On the "Invisible Forces"

I wanted to discuss about something else today, but I'm not ready yet for that, and there's a pressing issue that I have to address. And since two famous figures related to the workings of the issue have addressed it, I can address it too. Lately in Pokémon Go, there has been an uproar among players about something that is, in a way, an "old new thing". It concerns what I've on this blog addressed as "invisible forces" or what is better known as "spoofers" or by my raid group and others as "fliers". It's an issue that has persisted since pretty much the early days of the game and occasionally comes to a head, especially right now.

No matter by what name it is called, this issue involves the use of tools that trick the game to use different locations other than the one the GPS provides, a practice called "location spoofing", which is then simply shortened to "spoofer". As for the origins of the other term, this practice is likened to one playing the game while somehow floating high in the air, or perhaps riding on giant birds or flying creatures (as certain kinds of Pokémon are) - therefore, "flying" as "fliers". My term for it obviously comes from the fact that this leads to "Trainer forces" that are nowhere to be seen. And lately, this has been stirred up by a case of "pointing fingers" regarding its identification.

The figures who addressed this issue, of course, are not any ordinary figures. One of them is Brandon Tan, a superstar I and many other people are acquainted with. In his view, those who decide to pursue this path should ideally "play with their own kind" and not "mix things up", so to speak, because of the different capabilities afforded by playing this way. Meanwhile, a different kind of superstar, one who goes by the name of Kieng and who I've also mentioned in a different post on this blog, mentioned the issue, though not directly; the mention is in a Twitter tweet about "taking a leave" from matters related to the game, and it is heavily implied that this was due to the latest controversy involving the issue. It does seem controversial regardless.

For me personally, I do not condone this path. I consider Pokémon Go to be a social game, and this aspect would be very different in this path. In actuality, Niantic does not condone this path due to its meddlesome nature. Most importantly, SLA does not condone the path either, as it is considered unfair to say the least, nor does it condone "witch-hunting" of those who choose to take this path, especially with what may be an unreliable method of identification as has been recently discovered. With that, I can only say "proceed at your own risk" for those who are active in the path, to prepare for possible repercussions from inside and outside the game.

As I've noted, this issue is a longstanding one, which makes it a wonder that I've discussed this only now. But as with certain things, it seems to be better late than never for its discussion, especially with the recent controversy that flared up about it. I'm not one for dealing with this issue much, but for as long as Pokémon Go remains popular, it's an issue that will continue to pervade its gameplay. That seems to be quite apparent with the latest controversy that has arisen regarding it, as if it isn't already so from the beginning.

One year ago: Fan Art... for Me!
Two years ago: Costume and Cosplay Checklists
Three years ago: Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...