Actually, aside from with the dream that I had the other day, I seemingly have not been getting a good amount of sleep. And yet, it's something so essential for any person. Come to think of it, it's also an essential part of Pokémon too, at least in the main series games or those that have interactions like them. Though I do not know the mechanics inside and out, I can at least highlight some of the important points.
Sleep can be induced through attacks or abilities, and this becomes a useful aversion for the combatants that induce it. It offers a moment or an opportunity to restrategize or launch a greater assault. However, sleep can also be self-induced through the move Rest, although in this state it only lasts for two turns. The interesting thing is that done this way, it "overrides" other status conditions and essentially eliminates them. Any way that it is caused, it becomes a slight advantage for either side.
Sleep also opens up new avenues for attacks. A sleeping Pokémon may become inflicted with a Nightmare or become hit with Dream Eater, losing HP in the process (and having it "stolen" by the opponent in the latter). On the other hand, a sleeping Pokémon may also peruse the moves Snore or Sleep Talk when available, inflicting damage directly or through a different move. Sleep presents a certain vulnerability that may be exploited or covered up on both sides of the battle.
Sleep can be used to keep wild Pokémon at bay for capture, though this is a temporary solution that may not work as well as other status conditions due to the Pokémon waking up from sleep intermittently. But in a pinch, it seems like a workable solution. Outside of battle, sleep is remanent, like any other status condition, and has to be healed accordingly; only in battle is sleep non-persistent. This may seem like basic knowledge, but every so often one has to be reminded about these.
Like any other game mechanic (and in particular status conditions), sleep is a vital part of any Pokémon battle, even if rarely executed or encountered. It means Trainers have to understand it even at a basic level to know how to deal with it and possibly leverage it. It's just something that has to be done.
And now, this Trainer has to get some sleep of his own. 💤💤
One year ago: Elite Four: "Courses" vs. "Selections"
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Saturday, September 29, 2018
A Merchandise Dream
It seems it's been a while since I had a Pokémon-related dream. When I dream, I do so vividly, whether for a realistic setting (as in a particular cosplay dream) or an animated one (as in one that involved Ash). Last night, I had a Pokémon dream which happened to be of the first kind. And true to the title of this post, it did involve some kind of Pokémon merchandise.
In the dream, I was going around my neighborhood, and as I did so, I received a Pokémon container as a gift. This would have been great, if it weren't for one thing: the container was badly smashed, but somehow it still held up well. I tried to exchange the container for one that wasn't (as badly) smashed, but I couldn't. I simply ended up with the container for the rest of the dream, after which I awoke and immediately noted the dream so that I could write about it on this blog.
I have to say, the container in the dream didn't seem too special; it seemed like a typical plastic container with Pokémon graphics placed on it, which I'd be happy to create myself given the resources. Perhaps what is important is the symbolism of the container. Given that it is "badly smashed", it indicates how much has gone on with Pokémon, but the fact that it held up well means the same for Pokémon. On the other hand, it could mean that the container wasn't smashed at all - it was just made to look that way. It might represent an illusion some people have about Pokémon.
This dream seems fascinating enough. Compared to the other dreams I've covered here, it's not just entertaining. It seems to be offering a fairly symbolic statement about Pokémon, which admittedly does involve some interpretation, but it's a statement nonetheless. In regard to it, I'm sure that I will continue to like Pokémon no matter what going into the future. And as long as I do that, I'm positive I will keep dreaming dreams just like this one.
One year ago: Unified Centers and Marts
In the dream, I was going around my neighborhood, and as I did so, I received a Pokémon container as a gift. This would have been great, if it weren't for one thing: the container was badly smashed, but somehow it still held up well. I tried to exchange the container for one that wasn't (as badly) smashed, but I couldn't. I simply ended up with the container for the rest of the dream, after which I awoke and immediately noted the dream so that I could write about it on this blog.
I have to say, the container in the dream didn't seem too special; it seemed like a typical plastic container with Pokémon graphics placed on it, which I'd be happy to create myself given the resources. Perhaps what is important is the symbolism of the container. Given that it is "badly smashed", it indicates how much has gone on with Pokémon, but the fact that it held up well means the same for Pokémon. On the other hand, it could mean that the container wasn't smashed at all - it was just made to look that way. It might represent an illusion some people have about Pokémon.
This dream seems fascinating enough. Compared to the other dreams I've covered here, it's not just entertaining. It seems to be offering a fairly symbolic statement about Pokémon, which admittedly does involve some interpretation, but it's a statement nonetheless. In regard to it, I'm sure that I will continue to like Pokémon no matter what going into the future. And as long as I do that, I'm positive I will keep dreaming dreams just like this one.
One year ago: Unified Centers and Marts
Friday, September 28, 2018
A New Age of EX Raids
Good news for Pokémon Go Trainers: EX Raids have returned. Today, I got my EX Raid Pass for one that is due to happen in four days. After nearly four weeks of waiting, this may indeed be a pleasant news for many. Of course, with that pleasant news, there have been quite a bit of changes to EX Raids. It's enough to say that with these changes, it becomes a "new age" for them, enough that I've started to refer them differently for more consistency from this post onwards.
As I've divulged a little over a week ago, part of that change involves the EX Raid boss. It's no longer Mewtwo, which has "stepped down" and is available to just about everyone up until the middle of next month as a (regular) Level 5 raid boss. The new boss is Deoxys, which is famous for its extraterrestrial origins... as well as its four forms. Currently, it has been advertised that the Normal Form is up for grabs, so for the other three forms, it has to be seen how they will all play out.
A slight change, but one that seems a bit more significant, is in the Gyms that can host EX Raids. Previously, there was no way to tell if a Gym was a possible EX Raid contender, other than specific indications of sponsorship or being located in a park space. Now, Gyms that can host EX Raids will clearly say so with an "EX Raid Gym" tag on the upper right corner when viewing its Pokémon or Photo Disc. This should lead to a lot less guess-and-checking and may open up new possibilities for Trainers in certain locations.
The biggest change so far is that Trainers who earned an EX Raid Pass may then share that pass with (actually, use it to invite) an Ultra or Best Friend of choice. This means that Trainers don't have to come to the specific Gym to "qualify" for the EX Raid Pass, so long as the Trainer has Ultra or Best Friends that can earn the Pass before sharing it to the Trainer. The catch is that this sharing (or invitation) can only be done once, so careful decision is required before inviting. This has the side effect of stepping up the "friend game" of everyone so that more Trainers can join EX Raids.
It seems that this time around EX Raids have gotten slightly easier to obtain, but also more exciting as well. The same sensibilities of previous EX Raids are still likely to apply, with some slight alterations due to these changes. That said, it really does represent a new age for these EX Raids, and with that, I say to let it begin.
One year ago: To Teach and To Delight
As I've divulged a little over a week ago, part of that change involves the EX Raid boss. It's no longer Mewtwo, which has "stepped down" and is available to just about everyone up until the middle of next month as a (regular) Level 5 raid boss. The new boss is Deoxys, which is famous for its extraterrestrial origins... as well as its four forms. Currently, it has been advertised that the Normal Form is up for grabs, so for the other three forms, it has to be seen how they will all play out.
A slight change, but one that seems a bit more significant, is in the Gyms that can host EX Raids. Previously, there was no way to tell if a Gym was a possible EX Raid contender, other than specific indications of sponsorship or being located in a park space. Now, Gyms that can host EX Raids will clearly say so with an "EX Raid Gym" tag on the upper right corner when viewing its Pokémon or Photo Disc. This should lead to a lot less guess-and-checking and may open up new possibilities for Trainers in certain locations.
The biggest change so far is that Trainers who earned an EX Raid Pass may then share that pass with (actually, use it to invite) an Ultra or Best Friend of choice. This means that Trainers don't have to come to the specific Gym to "qualify" for the EX Raid Pass, so long as the Trainer has Ultra or Best Friends that can earn the Pass before sharing it to the Trainer. The catch is that this sharing (or invitation) can only be done once, so careful decision is required before inviting. This has the side effect of stepping up the "friend game" of everyone so that more Trainers can join EX Raids.
It seems that this time around EX Raids have gotten slightly easier to obtain, but also more exciting as well. The same sensibilities of previous EX Raids are still likely to apply, with some slight alterations due to these changes. That said, it really does represent a new age for these EX Raids, and with that, I say to let it begin.
One year ago: To Teach and To Delight
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Meet Meltan
Remember the little creature that suddenly came out in Pokémon Go and which I discussed a few posts earlier? Well, it turns out that that creature has a name, and its name is Meltan. And because it was introduced in Pokémon Go, it has officially become the newest member to grace the franchise. Its official-ness came with some notable exchanges on its own.
