Pokémon Go

[smithcommajohn]

I'm surprised this game hasn't received any mention here. I got onboard a little late, but have found myself hooked on this silly game. Anyone else?

My current stats:

Level: 20
Caught: 61
Seen: 62
Strongest: Flareon CP 1174

I've seen a lot of people with lower levels having stronger Pokémon, so I'm probably doing something wrong.

 

[Sinny91]

I was considering playing, as and when I experienced some nostalgic thoughts in regards to my old Game Boy days...

But, I've decided I'm not going to...

Mainly because I can't be bothered
Followed up by the fact it's become so mainstream, I wouldn't dare do anything the (m)asses are doing.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

I haven't played, though I find a great deal of amusement observing the phenomenon unfold.

It's questionable whether this can be considered a "game", it was designed to be an addictive "level up" activity to occupy the mind with endless mode and illusion of progress.

Interesting how it affects reality, how random crowds of teenagers appear in arbitrary locations to claim a gym, how they explore the wilderness or leave home at night just to satisfy an in-game objective. How other passerby's can't understand what the child/adult players are doing, how they interact with one another (or usually how they ignore one another), what makes them waste so much time and effort on superficial results.

 

[Sinny91]

Yea it's 'augmented reality', and I've heard that Google will be pioneering the next mainstream installments of technology based on the same concept.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/augmented-reality

 

[smithcommajohn]

I haven't played, though I find a great deal of amusement observing the phenomenon unfold.

It's questionable whether this can be considered a "game", it was designed to be an addictive "level up" activity to occupy the mind with endless mode and illusion of progress.

Interesting how it affects reality, how random crowds of teenagers appear in arbitrary locations to claim a gym, how they explore the wilderness or leave home at night just to satisfy an in-game objective.

My first experience with it...

A little over 2 weeks ago I was out with friends for dinner and some drinking (unusual for me, but fun nonetheless). We had been sitting on a pier for awhile and were walking back. We noticed a huge mass of teenagers (mainly) hanging out by some public restrooms. This was about 1am-ish, so a little confusing. I blurted out "They must be playing Pokémon." Turns out I was right. We all lol'd about it and I decided I must see what the hype is about.... oops, got hooked.

 

[smithcommajohn]

Yea it's an 'augmented reality', and I've heard that Google will be pioneering the next mainstream installments of technology based on the same concept.

The augmented reality is annoying and impacts gameplay, so most, including myself, turn it off.

 

[Pyropyro]

The game is still not released in my country but my question is:

Which team should I enter?

 

[smithcommajohn]

The game is still not released in my country but my question is:

Which team should I enter?

Team Mystic, imo.

 

[Hadoblado]

Team mystic: 42% of population
Team instinct: 25% of population
Team Valour: 33% of population

I don't play, I just randomly know things. What faction your friends joined, and the proportion of players in a team are the only relevant factor afaik, but you may want to look up your local stats rather than rely on global (and you might also wanna doublecheck).

My thoughts on this mirror Blar's. It's super interesting, but more from a social engineering perspective. It's hardcore skinnerboxing. People are saying that the gameplay will improve but I don't really see the scope for giving it compelling gameplay that is still accessible to such a wide audience. I'm kind of disappointed they didn't emphasise the geographic elements more - they could have conned people into being worldy as fuck by leashing species to different continents. I spose they were fairly ambitious and they'd need to demonstrate the principle before aiming even higher. Oh well.

 

[The Gopher]

Team Instinct has the best PR team.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

I'm surprised this game hasn't received any mention here.

There was some talk about it in another thread but at the time it was (iirc) a troll-y derail.

My current stats:

Level: 20
Caught: 61
Seen: 62
Strongest: Flareon CP 1174

I've seen a lot of people with lower levels having stronger Pokémon, so I'm probably doing something wrong.

Level: 21
Caught: 105
Seen: 110
Strongest: 1658 Arcanine (but my real pride is my 1524 Vaporeon. I can absolutely wreck gyms with his speed)

It's weird, around here (CA central coast) it seems like Growlithes/Arcanines are pretty much the most common high level pokemon (although the Dragonites and Gyaradoses are starting to show up more). I've heard that the east coast has a higher representation of Drowzees/Hypnos, though, to the same saturation as Arcanines over here.

I haven't played, though I find a great deal of amusement observing the phenomenon unfold.

