Taking a break from PoGo
Not quitting outright, but taking a break for a while. I simply do not find the game in its current state to be enjoyable anymore. The game honestly puts me in a bad mood almost every time I play it now. It's bleak to realize that I enjoy posting on this forum more than I enjoy actually playing the game. I want the game to be enjoyable again, and hope that it will - but in it's current state the game brings me more annoyance than joy. Tl;dr, my decision mostly comes down to Niantic's increasing tendencies toward cash-grabs.
Here are a few specifics:
-The game used to be about earning rewards through activity; now it's about earning rewards through money. Previously, hatching eggs and walking to catch mons was the basis of the game. With the advent of raids, eggs and even the buddy system have been completely eclipsed - the big change is that obtaining additional raid passes is based on dollars instead of kms.
-The distribution of rewards depends too much on RNGesus. Previously, if you wanted a good TTar then you'd have to grind it out by catching/walking/hatching. With the current raid system, the difference between catching and not catching a raid boss is huge - this applies to both legendary and non-legendary raids. Statistically this would all even out with enough raids, but one free raid pass per day ensures that reward distribution remains very heterogeneous. Again, the best way to ensure you get yours is by spending cash. The worst part about this aspect of the game is that PoGo is now essentially a VR gambling game. You spend your money on raid passes because you want that legendary bird - it's really not that different than playing a slot machine. The reward centers in your brain are causing your money to end up in Niantic's pocket.
-The game capitalizes on player frustration. Niantic has an intentionally frustrating free product that its customers can pay money to make less frustrating. Great example is the nannaberry - this was seen as completely useless by the community, so instead of making them more useful, Niantic decided to try to make them relevant by making the catch mechanics more frustrating.
-The social aspect of the game, while perhaps admirable, is not working (at least where I live). Yes there are some nice people who I see at raids, but the overwhelming majority of the interactions I've witnessed have been negative. For the most part it's people complaining about the game in general (especially app crashes and network errors), but also arguing about group arrangements and mons people choose to bring into battle, etc. I've also noticed a lot of hostility between the player community and the general public, the latter of which seems to have become quite annoyed with the congregation of large groups on busy city sidewalks. A fight nearly broke out at the last raid I attended.
-Decreased coins from the gyms system. You can't earn as many coins from gyms anymore, and the price of coins hasn't changed. So you need to spend more of your cash if you want as many coins as before. Niantic knows it has a captive market and isn't afraid to gouge them (you).
-Niantic refuses to significantly address the spoofer issue. I can't tell you how many times I've taken down a gym, only to have a spoofer (usually the same level 40 spoofer) take it back within minutes while I am the only person physically close to the gym. The simple truth is that spoofers increase gameplay and gym turnover, which makes the honest player base spend more money. Niantic benefits from spoofers and therefore will not actually fix the problem.
-This is less of a generality about the game, but I am exceedingly unlucky while playing. My catch rate is absurdly low considering I probably have better accuracy than anyone else I've raided with. And yet I am 100% when others have asked me to catch mons for them at raids. I don't know the explanation, but have to conclude that the explanation must involve more than RNG.
If you've read this far, I hope this is somewhat illustrative and I hope you'll consider how much enjoyment you get from the game nowadays. I also sincerely hope someone from Niantic reads this and gives it serious consideration; I am certainly not the only player who shares many of these views. And since this forum is more fun than the actual game, I will probably continue to post now and again. And special thanks to people here who have continually make the forum fun (JHVS, redeyejedi, Focke, and others).
Answers
I know the feeling. I have cut back on playing significantly, but I can't kick it altogether. The other DS games just aren't doing it for me, for a couple of reasons, one of those being I always have my phone with me. I have found a way to do gyms with my bike rides even though they aren't as rewarding as they used to be. No need to completely give it up.
I do agree about posting on this forum. Hopefully you continue to do that, you screen name still makes me chuckle. Good luck!
Its sad to see peope go. This is the direction Niantic is going, they make the game more appealing to the casuals that only play when there is an event and there is evidence of this will all the random events and spawns.
I remember I took me ages to get a lapris, then all of a sudden water event I caught allot, then came ice event and I caught 2 perfect IV ones under level 20. The game is enjoyable, it just need to go back to the old ways before gym rework, no more making little Timmy happy.
Enjoy the break, we all need it sometimes.
Sad to read that.