Just before its "reveal", so to speak, the English-language Twitter accounts for Pokémon and Nintendo agreed to let Trainers in on the new stuff, and so they did... but on the Japanese side first. Of course, it wasn't too long before everyone else got to know who the little creature that ambushed everyone was, and that was helped by an exchange with two professors.
Those professors are namely Professor Oak from Kanto and Professor Willow from Go. In a recorded exchange, they definitively identified the Pokémon as Meltan, based on what they know. After this exchange, the new Pokémon also received a species designation (Hex Nut Pokémon), which also came with the tag of "Mythical", which makes this Pokémon something beyond the ordinary.
Even way before the reveal, someone posted a Japanese-language fanmade "reveal" of the new Pokémon. In it, however, the Pokémon is named "Metalmon", which alludes to the "metal" aspect and the Japanese name for Ditto, "Metamon". It wasn't too far off from the official name, which is the interesting part. The insights for the approximated name are appropriate as well.
As for meeting the little creature again, it's almost definite that the Pokémon is coming to the Let's Go games, which is due out in about one and a half months. Meanwhile in Go, its traces are still visible; I almost re-encountered one today, but I didn't get close enough before it fled. But because it got its start in Go, it will likely reappear in the game again, though things are still up in the air at this point.
After these exchanges, the mystery of the past few days has become clear, as every Pokémon fan got a glimpse of what is the newest Pokémon to date and understood its background as well. The next challenge - one that will likely be elucidated in a matter of months - is how to definitively meet the Pokémon again. For now, I say that it's nice to meet you, Meltan, and we hope to see some more of you real soon.
One year ago: Pokémon Stuff at a Neighborhood Store
Just before its "reveal", so to speak, the English-language Twitter accounts for Pokémon and Nintendo agreed to let Trainers in on the new stuff, and so they did... but on the Japanese side first. Of course, it wasn't too long before everyone else got to know who the little creature that ambushed everyone was, and that was helped by an exchange with two professors.
Those professors are namely Professor Oak from Kanto and Professor Willow from Go. In a recorded exchange, they definitively identified the Pokémon as Meltan, based on what they know. After this exchange, the new Pokémon also received a species designation (Hex Nut Pokémon), which also came with the tag of "Mythical", which makes this Pokémon something beyond the ordinary.
Even way before the reveal, someone posted a Japanese-language fanmade "reveal" of the new Pokémon. In it, however, the Pokémon is named "Metalmon", which alludes to the "metal" aspect and the Japanese name for Ditto, "Metamon". It wasn't too far off from the official name, which is the interesting part. The insights for the approximated name are appropriate as well.
As for meeting the little creature again, it's almost definite that the Pokémon is coming to the Let's Go games, which is due out in about one and a half months. Meanwhile in Go, its traces are still visible; I almost re-encountered one today, but I didn't get close enough before it fled. But because it got its start in Go, it will likely reappear in the game again, though things are still up in the air at this point.
After these exchanges, the mystery of the past few days has become clear, as every Pokémon fan got a glimpse of what is the newest Pokémon to date and understood its background as well. The next challenge - one that will likely be elucidated in a matter of months - is how to definitively meet the Pokémon again. For now, I say that it's nice to meet you, Meltan, and we hope to see some more of you real soon.
One year ago: Pokémon Stuff at a Neighborhood Store
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
The First English Anime Opening Theme
I've discussed about the first Japanese opening theme for the Pokémon anime, so I can't leave well enough alone without discussing the English counterpart. It's something I grew up with and listened to a lot as I watched the Pokémon anime with its English dub. For that, it's a bit "legendary" as well.
The song is titled simply "Pokémon Theme" and is also sometimes subtitled "Gotta Catch 'Em All", being the franchise slogan and part of the song's lyrics. Its original singer is Jason Paige, though it was sung by Billy Crawford for the first feature film. Most recently, it has made a reappearance in the English dub of last year's movie, which is nice but also surprising.
The song itself is electronic pop with some rock influences. Structure-wise, it's almost like any modern pop song. The most well-known lyrics have to be the first few lines: "I wanna be the very best/like no one ever was/to catch them is my real test/to train them is my cause". Anyone who grew up with this song should be able to recite these lines by heart or automatically think up of the lyrics after just a few words.
Theme-wise, the song is about journeys, togetherness and friendship, battling and challenges, and being one with each other (people and Pokémon). All things considered, this is not too far of an offshoot from the other opening song "across the pond". Perhaps the opening was created with the spirit of the other in mind.
As for singing this song like I did for the other opening, since most events or conventions I go to are Japan-centric, I wouldn't have the slightest chance of singing this song, no matter how related it is to Pokémon. The one exception would probably something like a certain mixed event last year, but this concept has not been realized again. Yet likewise, I've memorized the lyrics, so I've got it on the ready. Maybe it's time for a collaboration.
Personally, I consider this song a prominent part of Pokémon, as it is the "gateway" for many English-language viewers of the Pokémon anime, so it shouldn't be counted out. This is as much a part of Pokémon as anything else, and that makes me an extremely happy camper - on "both sides of the pond".
One year ago: Strong Opinions
The song is titled simply "Pokémon Theme" and is also sometimes subtitled "Gotta Catch 'Em All", being the franchise slogan and part of the song's lyrics. Its original singer is Jason Paige, though it was sung by Billy Crawford for the first feature film. Most recently, it has made a reappearance in the English dub of last year's movie, which is nice but also surprising.
The song itself is electronic pop with some rock influences. Structure-wise, it's almost like any modern pop song. The most well-known lyrics have to be the first few lines: "I wanna be the very best/like no one ever was/to catch them is my real test/to train them is my cause". Anyone who grew up with this song should be able to recite these lines by heart or automatically think up of the lyrics after just a few words.
Theme-wise, the song is about journeys, togetherness and friendship, battling and challenges, and being one with each other (people and Pokémon). All things considered, this is not too far of an offshoot from the other opening song "across the pond". Perhaps the opening was created with the spirit of the other in mind.
As for singing this song like I did for the other opening, since most events or conventions I go to are Japan-centric, I wouldn't have the slightest chance of singing this song, no matter how related it is to Pokémon. The one exception would probably something like a certain mixed event last year, but this concept has not been realized again. Yet likewise, I've memorized the lyrics, so I've got it on the ready. Maybe it's time for a collaboration.
Personally, I consider this song a prominent part of Pokémon, as it is the "gateway" for many English-language viewers of the Pokémon anime, so it shouldn't be counted out. This is as much a part of Pokémon as anything else, and that makes me an extremely happy camper - on "both sides of the pond".
One year ago: Strong Opinions
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
The First Japanese Anime Opening Theme
I originally wanted to save this post for something more special, but considering I already have done something that may be to that effect, I might as well discuss it. So two days ago at a certain event, I did something out of the ordinary: I participated in the J-Song competition of the event while in cosplay, and the song I chose was the first Japanese opening theme of the Pokémon anime, "Mezase Pokémon Master". As the first opening, it is sung by Rica Matsumoto, who is none other than the voice actor of Ash - or rather, Satoshi - in Japanese. It was later on re-sung by a band as the "2001 version" and reused as a later opening. Either way, it's a total classic for any Pokémon fan.
There are quite a few important themes found in the song. One theme is how Pokémon are found everywhere, and the task is to capture them. The song also refers to the themes of journey (leaving Pallet Town - Masara Town in Japanese), daily experiences (around and about Pokémon battles), and relationships (enemies becoming friends, friends becoming forever friends). The resolution in the song is a statement of wanting to be a Pokémon Master, appropriate to the song's title, which is often translated as "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master".
Musically, it's a pop-rock song that is fairly appropriate for its context as an opening song, being something peppy that starts off an episode. The verses are rapid, catchy, and a little playful in lyrics and music. The "pre-chorus" and chorus is where a lot of the themes come into play, and the second and third choruses are followed up by the coda with the resolution. It's a fairly interesting musical structure that helps make this opening a unique and memorable one.
It was these memorable qualities that I took advantage of in order to be able to sing the song in the competition. Granted, I didn't win anything with my performance, but it's still a special and memorable one nonetheless, just like all the elements of this song. Now I'm attached to this song just like this song is an inseparable part of the Japanese side of Pokémon things. And in the future, I might play further into this attachment, and perhaps make it even more special. 😄
One year ago: Enhancements in Shuffle
There are quite a few important themes found in the song. One theme is how Pokémon are found everywhere, and the task is to capture them. The song also refers to the themes of journey (leaving Pallet Town - Masara Town in Japanese), daily experiences (around and about Pokémon battles), and relationships (enemies becoming friends, friends becoming forever friends). The resolution in the song is a statement of wanting to be a Pokémon Master, appropriate to the song's title, which is often translated as "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master".
