Field Research Task Reporting

Field Research in Pokémon Go has been around for a good long while now, but the changing nature of the feature makes it always viable for discussion. One of those discussions concern something that I and many groups of players have to deal on a regular basis. As all players know, the Field Research tasks found in each PokéStop change each day. Therefore, it makes sense to be reporting them each day as well. It's a simple matter on the surface, but it's something that's slightly problematic deep below regarding the "why" and "how".

The problem is that many players may be loath to report the tasks they find, especially if they're not interesting enough and/or there's no event that features them as a key part. I confess that I sometimes fall into this camp, most of the time being practical or minimal about the tasks that I get and sometimes to the point of forgetting them after I complete them. There's the utility value that is lost: as a real example, there was once a PokéStop next to a Gym with a task that rewarded 1000 Stardust for winning a raid, and a raid conveniently appeared in the Gym - players would have overlooked the PokéStop task had no one reported (and received the report) about it. Therefore, even meager tasks may be important to be reported, for it may be useful to undertake or even to skip over, and that players ought to not be so loath in reporting in general.

After the "why" comes the "how". My raid group keeps track of some Field Research tasks by an ever-expanding list that everyone can copy and add. It's simple to execute, but this method could be considered low-tech, even if the data is kept electronically. What would be more high-tech is keeping a database that is flushed every day, to which everyone enters the PokéStop and task data, which then can be seen by just about everyone. I would make such a system if I weren't limited by time and skills. Even then, if such a system were to come to fruition, players would have to grasp the knowledge of how it works to take full advantage of it, something that is true for sophisticated systems in general. I suppose whichever way works, then that is the best way to go.

What remains to be kept in mind is that Field Research tasks change from day to day, so the reporting must keep up at the same pace. Tasks of interest should be reported, as are any other tasks that people might find useful or convenient to have or even to skip over. The system used for reporting may be rudimentary or even complex, but as long as it works, it works. Reporting Field Research tasks shouldn't be seen as an issue, but as a challenge - one that counters the challenge of them changing each and every day.

One year ago: The Myth of Shiny Pokémon
Two years ago: On Skateboards and Pokémon