Gamepress' newest article
https://pokemongo.gamepress.gg/why-i-don-t-participate-pvp
To be honest it isn't just pvp. The entire game at this state is just a horrid waste of time that forces me to go out for 12-13 hours while i can spend that time writing a fanfic, listening to music and stuff. The only thing that keeps me going is that the vanity of owning a fan favorite pokemon that everyone knows and loves, such as say, Lucario, Gardevoir, Latias.....There is otherwise very little point in trying anything.
Legendary raids are too easy with a crowd of 20 or impossible in various areas because of a lack of players. Despite having low base catch rate, Perfect throwing will boost the cumulative catch rate of legendaries to over 90%.
Gym battles are definite victories with nearly any half decent pokemon and gyms are in fact impossible to take down in my area, in other areas they might be the only entertaining aspect because of how easy is it to keep defenders in those places.
Solo tier 3 raids are not worth mentioning. I can beat a Machamp solo with a combination of any half decent flying, psychic or fairy pokemon.
Grinding Stardust is a hell to boot when every pokemon perfectly counters half of the balls thrown by jumping or attacking, flees after first throw if they break out around one thirds of the time and pokestops only drop red balls if you run out of them. Fast catch method soothes this a bit however.
Shiny hunting is overrated and pointless as bad iv, bad species shinies are just worthless slot cloggers.
All this for getting some fan favorites for display....
Answers
to Your post:
We all play this game to achieve different goals. For me it’s to max a team of 6 for all types. For you it can be something else. You don’t have to chain yourself to it 12-13 hours to achieve these goals, they take some patience and perseverance, not recklessness.
To the GP article:
I wholeheartedly agree. The PVP system is good for nothing and if you actually watched a game of VGC or played a game, you’ll see a whole new level of play compared to this senseless button mashing with no strategy whatsoever
In the defense of PvP in GO, which I agree is just senseless button mashing, theres a lot of differences in VGC, mostly status moves and abilities and to a lesser or possible greater extent, speed and move side effects, the mechanics are completely different. Those not being present, and GO being more simplified (albeit somewhat poorly and making for a massive imbalance) a good number of pokemon are build on status moves and abilities, it was executed poorly, but without those other features, it likely wouldn't be anything beyind button mashing unless they made GO's PVP more or less the same as main series. Again, I agree PvP was poorly done, but there may not have been a 'good' way to make it anything other than a button mash fest
I think PvP is great & adds alot to the game but could be so much better. As the article points out, to do PvP correctly & build meta relevant teams, the stardust/candies cost is a major barrier for the average player. How can you hope to compete with players who have the resources to spend on second charge moves? These players are a very small minority & it has built up a 'why should I even bother' culture among everyone else. I don't know why these costs are so high, it was bound to create divisions & it has. I think PvP is so suited to an in game matchmaking system which would help to break down some of these barriers & really kick start it. Quickfire battles, better rewards & great fun without the nonsence we have now of actually finding people willing to battle on a daily basis. If they aren't willing to give us that, at least give us a PvP ready indicator next to the names on our friends list. It really is ridiculous with the huge playerbase Pogo has, that we are scratching around for battles like we are now.
I agree that the button mashing to power up the charge moves is annoying (though the mindless tapping is kinda how this game has always been, so it shouldn't be a shock).
However, to your comment about PvP involving "no strategy whatsoever," I don't think you could be more inaccurate. Does it have the complexities of main series PvP? Nope, not even close. But to say that it is entirely devoid of any strategy is hardly accurate.
This is so much right. I've battled against many different trainer profiles in my area, and one thing is clear: those who fully understand type effectiveness and TDO are extremely ahead even if they don't buy 2nd charged moves. Most of us do only the cheap 10k/25c ones, and it's enough to make it surprising and fun. Sure, the top hardcore trainers in the area are still top there, but Great League has brought us so many good battles even with that.
If only the charged move wasn't necessary to be "charged" with bang-bang-bang on the screen, it would be a nearly perfect feature for a mobile game of this kind. About people looking for the complexity of the handhelds... I wonder, why don't they simply play the handhelds?