Musically, it's a pop-rock song that is fairly appropriate for its context as an opening song, being something peppy that starts off an episode. The verses are rapid, catchy, and a little playful in lyrics and music. The "pre-chorus" and chorus is where a lot of the themes come into play, and the second and third choruses are followed up by the coda with the resolution. It's a fairly interesting musical structure that helps make this opening a unique and memorable one.
It was these memorable qualities that I took advantage of in order to be able to sing the song in the competition. Granted, I didn't win anything with my performance, but it's still a special and memorable one nonetheless, just like all the elements of this song. Now I'm attached to this song just like this song is an inseparable part of the Japanese side of Pokémon things. And in the future, I might play further into this attachment, and perhaps make it even more special. 😄
One year ago: Enhancements in Shuffle
Monday, September 24, 2018
New Pokémon, New World?
When I wrote my recap of last Saturday's Community Day, I noted that it was surprising. While it was true that the day went surprisingly well, the real reason for that is because of what happened after the event ended. Without warning, as soon as the event ended, what were supposed to be the last of the Chikorita spawns were replaced with spawns of a mysterious creature that could only be described as a new Pokémon. Considering the standing of Pokémon Go, this was a total shock to all Pokémon fans.
The creature looks like it has the body of a Ditto, yet its distinguishing feature is a nut-shaped head with a dot in the middle - which could be taken as an eye - not unlike that of an Unown. However, upon encounter in the game, the creature was unidentifiable in both name and CP. While the creature could be captured, a successful capture rewarded not the creature, but a Ditto instead. The Ditto connection seems to be furthered in this way, and also because in the Gold and Silver beta, an evolved Ditto form was present.
In an instant, all my Pokémon groups were abuzz with activity. My raid group wondered just how this came to be, while my main series group started rational discussions. The result was some of the conclusions above, as well as other ideas. In any case, the result was surprises all around. No one really knew what to make of it, though some ideas floated about as a result of the discussions. One theory was that this is a placeholder Pokémon just in case things went wrong, and this was a possible error in the game. Personally, I thought that this was a totally new world of Pokémon things.
It seems, however, that this may not be an error after all. As soon as Community Day wrapped up in Europe, the same occurred, and players got another glimpse of the mysterious creature. Later reports also indicated that this may be intentional, in which case the creature is really a new Pokémon. As of today, I can occasionally spot the new creature in the Nearby popup, though I have not re-encountered the creature as it often spawns far away. This too supports the "new world" situation, what with Let's Go games due for release in about two months.
At this point, the "new world" situation makes sense. This is unlike anything that Pokémon fans have seen, even in a spinoff game such as Go. The fact that it's slated to link up with the Let's Go games further indicates something to this effect. Surprises may still be abound as the new games draw near to release, and by then everyone will be fully immersed in this new world of Pokémon.
One year ago: Pikachu with Regional Caps
The creature looks like it has the body of a Ditto, yet its distinguishing feature is a nut-shaped head with a dot in the middle - which could be taken as an eye - not unlike that of an Unown. However, upon encounter in the game, the creature was unidentifiable in both name and CP. While the creature could be captured, a successful capture rewarded not the creature, but a Ditto instead. The Ditto connection seems to be furthered in this way, and also because in the Gold and Silver beta, an evolved Ditto form was present.
In an instant, all my Pokémon groups were abuzz with activity. My raid group wondered just how this came to be, while my main series group started rational discussions. The result was some of the conclusions above, as well as other ideas. In any case, the result was surprises all around. No one really knew what to make of it, though some ideas floated about as a result of the discussions. One theory was that this is a placeholder Pokémon just in case things went wrong, and this was a possible error in the game. Personally, I thought that this was a totally new world of Pokémon things.
It seems, however, that this may not be an error after all. As soon as Community Day wrapped up in Europe, the same occurred, and players got another glimpse of the mysterious creature. Later reports also indicated that this may be intentional, in which case the creature is really a new Pokémon. As of today, I can occasionally spot the new creature in the Nearby popup, though I have not re-encountered the creature as it often spawns far away. This too supports the "new world" situation, what with Let's Go games due for release in about two months.
At this point, the "new world" situation makes sense. This is unlike anything that Pokémon fans have seen, even in a spinoff game such as Go. The fact that it's slated to link up with the Let's Go games further indicates something to this effect. Surprises may still be abound as the new games draw near to release, and by then everyone will be fully immersed in this new world of Pokémon.
One year ago: Pikachu with Regional Caps
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Cosplay: Panniversary 2nd
[AshKetchumMode]
OK, this should be an interesting theme event. My friend had planned to send me here way ahead of time, but then he had a few problems just before it happened. I told him that they're nothing to worry about if he can get over them, and I think he did. So I got to come after all.
Maybe "event" isn't really right to describe this one. The title of this event does have the word "anniversary", so it's really a "celebration". It's the celebration of an out-of-town group of fans of things that I and my other character friends come from. It's also clearly their second one - my friend recalls that one year ago they had the first one, but then he had other problems and couldn't send me here. Hmm, so that means my friend went through a lot to finally get me here.
I chose to come with my regular Kanto outfit. I know my friend often sends me with this one, but he does think it's special. It was my first one after all, and I did wear it for many adventures, even all the way through Johto. It's no wonder. My friend told me to get in the character parade, so I signed up and got in. I was one of the nine in the parade - so it was a small one, but it was OK. I did just great too.
Actually, there's another reason why I was sent here: my friend wanted me to get in the singing competition. This is the first time ever that I've been asked to do this by my friend. Because of my Kanto outfit, I sang "Mezase Pokémon Master", the very first opening theme song for my adventures in Kanto. But you know what? My friend - and me - wanted to "spread our wings" by getting in this one. So this is actually the main reason I was sent here. The choice of the outfit was to match. I was also one of the five who competed.
It was a long wait for the results - I wasn't sure just what held everything back. For the character parade, I got nothing, and for the singing competition, I got nothing too, even though both had three prizes. The chances were good, but it just didn't work out. I don't know.
Pikachu: Pi. [sighing]
At least we had some fun, right, Pikachu? That's a good thing anyhow.
Everything else was small too. The space of the celebration is a small hall. But a few community groups also joined, and there were a few goodies for sale. I didn't find any Pokémon ones, so I was a bit sad. Maybe next time I'll find some and bring them back right away for my friend. The place seems familiar because... oh, wait, I've been sent here, a few years ago, with the same outfit, even! Aw, shucks. But at least people know me and my friend well.
I'm glad that my friend sent here. It seems it's what my friend needed to have with everything that happened recently to him. We ended up with nothing, but the event and celebration was fun. Maybe next time we can score something even better!
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: Pikachu and Poké Ball New 2DS XL
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Pokémon Go Community Day, 9/22/2018
Speaking of Community Day from my previous post, today just happens to be this month's edition of this popular event. It perfectly caps off a "Pokémon Go week", which I first mentioned last Wednesday. It wasn't my intention to discuss things about Go over the past few days, but it just happened to be something convenient about Pokémon that I could discuss. And as it so happened that today is Community Day, everything just seems to fall into place.
For this Community Day, the featured Pokémon is Chikorita, which means the featured Pokémon has begun to creep into the second-generation starters. As always, there are its Shiny form as well as that of its evolved forms, extended Lure Modules, and the special move. Because Chikorita is a starter Pokémon like Bulbasaur, its special move is the same as the latter's Community Day: Frenzy Plant. It's not hard to see that this will be the case with starter Pokémon going forward.
Unlike Bulbasaur, which I mostly caught by sitting in an area with several surrounding PokéStops with Lure Modules installed, I really went out and about to catch as many Chikorita as possible, as well as to complete the "catch-3" Field Research tasks, which have been the norm since April's Community Day. I have to say that these tasks are really an incentive to move around rather than to sit in one place, and that's a good thing. I still did stay in one area occasionally to capture as many as possible from that area before moving on to another to grab a new set of tasks.
The weather also supported the event; it was bright and sunny outside, and it was Sunny in the game as well, which meant that the Chikorita I caught were boosted. I caught five Shiny forms today, and this wasn't too bad, considering some caught about the same while a few others caught more. I captured many Chikorita and eventually had a sizable Meganium army with Frenzy Plant. I also owe thanks to everyone who strewed around Lure Modules in my area, allowing everyone to enjoy the event affordably and cheaply; I pitched in a couple of my own, and I hope that those also helped others too.
This was a surprisingly pleasant Community Day, and I achieved all the things I wanted or needed to achieve. It speaks to the staying power of Pokémon Go; it is rightfully a part of everything Pokémon, just as everything else is. On that note, I'm proud to say that I don't just discuss about it, but I play it as well. It's a great thing for me, this blog, and Pokémon in general.
