"What's good against this thing?"
If you have to ask that question, please don't be playing this game. If you're raiding then you've been playing long enough and you should know. Anyone else also feel this way?
Answers
Seriously. Casuals asking the question and me politely, factually answering increase the odds of the group bringing it down and encourage them to come along for more raids. Being a dick and chastising them for a Blissey squad doesn't make their participation in the future more likely. It's a game... some people are really into all of the particulars and some aren't. No need to be a jerk.
If no one is asking the question, I'll sometimes start answering it anyway in case there is anyone that doesn't even know to ask the question. I've seen one person a few times that will ask what is good even though I think he already knows, probably for a similar reason of helping others pick their teams because after someone identifies the ideal counter he will start listing off some of the other lower counters that helps people that don't have enough of the ideal counters.
I do not feel this way
And if they don't ask that how will they get better or beat the raid if there aren't a lot of experienced players
What does irk me is when somebody asks that question and then somebody else gives an incorrect response
"What's good against Lapras?"
"Use fire types because ice types don't do a lot of damage to them"
...
"No, lapras is also a water type hybrid which means it could have water-type attacks"
Players that also spread rumors also irk me "Nobody press OK once you catch your legendary!"
"The more players in a raid the better the rewards"
"Use a nanab Berry and then a golden razz and then a nanab again and it will catch it"
I feel like Go, compared to the main series, contains a greater proportion of casual players
There are overlooked options as well. The biggest example is a bite gary against lugia. This was extra helpful with HP Lugia.
You also get this question from casual players with limited options. For whatever reason, near me the game is getting a second wind, with a lot of level 18 to 25 players. They have one golem, two vaporeon, maybe one dragonite. At times, their best sixth option was a level 20 legendary bird from a raid earlier that day. In that case, it is the same question, but a different answer (if that makes sense)
I collected cards before pogo, never played the gameboy games, and grew out of the cards by time gen 2 came out. So at first, I was completely lost when gen 2 pogo came out. However, with just a bit of research and a pogo mons database app, I'm easily able to avoid asking these questions and even provide answers to these questions.
Only when I'm talking to someone I've talked to before, and they're asking the same questions that I've already answered.
Otherwise, I don't expect players to know as much as I do - and I consider myself a Filthy Casual. I come here regularly, I research (since I've got some time to do that when I'm at work) what I need, so I'm slightly better informed than most. But it's taken me almost a full year to reach Level 35, I've only caught 7 Legendary Pokémon, I only get in on 3-4 raids a week, I barely take down any gyms (less now than before, ironically enough) and I've only pumped about $30 into the game to buy coins when there was great deals (like the 16 raid passes for 1400 coins-ish when Legendary Pokémon were released), etc. If I catch 30 Pokémon a day, it's been a slow day at work and I've had time to catch things while between tasks.
So I don't expect people to know more about the game than I do. Or even as much of the game as I do, regardless of what level they're at.
I completely agree, I can't believe how many noobs to Pokemon came through this game. A couple weeks ago while I was at a Moltres raid, someone said they were going to be traveling to Hawaii and then I said "oh cool, going to check out the Alola region?", and only one other person got what I was referencing. It's kind of sad to be honest.
As many others have said, I'm happy to help even the most casual players pick their teams when asked. It shows they want to contribute and have fun like everyone else. But also, even I've asked it before but usually to myself or, if out loud, for a sanity check. And that's for one reason: raid fatigue.
I've been playing Go since week one, have played through both Sun and Moon, and have studied Pokémon stats as if it's a second career. But I'm a bit burned out from non-stop raiding (self-imposed exhaustion for sure but still real) and can suffer from a total brain freeze at the worst possible moment.
So bottom line: don't be a judgmental prick.
The only time I got salty with someone was after their 8th question as we were all putting in our lineups. But what I told him was the truth. Whether he used a 900 point Noctowl or an 800 point Machoke in our Ttar raid (he didn't have a Machamp) wasn't really going to matter compared to what the level 35 players were going to do and he should use his best fighting mons and if he didn't know what those were we couldn't spend the time going through his roster for him.
I will admit I have gotten a bit selfish
I will not give out excess information if I am in doubt of the number of balls I will get if I know we are going to beat say Suicine at the moment, I am happy for them to take their tyrantars. If the group is small I usually know the people I am raiding with and most of them will not use blatantly wrong mons.
If it is a casual player of same team I might speak up more to increase the odds of getting team contribution balls.
I wasn't as selfish before the rewards nerf but now I am.
Unless it's a little kid then I can't help it (to help them)
Maybe OP started out playing this game as an expert, but I know I was a clueless noob; when I saw my one and only wild D'nite 3 weeks after starting, I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with a pokeball and needed my 11-year-old son to catch her. I also asked some pretty dumb questions on this board, but everyone (well, most, there is always a troll ;) was kind and patiently offered his or her expert advice. So now, at level 37, I think I've learned a few things and love to share that knowledge with less experienced players.
I would absolutely love to have a few low level players available for a t4 or t5 raid... I would teach them all I know and even help them catch the raid boss. Because it does me no good to be high level with great counters if the numbers just aren't there... and I still don't have even a single legendary. Which means I'm far from a pro, and I'm certainly not going to look down on lower level players who are eager to learn.
