Pokemon go has been out for a couple days now and has become the number one downloaded mobile game in a matter of minutes. This is a game made for all ages, even if you are not a big fan of Pokemon. However, this game is harder than you thought. There are some things that Niantic has not told the player base that we have had to figure out ourselves. Here are ten things that fit this category.
1. The servers are taking a beating - This is a new game, coupled with the fact that there are massive amounts of players on these servers. It's no wonder why the servers are down for fair amounts of time. The release week hasn't been very great in terms of server status, but we all expect that this problem will be fixed as the days go by.
2. Pokemon nearby - In the lower right hand corner of the screen, it tells the player what Pokemon are nearby, showing footsteps that represent how far away the Pokemon is (more footsteps = farther away). However, if you click on one of the Pokemon in the nearby menu, the grey box will blink when the player walks in the direction of that Pokemon. That way, the player knows what way to go in order to find and catch that Pokemon.
3. Pokeball spinning - Everyone knows that if you flick the pokeball when trying to catch a Pokemon, the pokeball will go in that direction. But did you know that if you spin the pokeball with your finger before you throw it, it will give that pokeball a higher chance to catch the Pokemon that you are trying to catch. However, the pokeball will curve in a direction, making the pokeball harder to aim. So use this with caution and make sure to practice!
4. CP goes up when you evolve Pokemon - When you evolve a Pokemon, that Pokemon's CP will go up as well. However, as of right now, it is hard to determine whether you should power up your Pokemon and then evolve it or vice versa. But the CP will go up if you evolve it, sometimes significantly.
5. Pokemon Rarity - As your trainer levels up, you will also encounter stronger Pokemon, just like in the games. The Pokemon you encounter will have higher CP. Not only that, but you will also encounter rarer Pokemon more frequently as you level up. And these rarer Pokemon will also have higher CP as well.
6. Gym Defender Bonus - If you take a gym for your team (after level 5), your team will being control of that gym. You can then put a Pokemon in that gym to defend it. This is stuff you should know. But did you know that if you click on the pokeball in the bottom middle of the screen and then click the Shop button, there will be a green and white shield at the top right of the screen. If you are helping to defend a gym or gyms, you can click this and get items, money, stardust, or a combo of the three.
7. Special moves in battle - Battles are rather straightforward. Dodge by swiping left and right, attack by tapping the screen. This seems easy enough. However, did you know that you have a special move that your Pokemon can use during combat? As you attack, your Pokemon generated bars in a meter near the top left side of the screen. Once that reaches a certain point (that point is different per Pokemon), that Pokemon can use its special move. You can then use this move by holding down on the screen and then releasing.
8. Battery Saver - Pokemon GO drains a lot of phone battery! However, you can help alleviate all this pressure on your battery by turning on the battery saver option in the options in the game. If this is turned on, whenever you turn your phone upside down or flat on a surface, the screen will go black with a faint Pokemon Go logo on the screen. The app will still show you notifications on your phone and in the game.
I hope these tips and tricks help you al out on your enever ending question to become Pokemon Masters!