One year ago: Riot of Pokémon Color
For this Community Day, the featured Pokémon is Chikorita, which means the featured Pokémon has begun to creep into the second-generation starters. As always, there are its Shiny form as well as that of its evolved forms, extended Lure Modules, and the special move. Because Chikorita is a starter Pokémon like Bulbasaur, its special move is the same as the latter's Community Day: Frenzy Plant. It's not hard to see that this will be the case with starter Pokémon going forward.
Unlike Bulbasaur, which I mostly caught by sitting in an area with several surrounding PokéStops with Lure Modules installed, I really went out and about to catch as many Chikorita as possible, as well as to complete the "catch-3" Field Research tasks, which have been the norm since April's Community Day. I have to say that these tasks are really an incentive to move around rather than to sit in one place, and that's a good thing. I still did stay in one area occasionally to capture as many as possible from that area before moving on to another to grab a new set of tasks.
The weather also supported the event; it was bright and sunny outside, and it was Sunny in the game as well, which meant that the Chikorita I caught were boosted. I caught five Shiny forms today, and this wasn't too bad, considering some caught about the same while a few others caught more. I captured many Chikorita and eventually had a sizable Meganium army with Frenzy Plant. I also owe thanks to everyone who strewed around Lure Modules in my area, allowing everyone to enjoy the event affordably and cheaply; I pitched in a couple of my own, and I hope that those also helped others too.
This was a surprisingly pleasant Community Day, and I achieved all the things I wanted or needed to achieve. It speaks to the staying power of Pokémon Go; it is rightfully a part of everything Pokémon, just as everything else is. On that note, I'm proud to say that I don't just discuss about it, but I play it as well. It's a great thing for me, this blog, and Pokémon in general.
One year ago: Riot of Pokémon Color
Friday, September 21, 2018
Community Raid Days?
Players who have been with Pokémon Go over the past three months or so might have participated in the three Summer Tour events, or at least the bonus after those events, which would be the Legendary Bird Days. In all of those cases, all the Gyms are locked for raids of the three Pokémon within a three-hour time frame. It's almost like a Community Day, except it happens with raids. In fact, it's too similar - so I propose an expanded concept of this, which I would call "Community Raid Days".
It would help to point out how similar the two events are, by specific characteristics. The three-hour time frame is the most strikingly similar aspect; Community Days also occur within a similar period of time, barring any major errors that may cause extensions to occur. All players are similarly facilitated through the locking of all Gyms for raids of the same Pokémon, as the analogue of increased appearances during Community Day. Shiny forms are possible during this, and this is a hallmark of a Community Day as well. Even exclusive moves are involved, as another hallmark of Community Day - Moltres Day for example had the Sky Attack move when Moltres was raided during the event. These are all significant similarities that prompt me to think up of this concept.
As for the execution, there are a few things to consider. The most important is what Pokémon to feature. Since Pokémon that are in Level 1 and Level 2 raids are relatively common, they probably would be better reserved for a possible Community Day instead. Pokémon of upper evolutionary stages present in higher raid levels seem to be the best candidates instead, as well as the Legendary Pokémon present in Level 5. Based on this, Machamp and Tyranitar - the latter as a possible rerun of June's Community Day in raid form - could be possible candidates, and it is likely that the second-generation Legendary Beasts will have theirs some point down the line.
Other feature considerations could be taken into account. Since Community Raid Days would be all about raids, Lure Modules are useless to be extended; instead, Star Pieces and Lucky Eggs could be extended. Field Research tasks could also be changed as in Community Day, though it could be good to vary them like in the Squirtle Community Day in July - instead of "catch-3", they could be "catch-2" to account for limited raids, and the rewards could be the Golden Razz Berry or the recently introduced Silver Pinap Berry, as well as anything that may be earned through raids. These would make them on par.
The recent Legendary Bird Days and Community Days share so many similarities that it's not hard to consider the former as an offshoot of the latter. At that point, they might as well be standardized, and "Community Raid Days" would be the solution. Given the popularity of the recent ones, they might very well happen again, and standardization would establish this as a fixture, just like Community Days as they have unfolded over the course of this year.
One year ago: Pokémon and Party Games
It would help to point out how similar the two events are, by specific characteristics. The three-hour time frame is the most strikingly similar aspect; Community Days also occur within a similar period of time, barring any major errors that may cause extensions to occur. All players are similarly facilitated through the locking of all Gyms for raids of the same Pokémon, as the analogue of increased appearances during Community Day. Shiny forms are possible during this, and this is a hallmark of a Community Day as well. Even exclusive moves are involved, as another hallmark of Community Day - Moltres Day for example had the Sky Attack move when Moltres was raided during the event. These are all significant similarities that prompt me to think up of this concept.
As for the execution, there are a few things to consider. The most important is what Pokémon to feature. Since Pokémon that are in Level 1 and Level 2 raids are relatively common, they probably would be better reserved for a possible Community Day instead. Pokémon of upper evolutionary stages present in higher raid levels seem to be the best candidates instead, as well as the Legendary Pokémon present in Level 5. Based on this, Machamp and Tyranitar - the latter as a possible rerun of June's Community Day in raid form - could be possible candidates, and it is likely that the second-generation Legendary Beasts will have theirs some point down the line.
Other feature considerations could be taken into account. Since Community Raid Days would be all about raids, Lure Modules are useless to be extended; instead, Star Pieces and Lucky Eggs could be extended. Field Research tasks could also be changed as in Community Day, though it could be good to vary them like in the Squirtle Community Day in July - instead of "catch-3", they could be "catch-2" to account for limited raids, and the rewards could be the Golden Razz Berry or the recently introduced Silver Pinap Berry, as well as anything that may be earned through raids. These would make them on par.
The recent Legendary Bird Days and Community Days share so many similarities that it's not hard to consider the former as an offshoot of the latter. At that point, they might as well be standardized, and "Community Raid Days" would be the solution. Given the popularity of the recent ones, they might very well happen again, and standardization would establish this as a fixture, just like Community Days as they have unfolded over the course of this year.
One year ago: Pokémon and Party Games
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 9/20/2018
As I've said in my previous post, it's going to be a "Pokémon Go week", which means I'm going to be discussing things about the game. Part of that involves things that will happen or have happened, and believe me, there's a lot of those. So it's time for another one of these event rollups to gain perspective on what has happened, and to mentally prepare for what's next. I seem to have to do quite a bit of both, considering the things that have happened or are about to happen.
I've already mentioned two of the Summer Tour events in July's rollup, but I haven't mentioned the third. That one, a Safari Zone event, happened just at the end of last month in Japan (serving Asia as well), so that is why it made it into this rollup instead of last month's. And yes, that is the event that one of my raid fellows attended and got a certain set of stickers from. As for everyone else that couldn't attend, the bonuses were related to Stardust earnings - which were amped up all around - and of course, Moltres Day. The latter happened a couple of weeks ago, and it drew an even greater number of players; this time my raid group organized things differently, to account for people who wanted to raid as many Gyms as possible, as well as the minimalists who cannot raid too many times. I joined a minimalist group, which was still fun because that linked me up with old and new friends just like before, and the turnout wasn't pretty bad either with two Shiny Moltres. With that, the Summer Tour also ended.
After that, things would be relatively drab... if it weren't for a "Kanto Festival" that started less than one week after Moltres Day. The big thing is increased numbers of first-generation Pokémon, along with some special surprises. One was the return of all three birds to Level 5 raids for a week (and today happens to be the last day), which also prompted the change in raid time lengths; raids too also featured many first-generation Pokémon. That wasn't all: the first-generation regional exclusive Pokémon (Farfetch'd, Tauros, Kangaskhan, and Mr.Mime) could now be obtained from 7 km Eggs for the remainder of the month, affording many players the chance to earn a complete Kanto PokéDex. While I wasn't too fond of raiding the three birds again, the exclusive Pokémon hatches are not to be missed, especially since getting them now is much easier and in many ways cheaper. I've gotten nearly all, and I'm on track to achieving this.
As if that wasn't enough, there are some earth-shaking news in regard to raids: starting soon and for a month, Mewtwo will now be available in raids - not Ex-Raids, but regular Level 5 raids - which means everyone will be able to get one, after previously only being limited to those who can get into Ex-Raids. Mewtwo is also essentially "stepping down" as an Ex-Raid boss, and its successor has been announced, which will be Deoxys. This explains why there doesn't seem to be any news about Ex-Raid Pass distributions lately, and effectively makes the last one I participated in ten days ago as the last one for Mewtwo as well. While it's certain that Ex-Raids will return, there is not yet a certainty when, but when it does, it will likely be special and therefore "exclusive" again in more ways than one. Expect more details when that happens.
These are all really big things to take in for any Pokémon Go player, including me. All the raids and all the bonuses that have been earned are appreciable, even if I can't take them up to a full extent in some cases. I'm quite convinced of even bigger things very soon, and I'll have to embrace them, no matter how and how much I manage to participate in them. My Pokémon Go efforts still continue, as does this "Go week" on this blog.
