You are wrestling with your conscience my friend. Using them will give you a short lived thrill, then more guilt, that cheapens the game for you. However should you keep in mind it's a minor transgression, using them will part less guilt, and perhaps learn you a lesson. As its all rather minor in real life.
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Candy Gained By Using Scanners
I have a question regarding candy I gained from the help of a scanner during last summer. It may even seem like a silly question, to some.
Typically in games when I gain something unfairly (in my view, at least), I try to get rid of it, sometimes even in single player games. This has hardly anything to do with being caught, as in most cases I doubt anything would happen. It's more about the principle of the matter.
Last summer I looked a little into scanners. I found a Charmander nest in a park I go to once in a while. I went there with my sister, and we caught a ton. I don't believe I benefited from scanners other than that one time. I refuse to use them now though. The thing is, I didn't catch the Charmanders unfairly (such as GPS spoofing). The information on the nest is what was gained unfairly. Had I heard about the nest any other way, I would have caught as many as possible, just as I originally did.
While I know many don't support the use of scanners, I'm also guessing most people would think deleting the candy (powering up then transferring, for example) would be going overboard. Just don't use scanners next time, is my guess. Still, I'm trying to decide on what was gained unfairly. Was it just the information gained that was wrong, or the catching of the Charmanders as well?
Yes I am over reacting, but I am curious on others thoughts.
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Answers
Yes, you're overreacting a bit much for what you actually did, but I honor your morality, we need more people like you in this world. Now, the level of transgression is the lowest form of "cheating" I could possibly think of (if you can call it that at all). But if it bothers you that much then I think you already know what you could/should to do. Getting rid of the extra "dirty" candy should be easy by evolving a couple of low-level charmanders and then transferring them, simple as that. Regarding the questions themselves, I think that obtaining information was on strict terms the only cheating action. Since you didn't use a scanner to locate the nesting pokemon in real time. All the catches were as legit as they would have been had it been a friend who told you about the nest (or a local chat, etc).
I have a raid group in Discord around my workplace, many of us spread through different companies and office buildings, and we all alert others if there are interesting spawns or nest changes. None of us is spoofing for what I know. What's the difference with using a scanner, or looking at nesting maps from the silph road? Doesn't the game have a scanner itself so that you redirect your steps in the most immediate area?
I have no issue with spreading information. One example being a Pokemon Go group I am a part of on Facebook. People share which Pokemon have nests, and where they are. I don't want to use scanners, but spreading word is perfectly fine.
Also, I am fairly certain that I did use Silph Road to find this nest in question. Is that not a scanner? It may be splitting hairs a bit, but if Silph Road's nesting map is by user input, I see no issue with using it. It's just people spreading word, right?
I'm not necessarily concerned with how the information was gotten. I would rather not know, as to not have to worry about it.
I'm glad to know that ASR does not use scanners, in general. That means I can use it still, and don't have to worry about the candy I gained from it. As silly of a matter that it is.
Nests are reported by many channels at local communities. Facebook groups, The Silph Road atlas, discord groups, etc. Some people already know their local nests and check the new pokemon on each migration, some others go out to parks and specific locations on a new nest hunt... I think you are taking the matter too seriously.
I don't particularly like scanners, neither support their use, but it's a personal choice. I have used them, and I understand how they make things easier to track elusive species and pile up its candy. It doesn't suit my play style, but it doesn't bother me anyway. It's just a game...
I am fine with sharing information. I also know of nests near where I live, and visit them frequently.
I disagree with using scanners, but more for personal use. I am not one going around and protesting against them.
On another note, I am fairly certain I used Silph Road's Global Nest Atlas. Now that I think on it, that is generated by user input, right? Which wouldn't be a scanner, and therefore would be ok to use.
I think you're overreacting, as finding out about nests is just about the most innocent thing you can do with a scanner, and from your comments it seems it wasn't even a scanner but the Nest Atlas. If you did gain the information from an actual scanner, the best way to take away the unfair advantage would actually be to report the nest to the Atlas as well as your local groups so everyone else who wants Charmander candy can also go farm.
Honestly, this whole post makes me think of the concept of a "Humble Brag"
The post reads to me like you are bragging about your morality, to put down any who might feel scanners are ok.
Typed words totally lack tone of voice, so it's entirely possible I am misreading your intention. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out that your post is readable that way.
Better than driving past a park and looking at what Pokémon are nearby in the app. I take my 3 y/o to particular parks bc of the slides/features and shade.
If you are typing in paragraphs you might be wanting/able to go a park bc they have unique spawns. Niantic pushes us a message to go to a park and...you did
You do make a fair point, and there might be some truth to it. My brother and I both like to talk about ourselves, and see/hear people's reactions and thoughts. At the same time, I don't consider this nest incident a big deal though. I feel like people would feel that I am being silly for worrying about this nest incident. It was neither such a bad transgression that it needs to be dealt with, nor such a victory that I am attempting to fix it. Sort of a moot point.
I am not one who goes around protesting things like scanners. My local group uses them in Discord, but I never mention anything about it. I'm not so much anti-scanners, but rather it's more a matter of personal preference to not use them.