I dont know if it helps, but i give you my perspective:
i dont spend real money on the game. And maybe this is the major reason which makes me NOT compare myself (my trainer) with others. I know if you spend money on the game, (and it was a major benefit from early on, think of 9 incubators full time, lucky egg, incense, etc.., not just when RAIDS and battle passes were introduced) you play the game at another pace.
Same thing goes for playing legit vs.using forbidden tools.
But hey, its not about to be the greatest trainer in the world in PoGo, its about to "catch them all". And its all about the fun and experiences and memories that come along while playing the game.
I wish you a really good time off PoGo and lots of fun activities with the spare hours you have now every day!
im still playing, but there are certain things I dont like currently. All I can do is hope they get changed/improved.
I think as a whole...Raids are a cool idea, so i dont think they should be removed or anything.... but in practice they are just not working they should be (for some people). I think, they kinda feel unfair. Because the fact is some people cant benifit from them like some others can and are doing.
Before...if you walked enough, you could get just as much as everyone else (obviously with some luck involved in what you hatch etc) you atleast all had access to the same chances.
but now....raids are king. Just think about what you can actually get from a tier 4 raid...then what you could get if someone spent a week farming them.
in reality there are many people who cant really take part in raids...and these people are missing out big time compared to those that can. They just don't find enough people to take them down with, so tier 3/4 are impossible.
The usual thing of going to a raid...spending the pass to just find themself in the lobby and thats it. That im sure many of us struggle with
Not everyone can or wants to play this game in a huge group. And I get that some raids have to be hard to beat...but if you just happen to live in a certain area or cant play at certain times of the day...then you simply are screwed and just cant take part in something that can reward so much (items, TM's, FULLY EVOLVED Tyranitars !)
you could say, find a group to play with, but tbh its not always as easy as this. Some areas just dont have a big enough player base to actually bump into 5 other players...at the same raid...at the same time (these players may exist, but the chances of you actually raiding with them is just too low)
Then on the other hand there are obviously some players who can do raids, lots of them....where a tier 4 raid has a full lobby all the time...then all they have to do is join and watch the raid boss's hp melt from the massive group. And I feel that the raid system is being greatly abused by this...by the fact its just based on how much someone is willing to spend, there is no limit to the amount of Raids they could do in a day if they are in the right spot with enough players. They are able to literally farm Tyranitars...all good IV's, without the random chances or walking that eggs involved.
Now firstly...let me explain when i say abused, I dont mean players shouldn't be doing these raids..its more just the way the system works overall.
Basically some players remain unable to ever beat a lvl 4 raid...while others in certain areas (New York etc) are able to gain so much. As time goes on this difference, this void, is growing more and more as they are rolling in hundreds of rare candy and prob enough TM's to convert all their best pokemon to the ideal moveset.
I think this 'random' element of actually finding a raid that has some god damm help there is just that...way to random. You dont know ANYTHING untill you get there and spend your pass or try to see if you can spot players on phones.
There needs to be a 'enter lobby' option BEFORE spending the pass and actually committing to the fight.
There needs to be a 'ping - Ready to battle this raid' message that gets sent out in the area...so you can see from a distance that a specific raid has had interest shown and there are actually players waiting to go.
I think with all this....there will be actual possibilities for anyone to do raids, if they keep trying. Maybe not everyday, but if you go out and try, check at the right times and look for valuable raids, with these extra features to actually give some insight into the raid system, they will eventually find a raid lobby with more than 2 people in it.
Well said. I don't see why Lvl 4-5 solo raids should have a 0% chance of success while 20-person raids should have a (nearly) 100% chance. They could easily scale the HP of the boss according to the number of players, giving a skilled Lvl 38 player at least a 5% chance of success in a solo raid, while making 20-person raids more of a challenge.
If I knew that I had even a 5% chance of success in one of the legendary raids I see around me, I'd go for it. Due to the lack of nearby players, any Lvl 4-5 raids near me are nothing but temporary blocks on battling or feeding mons in gyms.
"This is less of a generality about the game, but I am exceedingly unlucky while playing. My catch rate is absurdly low considering I probably have better accuracy than anyone else I've raided with. And yet I am 100% when others have asked me to catch mons for them at raids. I don't know the explanation, but have to conclude that the explanation must involve more than RNG."
Given Niantic's programming prowess, I wouldn't be surprised if some crap like this was going on.
It is a shame to see you go...hopefully we see you around again in the future.
I will say I have to agree with the sentiment, and have been posting less lately myself, as I realised I was looking cynical and salty - so I have resisted the urge to post.
I also find myself playing less and less as time goes on.
Good luck in the future...and thanks for the fun.