One year ago: Meeting, Parting with, and Missing Friends
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Raid Time Length Change
It seems that (the rest of) this week will be a Pokémon Go week, so I might as well continue to discuss things about the game, and there have been quite a bit of things that are of interest. One such thing is a recent change in raid time lengths, as in the progression of each individual raid and not the overall daily span, of which the latter had its own change four months ago. It's a change that is beneficial for some raids, but may be reconsidered for others, even in entirety.
Previously, raid eggs appeared one hour (60 minutes) before the start of the raid, and the actual raid itself lasted for 45 minutes. Now, raid eggs appear 15 minutes before its start, and the actual raid is 90 minutes (one and a half hours) long. The time length of any raid in total is still the same in both cases in general, being 105 minutes from egg appearance to completion. Thus, the waiting time before a raid is cut by three-fourths, while the raid itself lasts twice as long. In either case, this applies for all raids unquestioned.
The good thing about this change is that the wait before a raid is less agonizing, as the raid boss can be known in less time, which is especially helpful for certain raid levels that have multiple possibilities for raid bosses. This helps to make decisions quicker about what to raid and could allow more players to participate within the length of the raid. One downside is that with longer raids, Gyms are unavailable normally for longer, though this may not be such a problem for those pursuing raids rather than Gym battles. Even so, the extended time length may not be suitable for all raid levels.
And yet, the 15-minute wait time remains appropriate for any raid at any level; it's not too long and leaves more time for the raid itself. The time length of the raid itself then becomes the issue. It would be expected that higher-level raids generate more interest, so they should be longer. Accordingly, perhaps it would be best to have, for example, 45 minutes for Levels 1 and 2 (as before), 60 minutes for Level 3, 75 minutes for Level 4, and 90 minutes for Level 5 (as is the current case). This would be a deviation from the 105-minute length total, but given that anything may happen with raids, this could seem more reasonable.
There is at least something to be welcomed about this change to raid time lengths. It means a greater focus on the raid itself rather than anxiously waiting for a raid boss that may or may not draw the interest of players. It's not completely perfect, as the 90-minute raid may seem like an eternity for certain raids, but it's a good change for other specific raids. For now, it works quite well, and future changes ought to only improve on this progression.
One year ago: Competitive Stages in Shuffle
Previously, raid eggs appeared one hour (60 minutes) before the start of the raid, and the actual raid itself lasted for 45 minutes. Now, raid eggs appear 15 minutes before its start, and the actual raid is 90 minutes (one and a half hours) long. The time length of any raid in total is still the same in both cases in general, being 105 minutes from egg appearance to completion. Thus, the waiting time before a raid is cut by three-fourths, while the raid itself lasts twice as long. In either case, this applies for all raids unquestioned.
The good thing about this change is that the wait before a raid is less agonizing, as the raid boss can be known in less time, which is especially helpful for certain raid levels that have multiple possibilities for raid bosses. This helps to make decisions quicker about what to raid and could allow more players to participate within the length of the raid. One downside is that with longer raids, Gyms are unavailable normally for longer, though this may not be such a problem for those pursuing raids rather than Gym battles. Even so, the extended time length may not be suitable for all raid levels.
And yet, the 15-minute wait time remains appropriate for any raid at any level; it's not too long and leaves more time for the raid itself. The time length of the raid itself then becomes the issue. It would be expected that higher-level raids generate more interest, so they should be longer. Accordingly, perhaps it would be best to have, for example, 45 minutes for Levels 1 and 2 (as before), 60 minutes for Level 3, 75 minutes for Level 4, and 90 minutes for Level 5 (as is the current case). This would be a deviation from the 105-minute length total, but given that anything may happen with raids, this could seem more reasonable.
There is at least something to be welcomed about this change to raid time lengths. It means a greater focus on the raid itself rather than anxiously waiting for a raid boss that may or may not draw the interest of players. It's not completely perfect, as the 90-minute raid may seem like an eternity for certain raids, but it's a good change for other specific raids. For now, it works quite well, and future changes ought to only improve on this progression.
One year ago: Competitive Stages in Shuffle
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
A Restarted Fever?
Last year (and a day ago), I wrote about how Pokémon Go fever could be restarted among players. The reasoning was derived from a couple of small experiences that I had with and around playing the game. Now, one year later, I would like to address this - and perhaps I really should have done it yesterday: I may be able to say that the fever has restarted to some degree with all that has happened with the game over the course of the year. In some ways, both of the experiences were validated, though it hasn't led to a fully restarted fever.
I had theorized that some players were still playing the game, and I was right: I met one of them a month later, and the rest as my local raid group. This is the "one big collective" I spoke about, and its members are from all the teams, working for the common goal of raids. There are no sub-groups for each team, but that would be beside the point of this collective; the players don't seem to mind anyhow. Still, team spirit does decide some things that the players in my raid group do, but it's mostly for fun and positiveness. What is important is that this big collective provides opportunities for communication, which really does matter for raids, being limited in time and scope. My raid group becomes the useful tool for that.
As for the technical challenges, it seems most players who have phones with the necessary OS version and a good amount of memory and free space are able to join in the fun, albeit to different degrees. This seems to be the case for most players in my raid group, including those who have rejoined after a long absence and then subsequently joined my raid group. Even so, some players appear to be pushing it with the phones available, much like what I did when I played Go for the first time on my old phone. At the least this shows a semblance of willingness of participation from them, and that the technical limitations don't seem to pose a problem (except maybe for my friend with the phone with the smashed screen, who has not shown any commitment of returning the last time I checked).
With that, it appears that there doesn't seem to be much that holds back players from (re)joining the fun of Pokémon Go, and so it can be said that the fever has restarted. It's not complete, but at least the partiality indicates that things are bubbling, as many are becoming willing and able to participate in everything that Pokémon Go currently has to offer. This restarted fever pitch might just increase even further within the short time to come.
With that, it appears that there doesn't seem to be much that holds back players from (re)joining the fun of Pokémon Go, and so it can be said that the fever has restarted. It's not complete, but at least the partiality indicates that things are bubbling, as many are becoming willing and able to participate in everything that Pokémon Go currently has to offer. This restarted fever pitch might just increase even further within the short time to come.
One year ago: What I (Really) Like About You - Pokémon
Monday, September 17, 2018
Approaching Field Research Tasks
Ever since they were introduced five months ago, Field Research tasks have proven to be a valuable thing for players of Pokémon Go. They offer something to do beyond the usual norm of catching Pokémon in the game, and the rewards are really good too. It is expected that many players will partake in these tasks for everything they offer. But it seems that players, including me, can approach the completion of these tasks in different ways. These different approaches become a worthwhile discussion.
I classify myself as a player with a "practical approach". I tend to take up tasks that are quickly or easily achievable; I'm not too fond of tasks that take forever to accomplish, given current in-game conditions and events. Plus, I tend to have one or more completed tasks ready to be claimed immediately on later days for a daily stamp leading to a Research Breakthrough, as I think this is the real prize of these tasks and shouldn't be ignored. This practical approach works for me and others who focus on this goal.
A different approach is the "multiple approach", which involves collecting more than one task of the same kind from different PokéStops and then completing all at the same time. This can actually be considered its own approach or a complementary one to others; in fact, during Community Days, when only one kind of task is available, this is the approach to use. Outside of Community Days, though, this approach requires knowing which PokéStop has what task, something that is more easily done by a very large and evenly distributed group of players. My raid group isn't much of either, but sometimes this is doable for certain tasks as the others report them.
Yet another different (sub-)approach that may be executed is the "sequential approach". By knowing where certain tasks are, they can potentially be completed one after another even while doing other things in the game. For example, a raid victory will complete a "win a raid" task, and the subsequent capture challenge can then complete a "catch N Pokémon" task. Another more simple example is "battle in a Gym" with "win a Gym battle", for which the former is likely to lead to the latter. The right tasks will of course lead to a cascade of completions, and this is up to the player to arrange.
These are likely not the only approaches that players can use in completing Field Research tasks; experienced players may be able to contrive other approaches that are suitable for their style of play. It is still useful to try to outline a few of them in the hope that they may be useful as starting points. Whatever happens, Field Research tasks are what adds to the current play dynamics in Pokémon Go, and they may as well be undertaken and accomplished in whatever way that works best for a player.
One year ago: Restarting Go Fever Among Players
I classify myself as a player with a "practical approach". I tend to take up tasks that are quickly or easily achievable; I'm not too fond of tasks that take forever to accomplish, given current in-game conditions and events. Plus, I tend to have one or more completed tasks ready to be claimed immediately on later days for a daily stamp leading to a Research Breakthrough, as I think this is the real prize of these tasks and shouldn't be ignored. This practical approach works for me and others who focus on this goal.
