Improving on Pokemon Go

So after playing Pokemon Go for over a month I believe there are A LOT of ways that Niantic could improve on Pokemon Go.  I think the hunting part of the game is done really well, (minus the tracker changing with every update...) but that's about the only thing I don't think needs to be updated...  So on with my suggestions!  

1.  Altering Capturing Pokemon Method

So I like that I have the ability to catch any Pokémon using only a Pokeball.  What frustrates me is that some Pokémon just will not stay in the ball and then they run off.  Now I get that a high CP Pokémon should be difficult to catch but a 10 CP Pokémon should just go right in the ball.  I would like to keep the current catching as it is, but add the ability to battle it if it is a high CP to make it easier to capture.  This is exactly how the original games work, and I think it would be a nice touch.  And when I say battle I mean like the Nintendo versions and not Pokémon Go Gym Battles...

2.  Increased Pokestop and Gym Locations

So I think this has been listed just about everywhere but if you don't live in a city getting Pokestops can be...frustrating.  The closest Pokestop to my house is literally miles away, but there are places in town where I can sit down and get 3-4 stops without moving...that's frustrating.  I would love a Pokestop and gym in my neighborhood.  That would be fun to have the neighbors battling out control of the gym! 

3.  Change Gym Operations

So gym combat and leveling are terrible.  I love capturing a gym but I highly dislike the combat.  I think the entire gym system needs to be rethought.  Why should I be able to use 6 Pokemon against a level 2 gym with only 1 Pokémon inside?  You're right, I shouldn't! 

I'll use this example.  I went to a gym that has 2 Pokémon in it.  The weaker guy only had a 1000 CP something, but the top guy was a mean 2000 CP Snorlax.  I was able to use six Pokémon to just continually take out the lower guy until he was gone and then use 6 Pokémon to beat up on the Snorlax.  Beating the Snorlax was easy because I was able to brute force attack him with 6 guys!  You definitely should only be able to use the same amount of Pokémon that are in the gym.  That makes it a much more interesting and a fair fight.

Speaking of fighting... the combat is TERRIBLE.  I literally spend most of the time just tapping the screen as fast as I can and not worry about dodging at all.  Half the time the dodging doesn't even work because of server lag or other reasons, so it isn't worth the time.  I get trying to be easy to pick up but this way is just frustrating.  I rarely use my special attack because it doesn't do that much more damage compared to my normal attack in the same time frame.  

Maybe using Nintendo style Pokémon game fighting is too difficult to understand but it never seems to slow down kids from learning and doing it on their Gameboy/DS/3DS/whatever.   Either way I hope they add some deeper combat or something different than a tapathon.

4.  Increase your Pokemon CP in a Gym

I would love to be able to level and train my Pokémon in the gyms.  When I drop a Pokémon in a gym I think it should get increases in it's CP over time.  This could encourage you to drop something other than your strongest Pokémon into the gym.  If you gained maybe 10cp an hour or something it would be a nice reward for your Pokémon in there.  It also helps you level harder to find Pokémon because you can't find anymore of them! 

5.  Trading

So a major part of all Pokémon games has been trading.  Does Pokémon Go have trading?  Nope!  Why not?  No clue...  it needs to be there!

6.  Alter Egg Distance Calculations

 So I hate how egg calculations are done.  It seems to be pure GPS based and that doesn't have enough precision.  I can mow my yard and it barely registers anything because I am walking in a small area and the gps isn't picking up changes even though I'm walking... a lot.  I think this needs to be updated to be more accurate and maybe use a pedometer type feature...

Don't take this list as me hating on the game.  I'm still playing it, and I still enjoy playing it.  Finding new Pokémon is always an exciting ordeal and finding another Abra is always amazing!  This list just contains my suggestions :)

P.S.  Fix the battery saver bug where the game thinks my phone is upside down but isn't...  that's a TRIVAL iOS fix...  and if they don't know how... give me a call and I'll do it...  for a fee of course. 💰

Where's the Female Villager?

So I've always been an Animal Crossing fan (all the way back to buying the Animal Crossing game on release day), but it wasn't until New Leaf that Brittany really started playing.  We bought the game on release (and bought her a pink 3DS to play it on), and we were both hooked.  She LOVED the game, and we played it together for well over a year!

So Nintendo has released Animal Crossing Amiibos, action figures and plush dolls, but there is one thing missing:  The Female Villager.  Brittany found me the Villager Amiibo for Christmas when it was first released and was not easy to find (in the event you don't remember, the Villager was crazy hard to find at first, but she found it!).  We have bought the JAKKS action figure, almost all the Animal Crossing Amiibos, and a bunch of the plush characters (They were a small part of our super expensive trip to the Nintendo Store in New York).  Even with all this stuff, we are missing a female villager!

We display most of our Animal Crossing stuff, but how am I supposed to have my villager without Brittany's!?  It doesn't seem right!  Nintendo needs to produce a female villager Amiibo and JAKKS action figure.  I'm more concerned about the Amiibo, than the JAKKS figure because Nintendo has a huge Amiibo presence.  It seems very odd to be missing a female villager when there are random other Amiibos that most people can't even identify (although most people don't know Animal Crossing, but you know what I mean!).  Nintendo needs to fix this problem and fix it on the next wave of Amiibos.

 

Me and my friends are waiting for Brittany!

Me and my friends are waiting for Brittany!

Gotta Catch 'em All

So it took me a few days to actually be able to register an account in Pokemon Go, but it finally happened.  Of course I picked my boy Charmander to be my starter.  I have only been able to play the game a little bit, but what I've seen I've enjoyed.  I wouldn't be exaggerating if I say my wife drove me around the neighborhood on our way home one night, just so I could see what I could find...  I can not confirm or deny if we stopped in the middle of the road to catch a Rattata...

So my post isn't a review of the game, but me saying how amazing of an impact I think the game has had.  I have seen TONS of people in my Facebook feed and my Twitter feed that are playing the game.  A lot of these people aren't people you would expect to be playing Pokemon!  I have seen people walking through my neighborhood playing and literally had a car stop, the passenger look around on their phone, flick the screen (throwing their Pokeball!), and then drive off.  

I think it's great that the game has people going around town, getting people moving outside, and being nice to one another.  I've seen countless accounts on my Facebook feed where people have met other people playing and being helpful to one another.  Brittany and I saw about 30 people standing outside of a restaurant playing because it was a PokeStop with a lure.  Pokemon Go may be short lived for the general population, but for the time being I've been amazed.  There may be other games that are "better" but I'm yet to see ANY mobile game have this kind of influence.  I've been very impressed and I hope this isn't a short lived phenomenon.  

Go Team Red!  Gotta Catch 'em All!!