It's questionable whether this can be considered a "game", it was designed to be an addictive "level up" activity to occupy the mind with endless mode and illusion of progress.

Interesting how it affects reality, how random crowds of teenagers appear in arbitrary locations to claim a gym, how they explore the wilderness or leave home at night just to satisfy an in-game objective. How other passerby's can't understand what the child/adult players are doing, how they interact with one another (or usually how they ignore one another), what makes them waste so much time and effort on superficial results.

Yeah, it's not really a game. I don't play it for the gameplay, even. The entire draw of the game is in the social phenomenon. The first night I played (I think that was the third night after the game's release) we went to this park where 60 or so people were all pacing around with lures set up and we just shot the shit with a bunch of strangers until the cops rolled up and told us to fuck off.

I think it's fucking beautiful that I can go down to the Pismo pier and see literally 100+ people all crowded around the same area with their phones out, yelling(in the kindest way possible) pseudo-gang affiliations at each other.

Which team should I enter?

Anything but Valor.

Some more reading material to help inform your choice:

Spoiler

Team Mystic, imo.

Instinct is better, but I respect that you aren't Valor.

Team Instinct has the best PR team.

Instinct is just the best in general.

Me and most of my friends who play are all Instinct. The areas we usually play are almost always under valor/mystic control mainly due to their sheer force of numbers but our "Yellow Fucksquad" as we've come to call it all have very capable pokemens so we'll just go out in a gang sometimes and leave a train of yellow destruction in our wake.

 

[Pyropyro]

@Cheeseumpuffs

I see if I choose Valor then the commies will win. We can't have that.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

It's super interesting, but more from a social engineering perspective. It's hardcore skinnerboxing.

I wanted to link a Skinnerian analysis of progress addiction design, but I thought it would be a bit condescending, cognitively at least.

I think it's fucking beautiful that I can go down to the Pismo pier and see literally 100+ people all crowded around the same area with their phones out, yelling(in the kindest way possible) pseudo-gang affiliations at each other.

Is it really social though? Do you interact with those people besides the bare necessity of shouting which pokemon is nearby or exchanging a few words?

The game is still not released in my country but my question is:

This doesn't stop everyone in my country from playing on a "modified" version which circumvents release restrictions. If you dig around you'll find a way.

Still I hardly recommend it, unless you want to give up control over your time to the most instinctual mechanisms in your brain.

 

[Sinny91]

Still I hardly recommend it, unless you want to give up control over your time to the most instinctual mechanisms in your brain.

Reptilian agenda.. I've been saying all along

haha.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

Is it really social though? Do you interact with those people besides the bare necessity of shouting which pokemon is nearby or exchanging a few words?

Isn't that what being social is? Exchanging words? Offering occasional help/input? Forming a connection, no matter how insignificant and tenuous, between yourself and another human being?

Sure, the app is dumb and it doesn't really matter and in another month no one will give a shit about it and some (you) might say that makes it all a waste and that it's building a false pretense of socialization. But socializing is all false pretense. Who really gives a shit if it's meaningless for me to debate with a stranger whether or not it's better to power up your pokemon before or after you evolve it? We're discussing strategy, throwing out hypotheses, determining the validity of the millions of rumors the game has created. We're making new connections with new people. We're reforming old connections with people we haven't seen in forever who are also playing.

Everyone knows that it isn't a game. Everyone knows that the entire premise of the app is that if they pull the right levers for long enough they'll get food.

But that doesn't fucking matter. It's bringing people together and, as long as it does that, does it really matter what the fundamental basis of that socialization is?

Still I hardly recommend it, unless you want to give up control over your time to the most instinctual mechanisms in your brain.

The only people who have "given up control of their time" to pokemon go are the people who already have so much trouble with their "instinctual mechanisms" that their time was essentially never under control. The vast majority of people playing Pokemon Go are perfectly in control of when to play and when not to.

(Edit: As a side query of mine, what exactly is wrong with indulging your "instinctual mechanisms"? I'm not necessarily challenging you on this, but I'm curious why you seem so against people trying to satisfy their inbred urges.)

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Isn't that what being social is? Exchanging words? Offering occasional help/input? Forming a connection, no matter how insignificant and tenuous, between yourself and another human being?