A different approach is the "multiple approach", which involves collecting more than one task of the same kind from different PokéStops and then completing all at the same time. This can actually be considered its own approach or a complementary one to others; in fact, during Community Days, when only one kind of task is available, this is the approach to use. Outside of Community Days, though, this approach requires knowing which PokéStop has what task, something that is more easily done by a very large and evenly distributed group of players. My raid group isn't much of either, but sometimes this is doable for certain tasks as the others report them.
Yet another different (sub-)approach that may be executed is the "sequential approach". By knowing where certain tasks are, they can potentially be completed one after another even while doing other things in the game. For example, a raid victory will complete a "win a raid" task, and the subsequent capture challenge can then complete a "catch N Pokémon" task. Another more simple example is "battle in a Gym" with "win a Gym battle", for which the former is likely to lead to the latter. The right tasks will of course lead to a cascade of completions, and this is up to the player to arrange.
These are likely not the only approaches that players can use in completing Field Research tasks; experienced players may be able to contrive other approaches that are suitable for their style of play. It is still useful to try to outline a few of them in the hope that they may be useful as starting points. Whatever happens, Field Research tasks are what adds to the current play dynamics in Pokémon Go, and they may as well be undertaken and accomplished in whatever way that works best for a player.
One year ago: Restarting Go Fever Among Players
Sunday, September 16, 2018
An End to Jumps
After having played the game regularly and continuously for almost three months, I have finally reached the end of the Magikarp Jump game. The way I managed to do so is by playing it on my old phone, which I miraculously recovered from its boot problem. As an incapacitated phone, though, it no longer has a place as such, but it is able to be used to play light games such as this one. The only problem is that on this phone, Magikarp Jump often hangs suddenly (most often after fishing for a new Magikarp or right before battle results are announced) and unceremoniously terminates. On the other hand, this is a good thing, because it often means that I should stop playing when that happens.
My impressions remain much the same as last time: this game is a great way to fill time... or waste time, depending on how one sees it. As for particulars, this game is well-designed and could pass for a Pokémon game on a Nintendo console. Every single text dialogue is amusing, at least by my perception, and the graphics are simplistic but supportive of this. Though it may not appear that there is much to do in the game, there really is a lot to be done and to be achieved, and that really adds to the replay value. If I were playing it on my current phone, I could conceivably play it continuously unchecked.
Though I have reached the end of the game, it really is an open end, especially for someone who played it without spending a single cent on the game. There are a few Magikarp patterns I've yet to obtain, and I would need to continue fishing for them. Aside from certain Pokémon I've summoned by purchase of their items with the Diamonds I've earned or by reaching certain points in the game, there are still more Pokémon I need to purchase; this likewise applies for many pond decorations. Finally, I have not accomplished a few achievements, which would support these goals. All of these are further incentives to keep playing.
Speaking of paying to play, I'm even more reluctant to do so now, as I have reached the end of the game, at least story-wise. True, I'd really have to pay to obtain the extremely useful Diamond Miner, which would accelerate post-game progression, but my money is better spent elsewhere, and I'm not in a rush. Yet this option remains an open one should I ever have quite a bit of cash to devote to the game.
Because of all the other things I've yet to achieve even with having reached the end of the game, I will certainly continue to play Magikarp Jump on a limited basis. The game is just too good to pass up while there are still plenty of things to do. All that is left is to accomplish the rest of them, and at that point, I can retire in peace... just like all the Magikarp in the game that came before.
One year ago: Pokémon Suits in Cosplay?
My impressions remain much the same as last time: this game is a great way to fill time... or waste time, depending on how one sees it. As for particulars, this game is well-designed and could pass for a Pokémon game on a Nintendo console. Every single text dialogue is amusing, at least by my perception, and the graphics are simplistic but supportive of this. Though it may not appear that there is much to do in the game, there really is a lot to be done and to be achieved, and that really adds to the replay value. If I were playing it on my current phone, I could conceivably play it continuously unchecked.
Though I have reached the end of the game, it really is an open end, especially for someone who played it without spending a single cent on the game. There are a few Magikarp patterns I've yet to obtain, and I would need to continue fishing for them. Aside from certain Pokémon I've summoned by purchase of their items with the Diamonds I've earned or by reaching certain points in the game, there are still more Pokémon I need to purchase; this likewise applies for many pond decorations. Finally, I have not accomplished a few achievements, which would support these goals. All of these are further incentives to keep playing.
Speaking of paying to play, I'm even more reluctant to do so now, as I have reached the end of the game, at least story-wise. True, I'd really have to pay to obtain the extremely useful Diamond Miner, which would accelerate post-game progression, but my money is better spent elsewhere, and I'm not in a rush. Yet this option remains an open one should I ever have quite a bit of cash to devote to the game.
Because of all the other things I've yet to achieve even with having reached the end of the game, I will certainly continue to play Magikarp Jump on a limited basis. The game is just too good to pass up while there are still plenty of things to do. All that is left is to accomplish the rest of them, and at that point, I can retire in peace... just like all the Magikarp in the game that came before.
One year ago: Pokémon Suits in Cosplay?
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Pokémon Go Trading Stickers
I've discussed quite a few Pokémon stickers on this blog, which come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. However, they've all been independently created or unofficial. The stickers I discuss in this post are neither; they are completely official. Moreover, they feature Pokémon Go, which has been known to spawn lots of indie Pokémon merchandise since its boom. This fact makes these stickers attractive as well as unusual.
The theme of these stickers are trading, as it is a major concept of Pokémon that has lately been implemented in Pokémon Go. The stickers are shaped like double arrows placed beside each other, and the double arrows form a particular type of Poké Ball where they meet in the middle. Accordingly, the left arrow, which forms the top side of the ball, is always colored, while the right arrow forms the white bottom side of the ball.
Naturally, there are three stickers, one for each primary ball type. These stickers come in one sheet, but the stickers are already pre-cut, so the user only has to peel and apply them wherever desired. The neat thing is that the sticker paper extends to the border, so theoretically the border art can be used as stickers too, though I think it's a little too precious for that, and there is a reason why.
These stickers were given to me by one of my raid group fellows, who was fortunate enough to attend a certain Pokémon Go event in Japan - more details soon - and got a number of these sticker sheets to be given to the people in my raid group. This fellow also told me to share the stickers as the sheets were limited, so that's what I did. I let someone else have the Great Ball and Ultra Ball stickers, while I kept the Poké Ball sticker and the sheet. Most of the others have applied the stickers to their smartphones (which they use to play Go) but I haven't found a place that is fitting for me to apply mine.
Another reason is that the back side of the sticker sheet contains promotional info on the upcoming Let's Go! Pikachu and Eevee games, as well as the accompanying Poké Ball Plus. Thus I'm loath to cut up the sheet or manipulate the front side in any way, even once I've applied my Poké Ball sticker.
The concept of these stickers seem to have been fully thought out, and that's a good thing. Though it does involve Pokémon Go, the involvement is as such that it doesn't seem cheesy; it would be something that players are proud to have, and they are, including me. The fact that it was also given away as part of an event related to the game seals the deal as something that players really should possess. Amidst many Pokémon Go-related things, these do seem unusual, but at the least they are appreciably attractive by their qualities.
One year ago: Am I Writing-Challenged?
The theme of these stickers are trading, as it is a major concept of Pokémon that has lately been implemented in Pokémon Go. The stickers are shaped like double arrows placed beside each other, and the double arrows form a particular type of Poké Ball where they meet in the middle. Accordingly, the left arrow, which forms the top side of the ball, is always colored, while the right arrow forms the white bottom side of the ball.
 |
| The stickers, when I received them. |
Naturally, there are three stickers, one for each primary ball type. These stickers come in one sheet, but the stickers are already pre-cut, so the user only has to peel and apply them wherever desired. The neat thing is that the sticker paper extends to the border, so theoretically the border art can be used as stickers too, though I think it's a little too precious for that, and there is a reason why.
These stickers were given to me by one of my raid group fellows, who was fortunate enough to attend a certain Pokémon Go event in Japan - more details soon - and got a number of these sticker sheets to be given to the people in my raid group. This fellow also told me to share the stickers as the sheets were limited, so that's what I did. I let someone else have the Great Ball and Ultra Ball stickers, while I kept the Poké Ball sticker and the sheet. Most of the others have applied the stickers to their smartphones (which they use to play Go) but I haven't found a place that is fitting for me to apply mine.
 |
| What's left of the stickers. |
Another reason is that the back side of the sticker sheet contains promotional info on the upcoming Let's Go! Pikachu and Eevee games, as well as the accompanying Poké Ball Plus. Thus I'm loath to cut up the sheet or manipulate the front side in any way, even once I've applied my Poké Ball sticker.
 |
| The back side. |
The concept of these stickers seem to have been fully thought out, and that's a good thing. Though it does involve Pokémon Go, the involvement is as such that it doesn't seem cheesy; it would be something that players are proud to have, and they are, including me. The fact that it was also given away as part of an event related to the game seals the deal as something that players really should possess. Amidst many Pokémon Go-related things, these do seem unusual, but at the least they are appreciably attractive by their qualities.
