Thread XXVI: Pokemon Go Outside. Please. Just Go outside. We're begging you.

[boj0]

Spoiler: New Stuff

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I am definitely a fan of the new abilities being added to the game, while they seem to be different versions of existing ones (Stamina is a Def version of Speed Boost, Triage is Gale Wings/Prankster for recovery moves) they do add some variety and flavor to the new Pokémon. Also, Mudsdale looks really neat.

[cobaltstarfire]

I've only actually beaten one Gym, and it was because I had caught a 300+ CP Pinsir plus others and this Gym somehow had only a 200+ CP Weepinbell defending it. Pretty much every other Gym I find has multiple defenders, at least one of which has over 1000 CP, and inevitably at least one Eeveelution.

When you attack gyms even if you don't beat all the pokemon if you beat at least one the prestige goes down, if you have the resources to attack the gym multiple times you can whittle down their prestige until they can no longer have more than one or two pokemon stationed at it. At which point you can just dogpile the last pokemon left at it.


That's what I did for the one gym I was actually able to approach anyway, only problem in my case is that I use an ipod and was relying on a stores lousy wifi, while whoever had the gym was camping it. They'd always reclaim the gym before I got a chance to claim it myself.

[Grinner]

The problem with that is... after the first 30 minutes, I don't think it does anything beyond cosmetically.

Makes sense. I've spent some time imagining how the servers are constructed, and that seems to fit.

Wild Pokemon are basically GPS markers. Lure Modules and Incense cause more of these GPS markers to be spawned in the immediate area of a particular GPS location (either the known location of a PokeStop for Lure Modules or a player's location for Incense) for a set duration. That duration is probably tracked by a server-side timer, since the server is probably the thing actually responsible for spawning Pokemon.

[Erloas]

I've been playing a little, very little really because the wife says the last thing I need is another mobile game obsession. But I've never really played Pokemon, never a fan of the hand-helds and didn't have any Nintendo system after the NES. So I know that you catch them and they can fight and they have strengths and weaknesses but I don't really know anything else. Like why would I catch a bunch of the same and what do I do with the extras. Which types should I try to level up and evolve, and how I do any of that.

[Grinner]

Like why would I catch a bunch of the same and what do I do with the extras.

That threw me too. Turns out you can trade in the extras for "candies" using the Transfer option...

Which types should I try to level up and evolve, and how I do any of that.

...and these candies can be used to evolve and/or power up your other Pokemon. Note that candies are specific to each variety of Pokemon, so you can't use a Pidgey candy on a Weedle, for instance.

To be an effective Trainer, you need all sorts of Pokemon.

[BiblioRook]

Just had a thought, I wonder how people would react to shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Go?

Spoiler: New stuff

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New 'Mons aren't wowing me as much as some of the previous reveals honestly. None of them are bad, but it's only common sense that all of them won't be super-exciting. Definably like the looks of Mudsdale though (like I need an excuse to like new Ground-types).

I don't know why, but the more I think of them the more I look forward to Bewear and Mimikyu...

[Flickerdart]

Just had a thought, I wonder how people would react to shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Go?

"Meh, the CP is too low, Transfer."

[Flickerdart]

If your best Pokemon is 300CP, you're not ready to fight gyms. You'll want to have guys in the 700+ range before you bother. It's possible to win with a low CP Pokemon by finger tapdancing around attacks, but it won't be fun. Neither is type all that important - there are no immunities, super-effective is only +25% damage, not-effective is only -20% damage, STAB may or may not exist.

Stardust is useful only if you have rare Pokemon. Yes, it's easier to evolve a new Pidgeot than to bump up your old Pidgeot, but you'll find the same strategy will not work with Blastoise, or Gyarados, while their component candy is very easy to come by. To catch better Pokemon than your local generic filler, find places with many people. You should focus on evolving and powering up only those Pokemon that are relatively common around you, so that you can reliably keep them competitive. It does nobody good to have a Magmar that will be the only Magmar you ever see, and then dump a few thousand Stardust into it, only to run out of Magmar Candy.

Beedril sucks, just like almost all bugs do in the main series, because of its low CP cap. But most Pokemon are competitive - I have used dirt-common Pidgeot and Golbat in their 700s to tear apart powerful 1000+ CP gyms full of Clefables, Vaporeons, Aerodactyls, and Snorlaxes. Yes, three or four of your guys will end the match knocked out even if you win. But potions and revives are easy to get (I regularly dispose of dozens because they clog up my bag).

[Hiro Protagonest]

How does a pokemon faint in Go? Whevern I get one back from defending a gym, it's at 1 HP. Pretty sure that the one time my pokemon got knocked out while attacking, it ended up with 1 HP. Haven't been able to use revives at all.