Just to clarify, I wasn't implying pokego isn't social, I was asking a question, looking to disseminate an example to the contrary. The rest of your reply are angry false assertions/strawmans on your part.

But socializing is all false pretense.

Not true.

The only people who have "given up control of their time" to pokemon go are the people who already have so much trouble with their "instinctual mechanisms" that their time was essentially never under control.

False.

I'm not necessarily challenging you on this,

You can't challenge me on this. It's not a discussion.

but I'm curious why you seem so against people trying to satisfy their inbred urges.)

I'm not, I merely view the majority of pokemon go players as doing something I wouldn't necessarily do.

Another thing is that it is preferable from my perspective, to understand our instincts and bend them to our will, not indulging too much but pursuing temperance.

Finally, I'd say games this mindlessly designed and activities that stem from such shouldn't ideally gain as much traction as they seem to get. I'd dismiss this game on the basis of its bad design only when deciding whether I should play it. By playing this game I'd be giving positive feedback to the developers that this is something they should supply in greater quantity.

 

[smithcommajohn]

Re: Social

As I was fighting a Poké Gym the other day a complete stranger came up and asked what team I was on. We were on the same team so we struck up a long conversation as we tore the gym down and discussed strategy on how to build it up. We made it level 6, just the two of us (I think that's impressive). Better yet, we had a good time until my phone died. I'm not super social, but the game definitely created a socializing event I would have never had before.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

Not true.

I disagree, but I don't really have the time or willpower to get into a disagreement about the fundamental nature of human socialization.

False.

Again, I disagree, but it's not worth my time or effort to try and convince anyone otherwise.

So, I guess we can probably just agree to disagree on those points.

You can't challenge me on this. It's not a discussion.

Well, I mean
1. This is a discussion. We are discussing, making this a discussion.
and
2. I could challenge you. (i.e. if I said "you are wrong, I disagree and here is why" that would be challenging you.)

I'm not, I merely view the majority of pokemon go players as doing something I wouldn't necessarily do.

And then are also trying to dissuade others from participating ("Still I hardly recommend it, unless you want to give up control over your time to the most instinctual mechanisms in your brain.") not by saying "I wouldn't do this, myself" but rather by (essentially, how I personally have perceived your words) saying "this app turns you into a beast with no control over your own ability to regulate your time" which I believe is demonstrably false.

Just to clarify, I wasn't implying pokego isn't social, I was asking a question. The rest of your reply are angry false assertions on your part.

lol no, none of my reply was angry haha. I don't do "angry" very well.

You said:
"Is it really social though? Do you interact with those people besides the bare necessity of shouting which pokemon is nearby or exchanging a few words?"
And I repsonded:
"Isn't that what being social is? Exchanging words? Offering occasional help/input? Forming a connection, no matter how insignificant and tenuous, between yourself and another human being?"

My interpretation of this exchange was that you had attempted to refute that it was social and then listed things you believed to be not social to which I responded by saying (essentially) that I believe everything you've said about the game is being social.


Edit: Oh, you sneaky boy, getting an edit in

Finally, I'd say games this mindlessly designed and activities that stem from such shouldn't ideally gain as much traction as they seem to get. I'd dismiss this game on the basis of its bad design only when deciding whether I should play it. By playing this game I'd be giving positive feedback to the developers that this is something they should supply in greater quantity.

Everyone is aware the game is mindless. Niantic actually made a nearly identical game to Pokemon Go a couple years back called Ingress. It's equally as dumb as pokemon go and basically the same minus one key element: The social aspect.

Ingress was largely ignored because it was dumb. Pokemon is not ignored because, while it is dumb, it is very good at fostering a social element.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Well, I mean
1. This is a discussion. We are discussing, making this a discussion.
and
2. I could challenge you. (i.e. if I said "you are wrong, I disagree and here is why" that would be challenging you.)

It's not a discussion until both parties agree to participate. I didn't and you also agree that you don't have the will to do it, ie. to persuade or prove/disprove your/other's points (that's what I meant by discussion that could be challengeable).

And then are also trying to dissuade others from participating ("Still I hardly recommend it, unless you want to give up control over your time to the most instinctual mechanisms in your brain.") not by saying "I wouldn't do this, myself" but rather by (essentially, how I personally have perceived your words) saying "this app turns you into a beast with no control over your own ability to regulate your time" which I believe is demonstrably false.