One year ago: Am I Writing-Challenged?
Friday, September 14, 2018
A Pokémon Watch
What I like about Pokémon merchandise is the seemingly endless possibilities of its forms, and the one I discuss in this post represents that fairly well. During the convention that occurred the Sunday before last, a friend who I hadn't seen in some time (and one of whom I referred to in an earlier post) gave me this watch, most likely because he knows that I'm a big Pokémon fan. I appreciate this so much and I find the watch to be a great item as well, in regard to Pokémon and otherwise.
The watch itself is sporty-looking, which is really neat. The dominant color is yellow, which alludes to both Pikachu and the international Pokémon logo. The face of the watch features Pikachu amidst its digital display, while the band features Pidgey, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff along with some clouds. The watch appears quite evocative of many Pokémon elements, as well as a take-to-the-skies theme. This makes it sufficiently unique in regard to Pokémon. It does appear to be unofficial merchandise, but for something unofficial, this seems more than OK.
Functionally, the watch seems a bit lacking. Though the watch appears sporty and to be of many functions, it only really has two: to show the current time and date. Though the black parts on the sides resemble buttons that could be used to change functions on a real sport watch, these don't do that; they are there purely for cosmetic appearance. However, the part on the upper left does possess a raised button, and its purpose is to change the display to show the current hour and minute, then the date, then the seconds. There is also a smaller, recessed button on the right side for changing the time and date, and the first knob assists in this regard. Even so, because it can show the time and date, which is key for any watch and especially a sport watch, the watch appears to be basic and sufficient in that regard.
This watch seems to be a bit rudimentary as far as watches go and its suggestive sporty appearance, but in regard to its Pokémon aspect, it's more than fulfilling. It has a theme by the colors, objects, and featured Pokémon, which helps to frame its functional aspects. I can see myself wearing this watch, but perhaps not very often in order to keep it pristine - as well as to keep the memory of my friend. As it stands, this is a fine piece of Pokémon merchandise, however unofficial, and it truly shows off its multitude of possibilities.
One year ago: Three's Demise
The watch itself is sporty-looking, which is really neat. The dominant color is yellow, which alludes to both Pikachu and the international Pokémon logo. The face of the watch features Pikachu amidst its digital display, while the band features Pidgey, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff along with some clouds. The watch appears quite evocative of many Pokémon elements, as well as a take-to-the-skies theme. This makes it sufficiently unique in regard to Pokémon. It does appear to be unofficial merchandise, but for something unofficial, this seems more than OK.
Functionally, the watch seems a bit lacking. Though the watch appears sporty and to be of many functions, it only really has two: to show the current time and date. Though the black parts on the sides resemble buttons that could be used to change functions on a real sport watch, these don't do that; they are there purely for cosmetic appearance. However, the part on the upper left does possess a raised button, and its purpose is to change the display to show the current hour and minute, then the date, then the seconds. There is also a smaller, recessed button on the right side for changing the time and date, and the first knob assists in this regard. Even so, because it can show the time and date, which is key for any watch and especially a sport watch, the watch appears to be basic and sufficient in that regard.
This watch seems to be a bit rudimentary as far as watches go and its suggestive sporty appearance, but in regard to its Pokémon aspect, it's more than fulfilling. It has a theme by the colors, objects, and featured Pokémon, which helps to frame its functional aspects. I can see myself wearing this watch, but perhaps not very often in order to keep it pristine - as well as to keep the memory of my friend. As it stands, this is a fine piece of Pokémon merchandise, however unofficial, and it truly shows off its multitude of possibilities.
One year ago: Three's Demise
Thursday, September 13, 2018
To Judge and Be Judged
If you've been reading this blog, you might have noted that last Sunday, at a certain theme event, something new and unusual happened in regard to me and cosplay: I became a judge for the competition, rather than a participant in it. It's a unique and honorable position, especially considering that for years I've always been on the opposite end. At the same time, it's a position with a great deal of responsibility. But like many things that I deal with, in particular to my interests, Pokémon has a role to play in its dynamics as well as insights.
Being that Pokémon has an anime and that most cosplayers cosplay characters that are from anime, I can use the Pokémon anime as one of my references for judging. But that is not to say it's the only reference; I do watch or am exposed to other anime series, and use those as well for references for judging. What is probably most important is that some abstraction is necessary, because I can't possibly watch or be exposed to every single thing that others cosplay, and this may be the case for other judges. All that which I see, including Pokémon, play a part in the abstraction for the dynamics of judging; they help to fulfill the responsibility.
One takeaway from having participated in judging is that the experience can be used to improve my Pokémon cosplay - the insights portion. Given the previous judging opportunity, I can visualize how my next performance might look on stage. Sure, each competition is different and has different requirements, but at the least some things remain the same, like a focus on characterization, action, and costume. I know I can step up any of these to make up for what may be lacking and repeat the process for each competition, each time achieving a greater degree of satisfaction. It is then up to the judges of that particular competition as to how these parameters may be evaluated.
I've certainly participated as a competitor in many competitions, and I'm likely to partake in many more. And now that I've been a judge, this opens the door for possible judging opportunities later on. One can contribute to the other, which then overall improves my cosplay experience. Of course, cosplay personally is another way to express my interests in Pokémon, and this may be regarded to certain extents on both sides of competition. Given the most recent opportunity, there seems to be lots of lessons to be heeded, going forward.
One year ago: Catering to Old and New Players
Being that Pokémon has an anime and that most cosplayers cosplay characters that are from anime, I can use the Pokémon anime as one of my references for judging. But that is not to say it's the only reference; I do watch or am exposed to other anime series, and use those as well for references for judging. What is probably most important is that some abstraction is necessary, because I can't possibly watch or be exposed to every single thing that others cosplay, and this may be the case for other judges. All that which I see, including Pokémon, play a part in the abstraction for the dynamics of judging; they help to fulfill the responsibility.
One takeaway from having participated in judging is that the experience can be used to improve my Pokémon cosplay - the insights portion. Given the previous judging opportunity, I can visualize how my next performance might look on stage. Sure, each competition is different and has different requirements, but at the least some things remain the same, like a focus on characterization, action, and costume. I know I can step up any of these to make up for what may be lacking and repeat the process for each competition, each time achieving a greater degree of satisfaction. It is then up to the judges of that particular competition as to how these parameters may be evaluated.
I've certainly participated as a competitor in many competitions, and I'm likely to partake in many more. And now that I've been a judge, this opens the door for possible judging opportunities later on. One can contribute to the other, which then overall improves my cosplay experience. Of course, cosplay personally is another way to express my interests in Pokémon, and this may be regarded to certain extents on both sides of competition. Given the most recent opportunity, there seems to be lots of lessons to be heeded, going forward.
One year ago: Catering to Old and New Players
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Proud to Be a Clean Cosplayer
If you've read my latest event recap and review (cosplaying as Ash, I might add), you might have noticed that the event took place somewhere that is not typically a venue for cosplay. Yes, that event took place in a club, as in a nightclub. And that means there were some unsavory things as well, but I did not partake in them. Given my tendency for Pokémon cosplay, and for the good of my cosplay efforts, I want to say that I'm proud to be a clean cosplayer (per the title of this post) and I want to keep it that way as much as possible.
First of all, I don't smoke. This has no place in my cosplay efforts and it simply ruins them. In general, I also try to steer clear of the smoke, although this would be (and was) hard to do in the setting above. Unfortunately, I currently reside in Indonesia, a country where smoking is prevalent and easy to encounter, even outside the nightclub setting. Further, some of my friends (cosplayer or not) also smoke; I won't say whom, but I've been a reluctant witness. This issue probably is and will never be completely avoidable even outside of cosplay, but at least I have my own standing on it.
Second, I don't drink alcohol... or at the least very, very sparingly. I didn't grow up with alcoholic drinks readily available, and for the few times I've been offered them recently (but not at the nightclub), I found that I couldn't stand the stuff. That seems to be a good thing, even more so with the fact that these drinks more often than not are expensive. There are better things that I could enjoy and taste, and I'd rather spend money on Pokémon things, in particular for Pokémon cosplay.
I also keep myself clean in other respects. I don't take part in raunchy activities or any illegal activities that might pose a threat to my inner well-being. If I did, I wouldn't be cosplaying in the first place, let alone enjoy everything about Pokémon. I use this as motivation to keep me going and avoid these activities, so that I may continue to enjoy both Pokémon and cosplay, without seriously compromising my well-being.