[Erloas]

Is candy shared between types, like one fire candy can feed other fire pokemon, or is a rattata candy only ever going to feed other rattata?

If it is the latter and I don't want/care to power up a rattata then the only reason to catch them is to get exp and stardust? And how do you get candy for the rare types?

I've also had a few times where I catch something and then it resets and shows them again, and a few times where it catches them and then just sits there. I assume I haven't done anything wrong and this is just a glitch or connection/server issue.

Right now I have:
Pidgey
Abra
Rattata
Mankey
Eevee
Geodude
Drowzee
Paras
Ponyta
and starter bulbasaur

And of those worth putting much effort into?

[BRC]

Is candy shared between types, like one fire candy can feed other fire pokemon, or is a rattata candy only ever going to feed other rattata?

If it is the latter and I don't want/care to power up a rattata then the only reason to catch them is to get exp and stardust? And how do you get candy for the rare types?

I've also had a few times where I catch something and then it resets and shows them again, and a few times where it catches them and then just sits there. I assume I haven't done anything wrong and this is just a glitch or connection/server issue.

Right now I have:
Pidgey
Abra
Rattata
Mankey
Eevee
Geodude
Drowzee
Paras
Ponyta
and starter bulbasaur

And of those worth putting much effort into?

Candy is shared between an evolution Chain.
Drowzee Candy is used by both Drowzees and Hypnos, but nothing else.

Catching a pokemon gets you 3 candy, hatching one gets you 10.

At low levels it's generally not worth it to upgrade or evolve your pokemon, since you'll likely just catch better ones later.

The best way to level up is via a method I've heard referred to as "The Cannon", where you catch massive numbers of common pokemon like Weedles and Pidgeys, until you have enough pokemon, and candy, for about 60 evolutions. Then you use a Lucky Egg (You get one at level 10 I think), to double XP gain for the next half hour, and spend all that time Evolving your pokemon. This will cause your level to rocket up.

The game is riddled with bugs, closing and restarting it when it freezes is just part of playing.

[Flickerdart]

Is candy shared between types, like one fire candy can feed other fire pokemon, or is a rattata candy only ever going to feed other rattata?

Rattata candy works on Rattata and Raticate. Pidgey candy works on Pidgey, Pidgeotto and Pidgeot. And so on. Pinsir candy works only on Pinsir.

If it is the latter and I don't want/care to power up a rattata then the only reason to catch them is to get exp and stardust? And how do you get candy for the rare types?

You can only get candy for rare Pokemon by capturing rare Pokemon. Catching more Rattata (and evolving them into Raticate) is only really useful for EXP.

I've also had a few times where I catch something and then it resets and shows them again, and a few times where it catches them and then just sits there. I assume I haven't done anything wrong and this is just a glitch or connection/server issue.

Yes, this is a glitch. Some people will say that to reduce the times the glitches happen, don't tap on the Pokemon on the map more than once (as soon as your controls along the bottom of the screen vanish, stop tapping) but this is dubious.

When the game freezes after you have thrown a ball, wait for the white Pokeball in the upper left corner to stop spinning and restart the app. Either you will have caught the Pokemon (recorded in your journal), or you'll see it on the map again.

Right now I have:
Pidgey
Abra
Rattata
Mankey
Eevee
Geodude
Drowzee
Paras
Ponyta
and starter bulbasaur

And of those worth putting much effort into?

No, because their CP is very low. By the time you are ready to fight gyms, you'll have caught better ones.

[Aotrs Commander]

Spoiler: More new pokemon

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There is also a thing called Hyper Training. It is a physical location in Alola, requires an item called Bottle Caps as a currency and seems to let you alter your pokemon's IV's. Which is just nuts. Apparently it only works on mon at level 100.

Spoiler

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I think that largely obiviates it for anyone outside of competative use though. For people that breed for actual teams to play in-game, that's kinda pointless.

Hell, aside from grinding up in the Gamecube games - from level 70 starts - I've never HAD a level 100 Pokemon.

[Flickerdart]

How does a pokemon faint in Go? Whevern I get one back from defending a gym, it's at 1 HP. Pretty sure that the one time my pokemon got knocked out while attacking, it ended up with 1 HP. Haven't been able to use revives at all.

Pokemon that are defeated training at a friendly gym end up at 1 HP.
Pokemon that are defeated while defending a gym end up at 1 HP.
Pokemon that are defeated when assaulting an enemy gym faint.

For this reason, Revives are not terribly useful. I throw out all but 20 when I need to clear my inventory.

[The Glyphstone]

Anyone know what levels you can start getting better items from Pokestops? I'm interested in stuff like extra Incense in particular, I'm still in the range of getting nothing but balls, Revives, and Potions.

