Some Tips and Thoughts After 4 Days of Pokemon GO
So since the game first came out, I’ve been playing the game pretty obsessively, and in the past 4 days I’ve learned quite a few things that online articles don’t talk about. There is now tons of content about curve balls and other tips, but this is the stuff that I’ve learned that really helps when you want to become a Pokemon Master.
Areas Where Lots of Pokemon Are
I have noticed that on average, around my little suburban neighborhood, there aren’t too many Pokemon, and on average, they’re not that rare. If you look at the “Nearby” Pokemon list, I will usually see about four Pokemon near me at any given time. Sometimes I will find a more unusual or rare Pokemon, but it’s few in far between. However, I see way more Pokemon, and usually more unusual and rarer Pokemon, in three different key areas.
First, Parks, and anywhere where the map is dark green is usually teeming with Pokemon. My “Nearby” amount increases by at least two or three when I am in those locations.
Two, high population areas (more on this down below). Wherever there are lots and lots of people at any given moment, there are bound to be a decent amount of Pokemon near by. Shopping centers, theme parks, event centers, you name it. In these areas my “Nearby” amount was usually maxed out, and I caught loads of Pokemon. Not only that, but in these areas, there are usually lots of other trainers dropping modules on Pokestops, so that only makes the catching all the easier.
Third, major points of interest. While Pokestops are usually placed at “Points of Interest” there is a difference between a funky piece of art on the outskirts of town, and Times Square. In these places, Pokemon encounters are common and frequent. I live in Denver, and when I wen’t down to the !6th Street Mall today, not only did I catch A TON of Pokemon, but almost all of them were quite high in CP.
Now we all knew that Micro-transactions were going to be a part of the game ever since they announced it was going to be a free app. The question we have been asking though was if it would break the game, and make it pay to win or not. Well the answer is ... sorta? You see, while you could drop a ton of money on a bunch of crazy items, catch a ton of Pokemon, level up to godly status, and be the gym leader of every gym in your area, that wouldn’t exactly be “winning”. You see the truth is the things I find most fulfilling about the game isn’t being the best, it’s about being together. This game, while fun on your own, is AMAZING with friends. Running around, catching Pokemon together, battling gyms together, is everything that the original Pokemon games were missing. Sure we could trade Pokemon, and battle each other, but we couldn’t work together quite like in this game. So no, I don’t think it’s “Pay to Win”, but the Micro-transactions can feel a little annoying at first. However, there are ways to avoid paying money, and still get some useful items.
Densely populated areas are FILLED WITH POKESTOPS. I went to downtown Denver today and I swear, there were at least 3 Pokestops per block. In one day I caught a TON of Pokemon and I still have 60 Pokeballs in my items. These areas are a must hit if you’re broke AF and need to restock on items.
Hit up gyms. Battle your own team’s, or another’s, but you will always get items, even if you lose. I’ve gotten some great items from losing at gyms, and you can challenge them as many times as you want.
If you are gonna spend your money, use them on Pokeballs. I run through these faster than anything else. I’ve mostly been focusing on catching Pokemon as opposed to battling so far, and I can tell you that rarer and harder to catch Pokemon will EAT your Pokeballs for breakfast. I don’t have the best aim, so this only makes things worse. You can get 20 Pokeballs for a dollar (good deal in my opinion), and they are hella convenient when you just found a Pikachu for the first time (this happened to me).
Last, but certainly not least, I really would recommend using this awesome map to report Pokemon sightings. One of the biggest things that annoys me about this game is NOT KNOWING WHAT POKEMON ARE USUALLY IN YOUR AREA!!!! It’s frustrating because this has been an important part of Pokemon games for a very long time. You want to catch them all? Know where THE F@#K to look for those THREE POKEMON you’re missing. Seriously, help your fellow Trainers, and yourselves here.
So I hoped you liked this Tips and Thoughts post. Be sure to follow and share, and I will post some Team Aspen related updates soon. Train on!
