My Suggestions for Pokemon Go

If you ask anyone who knows me they will tell you that I love to walk and I love Pokemon, so one would think I would have hopped right onto Pokemon Go. Alas, it took me quite a while to get even give the game a try, and even longer to actually get into the game.

It was not until I met my current partner that I got into the game and fell in love with it. Three months later I am fully involved in every aspect of the game; whether it is catching Pokemon, evolving Pokemon, trading, conquering gyms, doing raids, participating in the events, you name it I am there.

While I have not been involved with the game for long I have come up with a list of suggestions I have that will help improve the gameplay of Pokemon Go. But first, some disclaimers:

1. These are suggestions based on my opinion. You may feel differently about what I suggest and that is okay! We all have different opinions and they are bound to not line up on occasion.

2. I am sure others have suggested these. With how long this game has been out I would be surprised if these suggestions haven't been made already. So if any of these are retreads of suggestions others have put forward please understand that this was unintentional.

3. This article will not be a slam piece or have any demands I have of Niantic. Again, these are suggestions and should not be taken as more as polite suggestions.

**Insert shameless plug for my other Pokemon articles here**

If you enjoy this article and would like to read my other Pokemon-related articles you can do so by following the links below:

7 Things I Would Bring to a "Pokemon Yellow" Remake

The Divine Pokemon Comedy: My Backup Pokemon Champion Team

Earth's Mightiest Elite Four

A Fairy Tale: My Pokemon Champion Team

Indigo Pokemon League - Master Level

Just a Normal Pokemon Ranger

With that out of the way let's go... to my first suggestion!

Installing a Wardrobe in the "Style" Section

My first suggestion is for the "Style" section of the game in which you can change your avatar's appearance.

I love the customization that is available and the many options the game developers provide but therein lies the problem I often encounter; there is no way to see what you've purchased or worn in the past. Instead, you have to scroll through every item in the shop until you find what you've purchased or worn.

The solution for this is to put a "Wardrobe" in the "Style" section so players can see what they've purchased or worn in the past and can easily access items we like to put on our avatar.

Improved Reward System for Gyms

My next suggestion is for the rewards for keeping gyms under your control.

I know this has been covered in depth by the player base on many occasions so I will keep this brief. Currently, you can only win a maximum of 50 gold coins when a gym you control falls to a rival team and if you lose multiple gyms in the same day you will not get any rewards for any additional gym that falls past the first when the 50 coin limit is hit.

My suggestion is to replace the current system with one that still gives the 50 coins, but also gives players random rewards like potions, pokeballs, evolution items, rare candies, stardust, and TMs with the number of each increasing with the amount of time the gym was held before it fell.

This will keep the coin limit so Niantic can be happy they will still get the microtransactions they are looking for (since running a mobile game isn't free) and create a reward system that is an actual incentive program for players to battle in the gyms.

Early Bird Raid Passes

This one has been annoying to me since I started doing raids, I would see a raid counting down to begin and I get excited... until I realize the raid will begin after I have to clock in at work.

I am sure I am not the only one this has happened to, people have to be to class, be to work, have appointments, meetings, family functions, and life that keeps us busy. While we play Pokemon Go when we can there should be a way for us to access raids early.

My suggestion is an Early Bird Raid Pass, a pass that will allow you to do a raid before the egg has hatched. The cost? A reduction in the "perks" as I call them (the prizes and the stardust you earn for winning a raid) and possibly a one-day limit on using Early Bird Raid Passes.

Replace All the Evolution Stones & Items with a Single Item

This one truly baffles me, the Leaf Stone, Fire Stone, Thunder Stone, Water Stone, and Moon Stone were dropped completely from the game, but the Sun Stone is still in the game. The Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone, and certain evolutionary items were replaced with the Sinnoh Stone and Unova Stone, but there items like the Metal Coat and Upgrade which made it into the game.

There are major inconsistencies with the evolutionary stones and items as to which were excluded and which were included, not to mention which were replaced with others. And let's not discuss the fact that some of them are difficult to get your hands on while others fall into your lap in spades.

The solution to this is simple, replace all the evolutionary items and stones with a singular evolution stone, the "Go Stone". Any Pokemon who uses a stone or item to evolve in the mainline games will use the "Go Stone" and the appropriate amount of their candies to evolve in Pokemon Go.

Adding NPC

What a lonely world my avatar lives in, nothing but Pokemon, Go Rocket, and the professor and team leaders who don't actually appear on the map. Not to mention the other trainers who I can trade with, battle against, but are otherwise invisible to me in the game.

Trainers

I loved the NPC that were released during Kanto Day and wish there could be trainers (that aren't Go Rockets) we could battle against. They could be modeled after us or trainers, gym leaders, Elite Four members, or Champions from the games. Something to break up the monotony of the battles.

Nurse Joy

I think it would be cool if the game would give us the Pokemon Go equivalent of Pokemon Centers. For this, the game could randomly spawn a Nurse Joy at a Pokestop or Gym causing a square with the first aid cross in it to appear above the location. Nurse Joy would offer to heal 6 of the player's Pokemon and would vanish afterward.

Pokemart

Another feature I wish the game would provide is some equivalent of the Pokemart. This would have a shopkeeper spawn at random at stops and would offer to upgrade your items by trading in so many of them in. 5 Pokeballs for 1 Great Ball, 5 Great Balls for 1 Ultra Balls, etc. This would help players swap items around without infringing too much on Niantic's shop.

Bad Weather Help

We all know how fast the weather can change, it is an unfortunate factor with Pokemon Go that can stop you from playing the game. After all, if you can't go out and walk or visit Pokestops you can quickly deplete or exhaust your supplies.

The game makers were smart enough to include an in-game pop-up to urge players to remain safe during periods of bad weather, so why not include a small free box of supplies to encourage players to stay inside and not venture out for the game?

The package could include some pokeballs, potions, revives, and an incense. This with the pop-up changed to encourage players to use the supplies and remain safe would be a nice touch from the game makers.

So those are the suggestions that I have for Pokemon Go, do you agree with them or have any others? Be sure to share this article to help support my work!