I feel perfectly free to discourage whomever I like. Note that I wouldn't try to dissuade you, I was addressing Pyro (not necessarily dissuading him, rather showing my reluctance to give advice about this game).

lol no, none of my reply was angry haha. I don't do "angry" very well.

Good, I don't care either way, I assumed something I said got to you since you reacted with quite a bit of commentary and occasional fucks and false generalisations. Maybe I was wrong, maybe you weren't irked by what I said.

Ingress was largely ignored because it was dumb. Pokemon is not ignored because, while it is dumb, it is very good at fostering a social element.

There's a lot of untapped potential in designing games around or according to social activities. So far pokego proves it by virtue of its success.

edit:
One final thought. If there weren't pokego, I think people would meet and discuss another trending fad they were a part of, not much would change with regards to discussing popular topics. As to the remainder of the social component I'll be closely monitoring what happens.

 

[The Gopher]

Good, I don't care either way, I assumed something I said got to you since you reacted with quite a bit of commentary and occasional fucks and false generalisations. Maybe I was wrong, maybe you weren't irked by what I said.

Just a side commentary it could just be because english is your second language (although you write better than I do I wouldn't have noticed unless you mentioned it) or maybe something to do with INTP'ness I'm not entirely sure... but you seem to take things in the wrong emotional context a lot. To be honest I'm not entirely sure why it happens, it's more of an enigma than anything else it's one of those things I still don't understand but I just see it happening a lot.

Anyway I probably should say something pokemon related. All the interesting famous people seemed to pick instinct and personally if I played the game I would pick it due to being the underdog.

 

[Rualani]

I went instinct due to being the underdog and because I thought the lightning type were the bees knees first gameplay. I loved Magnemite for same reason.

I had a moment at a park nearby, where a group of Go players and I headed out running through the park for a Drowzee. It was pretty fun, would rate it a 7 on the human socialization index.

 

[Pyropyro]

Reptilian agenda.. I've been saying all along

haha.

*Sceptilian agenda.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Just to show to what lengths people are going to be able to brag about their pokego account to their friends, or to be able to participate in the fad, there are auctions with pokego accounts and people are certainly buying accounts leveled up by someone else. Not to mention the in-game utilities that can be purchased with money which speed up xp gain and other statistics.

It's certainly something I noticed people do here, waste excessive amounts of money on this incremental game designed to drain the player's pocket.

 

[Sinny91]

http://www.facebook.com/lurchio.88/posts/10210241236256782

 

[smithcommajohn]

http://www.facebook.com/lurchio.88/posts/10210241236256782

Lol! Sometimes it feels like that.

 

[Not Anyone To Care For]

I refuse to associate myself with muck. I have seen how it affects people and I don't want to get to that level of sheep. I find most video games boring anyways, maybe it's just because I am boring?

 

[Alias]

*Sceptilian agenda.

Best pun I've heard in a while.


I play just a little if I have nothing to do. I joined Valor because my friends wanted to, and not being on the same team is impractical for gyms. Mystic would've been my other choice. I don't think it's too mind-control-esque unless you're being an idiot when you play. Pokemon Go isn't making people walk off cliffs and stuff, it just gives almost everyone a reason to go outside resulting in more catastrophes because people can be idiots. If it is actually a mind control attempt, I'm safe, because I know it's not real and I'm not really that dedicated to it.

tl;dr just don't be stupid while playing and you should be safe.

 

[Pyropyro]

It's finally available in my country

Got myself a Wheedle and a Charmander. Too lazy to get out at the moment though.

 

[Pyropyro]

that moment when you realize that your office is a PokeStop

 

[smithcommajohn]

that moment when you realize that your office is a PokeStop

Mine too. Isn't it a beautiful thing?

 

[Pyropyro]

tl;dr just don't be stupid while playing and you should be safe.

Basically this.

@smithcommajohn that moment when you have tons of pokeballs

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

Haha...

As a child, me and my friends would just play irl pokemon, like "alright, we're pokemon trainers, hey look this imaginary person wants to battle, hey look an imaginary pokemon, lets catch it".

It was ridiculously fun. :P

I'd hazard a guess that it's even better than this so-called "Pokemon Go".

 

[Pyropyro]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyIP1eiZ6aA

The government is hiding dem pokemons I tell ya.