain an EX pass. In my city it is pretty obvious each week where they will be--Sprint/Starbucks/or 5 or 6 parks that have multiple gyms. My city has an advantage to yours in getting a pass, however you likely don't have to be the organizer/ringleader of chatting raids to get a legendary raid off the ground.
That's very true, although spoofing is the biggest 'help' there. I'm not saying that my city doesn't have advantages to other places - indeed, it's probably one of the best places to play the game out there - but allowing people to more easily complete EX raids in their hometown is just as unfair as them not being able to reliably get a wide variety of spawns. The regional imbalance in the game is a huge problem, and I'd like to see everyone have a reasonable chance to 'complete' the game rather than tossing a bone to rural/suburban/small-city players as a consolation for not having big-city spawns and raid access.
I live in an area with about 50 gyms (silver or gold on all). There has been exactly one (1) EX raid out of 12? rounds in this area. I’ve been invited to two EX raids at the same gym at a town 700 miles away that I’ve visited twice. The first one I was actually able to go to...and PTC crashed beginning a half hour before the raid and was fixed a half hour after it ended. So, no opportunity other than to stand at the gym and hope that Niantic got it fixed in time. Niantic sent their generic response to the complaint that was registered. I may or may not be able to participate 12/11.
Needless to say VERY frustrated with EX system.