I am hopeful that PvP, like many other game features, is evolving. Gyms went through a few iterations before we got what we have now (and could possibly use a few more). Raids have changed several times.
I think it's a matter of time before they introduce something closer to dodging for PvP, but they have to worry about laggy phones vs. fast phones, crowded cells vs. nearly empty cells (cell phone cells, that is), etc. I anticipate PvP getting better going forward. I hope it's enough to make it more fun than it is now.
I've been playing since July 2016 and I have one legendary that I caught -- Heatran. I've been in two raids ever -- both Heatran. The other legendaries that I have are from research tasks and the mythic quests.
I play this game because it gives me a reason to walk. Listening to podcasts and plodding left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot for ~35 miles a week (average) is plenty boring after a few miles. PokemonGo keeps me going.
I wish there was a way to flag myself for PVP so as I'm walking, my phone might vibrate and I have the option of playing against another trainer. Perhaps there will be some day. I've yet to actually PVP against another trainer.
I want the game to have more incentives to hold multiple gyms. Clearing out gyms is tedious -- there's nothing I cant crush with my perfect Machamp, perfect Rhyperior, perfect Gyarados, perfect Electrive, and soon-to-be perfect Mamoswine. It's probably more tedious, albeit for slightly different reasons, for trainers with an impressive roster of legendaries. Doubling the HP of defending Pokemon was a good idea, but it's not enough. Not that defending Pokemon need more HP -- but they need something other than making every Pokemon into a dull mash-fest that is clearing out a gym with Blissey, Chansey, and Snorlax. There needs to be more incentive to want to clear gyms, but also more incentive to want to hold more gyms (stardust on victory, stardust, candy, or potions when pokemon are kicked out of the gym -- after the 50 coins).
Anyway ... I still find the game entertaining (and I'm sure I've spent over $500 but not yet $1000 on it), but primarily as a means to an end (being more active).
To be honest you don't need to play that much, that's half a day. When do you even sleep or eat. Spending that much time on a game like this you are bound to get exhausted, frustrated and bored.
Personally I'm just playing it on my way to work, sometimes for raids and during 3h events exclusively.
I like battling in raids but it's a hassle to get people to join. After the battle it's damn frustrating, you are expecting a good cp, you are expecting it to stay in ball, which is a more of a burden on nerves than a fun activity.
Yeah... I totally pictured you as the kind of frustrated, short-fused kid that would write fanfic hahaha
Half the things you listed you portray them as being too easy and the rest as too difficult, when in reality they are just mild inconveniences that you could easily avert.
First of all, are you insane? 12-13 hours?! No wonder why you are sick and tired of this thing. That would make anyone sick and tired of anything. Go ahead and spend a non-interrupted half a day on ANY other activity and see how that goes. You need a life, man. Or a friend, jesus...
If legendary raids are too easy in big groups (duh!) then try short-manning them, what is so difficult about that? Befriend a few players and do simple challenges like this together. Why are you even complaining about this? This is your own fault for being lazy and mediocre. Even after the HP increase on raid bosses, many tier 5's can still be duo'd and trio'd so that other argument is also mediocre.
Gym battles are easy but it is not about them being easy, especially for someone who plays 12-13 hours per day (again, duh!), but rather that a big margin of the player base has reached that point where they can take down any gym with enough time and patience (patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset; you might want to learn that word and engrave it onto your retinas). And any gym can be taken down, trust me. Golden razz berries are a finite resource, even for spoofers.
"Solo tier 3 raids are not worth mentioning."
Again, you are a victim of your own fault in regards to the easiness of raids for an addict like you. You keep bamboozling yourself like a dog chasing after its own tail.
About the point about pokeballs, I think you just suck. There's not much to it. You suck at throwing and that, combined with your childish insecurities and low tolerance for failure, make a bad combination. Git gud nub.
And regarding the last point... then... just... don't... hunt for shinies? Maybe? Or transfer your bad ones? What is the complaint here? You are in complete control of that aspect of the game and how it affects you. Are you daft?