[noparlpf]

Somewhere around 10-12 I started to get super potions and great balls. I kind of doubt you can actually get free incense or lucky eggs from Pokéstops, though.

[Flickerdart]

Anyone know what levels you can start getting better items from Pokestops? I'm interested in stuff like extra Incense in particular, I'm still in the range of getting nothing but balls, Revives, and Potions.

Pokestops will never dispense Incense, Incubators, Lures, coins, or storage expansions. They can only ever dispense potions (up to Max), balls (up to Ultra), revives (up to Max), berries (currently Razz only), and eggs (2, 5, or 10 km).

In order to get better grade of ball or medicine, you need to have earned it as a level-up reward. So for example, you'll never get Ultra Balls from stops until you reach level 20.

[The Glyphstone]

Alright, I had bad info then, I had heard you could get Incense/Lucky Eggs from stops.

[noparlpf]

I think you get a free three-use incubator every 5th level after 10?

[Flickerdart]

Alright, I had bad info then, I had heard you could get Incense/Lucky Eggs from stops.

The only ways to get Incense/Lucky Eggs without paying for them are:

• Level-up bonuses
• Defending gyms for 10 coins per defender per day

However, good luck getting more than 10 coins per day out of gyms - it's so much easier to beat a gym than to defend it that any remotely active gym will be dethroned in minutes. I usually bust a gym and then immediately redeem the daily bonus with 1 defending Pokemon, because I'm afraid that while I go try and conquer another gym, my defender will be bumped off by OP Vaporeons.

[The Glyphstone]

Yeah, I'm nowhere near strong enough to be attacking gyms yet. I'll just have to ration my remaining Incense really carefully, and keep slowly building up my collection of birds and rats.

[cobaltstarfire]

The only ways to get Incense/Lucky Eggs without paying for them are:

• Level-up bonuses
• Defending gyms for 10 coins per defender per day

However, good luck getting more than 10 coins per day out of gyms - it's so much easier to beat a gym than to defend it that any remotely active gym will be dethroned in minutes. I usually bust a gym and then immediately redeem the daily bonus with 1 defending Pokemon, because I'm afraid that while I go try and conquer another gym, my defender will be bumped off by OP Vaporeons.

There's a gym near my house that was held down by blue for several days earlier this week...though I think both the red and blue people who take over that gym are also employees there (the gym is in the middle of an IBM office complex...with 5 pokestops too, I wonder if productivity has gone down over there lol). Blue has more players with 1500-2000+ cp pokemon of several different types. Either way that gym is always up to at least 4 trainer slots.

Sometimes yellow players will take over the gym at night, but only ever at night, as soon as its work hours someone from Red or Blue take it back.

So you only get coins from gyms if your pokemon defeats an attacker? I was under the impression that you got coins based on the amount of time you held the gym down. Or is it both?

[Hiro Protagonest]

So you only get coins from gyms if your pokemon defeats an attacker? I was under the impression that you got coins based on the amount of time you held the gym down. Or is it both?

It's neither. It's just how many pokemon you have placed at gyms at the moment you collect (can collect once every 21 hours).

[The Glyphstone]

And you have to defeat the gym's entire defending lineup in order to get coins from being the new defender, right?

[cobaltstarfire]

It's neither. It's just how many pokemon you have placed at gyms at the moment you collect (can collect once every 21 hours).

Ahh I see, I haven't managed to put my pokemon into a gym yet (only one I've been able to approach was being camped, and my internet too slow to put anything in after defeating whoever was holding it)

[Yuki Akuma]

And you have to defeat the gym's entire defending lineup in order to get coins from being the new defender, right?

Not necessarily. You need to reduce their Prestige to zero, which is done by beating up the defending 'mon, but you don't have to knock all of them out in one try.

[The Glyphstone]

What about existing defenders? I just took a walk down the street to a gym that was currently blue, and shoved my strongest pokemon into the #2 defender slot. Does that make me eligible for coins after the 24-hour wait period has elapsed?

[Yuki Akuma]

21 hours, and yes, every defender gets coins. Increase your gym's prestige! It helps your teammates.

[The Glyphstone]

But if it changes hands before that 21-hour time period, then I get nothing, from what I understand. Fingers crossed, I guess.

Never mind, I discovered that gyms pay out in the Shop Window, of all places.

[OracleofWuffing]

I just picked up OmegaRuby. It seems good so far.

I was really hoping to play through with some of my favs though. I don't suppose anyone would be willing to trade me a Houndour?

You're still showing as a provisional friend on my system. Don't forget to add my friend code- 2234-7142-0224 from the spoiler list somewhere on the first page- so we can trade.