So on one hand, I try to stay clean as much as possible; on the other hand, it's not a complete cleanliness due to one factor or another. Perhaps I could be said to be relatively clean, compared to some other cosplayers. Regardless, I'm proud to state that this is the case personally. It's something that bodes well for my adventures in cosplay as well as my overall journey with Pokémon, and I'd like that to always be the case.
One year ago: Poké-Mobile Devices
First of all, I don't smoke. This has no place in my cosplay efforts and it simply ruins them. In general, I also try to steer clear of the smoke, although this would be (and was) hard to do in the setting above. Unfortunately, I currently reside in Indonesia, a country where smoking is prevalent and easy to encounter, even outside the nightclub setting. Further, some of my friends (cosplayer or not) also smoke; I won't say whom, but I've been a reluctant witness. This issue probably is and will never be completely avoidable even outside of cosplay, but at least I have my own standing on it.
Second, I don't drink alcohol... or at the least very, very sparingly. I didn't grow up with alcoholic drinks readily available, and for the few times I've been offered them recently (but not at the nightclub), I found that I couldn't stand the stuff. That seems to be a good thing, even more so with the fact that these drinks more often than not are expensive. There are better things that I could enjoy and taste, and I'd rather spend money on Pokémon things, in particular for Pokémon cosplay.
I also keep myself clean in other respects. I don't take part in raunchy activities or any illegal activities that might pose a threat to my inner well-being. If I did, I wouldn't be cosplaying in the first place, let alone enjoy everything about Pokémon. I use this as motivation to keep me going and avoid these activities, so that I may continue to enjoy both Pokémon and cosplay, without seriously compromising my well-being.
So on one hand, I try to stay clean as much as possible; on the other hand, it's not a complete cleanliness due to one factor or another. Perhaps I could be said to be relatively clean, compared to some other cosplayers. Regardless, I'm proud to state that this is the case personally. It's something that bodes well for my adventures in cosplay as well as my overall journey with Pokémon, and I'd like that to always be the case.
One year ago: Poké-Mobile Devices
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Cosplay: Club Cosplay Party
[AshKetchumMode]
Hi guys. I know it's unusual even for my friend to post about two theme events within a few days, especially one that happens closer to the middle of the week, but that's what happened. This one was held last night - actually, even up until early this morning - and it really was a real party inside a real club. I'm not the only one that came - many of my character friends also came for a piece of the action.
My friend and I had been a bit unsure of whether I should come or not, but after thinking about it, we decided that he should send me to come. It's a good way to get out there, even if the setting is a bit dark and shady. Plus there was a parade too, and the long list of prizes look really good, so that's what we did. We went all out and signed up, and all I had to do next was to come and enjoy. Oh yeah, I came with my Hoenn costume - it was a good one for it.
I say it's a real party, and it is. There was music, food, drinks, and lots of people. Oh, and then there was me and my other character friends! Many of us signed up not just for the party but the parade too. At least it started out that way - we were supposed to come on the stage one at a time, and we did, but later on into the night, or morning I should say, every character just went up on stage and danced to the beat.
Pikachu: Pika pika chuu!! [grooving]
You too, Pikachu. I think you liked the music more than I did - but everyone does, and I do too. There was supposed to be 70 of us, but I don't know, I think many of the others couldn't make it. There wouldn't have been room for all of us anyway. The place was so small and the people were so many. I still wonder how some of my character friends who had big things to bring fitted into the small space.
At the end of the night, things weren't so bad. Remember that long list of prizes? I got one, for the seventh runner-up. It's not anything big, but it should count for me and my friend. A good number of the characters that came got prizes, and that has to be a good thing. It's at least rewarding for spending the night into the morning. I'm not sure if I want to do this again, but maybe I'll think about it for next time.
And now I need some rest. There's a lot that Pokémon Trainers have to do, you know. Of course, there'll be other theme events and so on. My friend and I have to be on our toes to keep up. 😉
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: Pokkén BanaPassports
Hi guys. I know it's unusual even for my friend to post about two theme events within a few days, especially one that happens closer to the middle of the week, but that's what happened. This one was held last night - actually, even up until early this morning - and it really was a real party inside a real club. I'm not the only one that came - many of my character friends also came for a piece of the action.
My friend and I had been a bit unsure of whether I should come or not, but after thinking about it, we decided that he should send me to come. It's a good way to get out there, even if the setting is a bit dark and shady. Plus there was a parade too, and the long list of prizes look really good, so that's what we did. We went all out and signed up, and all I had to do next was to come and enjoy. Oh yeah, I came with my Hoenn costume - it was a good one for it.
I say it's a real party, and it is. There was music, food, drinks, and lots of people. Oh, and then there was me and my other character friends! Many of us signed up not just for the party but the parade too. At least it started out that way - we were supposed to come on the stage one at a time, and we did, but later on into the night, or morning I should say, every character just went up on stage and danced to the beat.
Pikachu: Pika pika chuu!! [grooving]
You too, Pikachu. I think you liked the music more than I did - but everyone does, and I do too. There was supposed to be 70 of us, but I don't know, I think many of the others couldn't make it. There wouldn't have been room for all of us anyway. The place was so small and the people were so many. I still wonder how some of my character friends who had big things to bring fitted into the small space.
At the end of the night, things weren't so bad. Remember that long list of prizes? I got one, for the seventh runner-up. It's not anything big, but it should count for me and my friend. A good number of the characters that came got prizes, and that has to be a good thing. It's at least rewarding for spending the night into the morning. I'm not sure if I want to do this again, but maybe I'll think about it for next time.
And now I need some rest. There's a lot that Pokémon Trainers have to do, you know. Of course, there'll be other theme events and so on. My friend and I have to be on our toes to keep up. 😉
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: Pokkén BanaPassports
Monday, September 10, 2018
(A Further) Local Ex-Raid, 9/10/2018
One thing that multiple Ex-Raid Gyms allow in a local area is flexibility. If a Trainer desires one, the Trainer can raid a specific Ex-Raid Gym while it is open for raids, for a chance of "qualifying" for an Ex-Raid there, while the other Gym(s) are closed in the interim period before an Ex-Raid. That was what I did for this Ex-Raid, by qualifying for it just before last week's Ex-Raid. This one also happened to be in the same location as one that happened a month ago, with it being a new one.
Of course, having flexibility to qualify for Ex-Raids does not mean any Trainer has flexibility to actually attend the Ex-Raid. Some who qualified for this Ex-Raid turned out to be unable to participate on the scheduled day because of other and/or sudden concerns, so they had to drop out of the planned battle flights and therefore forfeit the Ex-Raid. It's a given, since this one happened on a Monday at 1 PM. It's a little unfortunate, but at least because of the flexibility afforded above, they might be able to do so at a later time, though it may or may not be for the same Gym.
As well, there did not seem to be many Trainers from my raid group that qualified for an Ex-Raid, even after the few that dropped out. This led to only two battle flights, one for two teams with the fewest members and one for the team with the most members. The only problem that remained was that of the "unseen forces" which could either help or hinder the raid, and in fact both flights had at least one occurrence of both. There has to be a way for my raid group and others to control the "unseen forces" so that they may be more of a benefit rather than an impediment.
Having said all of that, my battle went smoothly. Despite being given a Mewtwo with fairly strong moves, my battle flight subdued Mewtwo quickly, which allowed the capture challenge to occur. Even the capture challenge proceeded quickly and effortlessly; I was given 11 balls and I caught Mewtwo on the first ball. A few others did the same, which makes me think this was somehow meant to be. Other than that, there were no reports of anything outlandish. It was just another Mewtwo in a slightly different place.
With two places in my local area for Ex-Raids, the opportunities for Ex-Raids are greater. No one is locked in to just a single place with variable times; whichever Gym is open can be raided for a chance to qualify for an Ex-Raid. At the least, it makes things easier for any Trainer in Go to do so, and if skillfully done can provide the chance for Ex-Raids over several weeks. I can do it... or have done it, and others can do the same.
One year ago: Cosplay: BJF - Shizen ni Modoru
Of course, having flexibility to qualify for Ex-Raids does not mean any Trainer has flexibility to actually attend the Ex-Raid. Some who qualified for this Ex-Raid turned out to be unable to participate on the scheduled day because of other and/or sudden concerns, so they had to drop out of the planned battle flights and therefore forfeit the Ex-Raid. It's a given, since this one happened on a Monday at 1 PM. It's a little unfortunate, but at least because of the flexibility afforded above, they might be able to do so at a later time, though it may or may not be for the same Gym.
As well, there did not seem to be many Trainers from my raid group that qualified for an Ex-Raid, even after the few that dropped out. This led to only two battle flights, one for two teams with the fewest members and one for the team with the most members. The only problem that remained was that of the "unseen forces" which could either help or hinder the raid, and in fact both flights had at least one occurrence of both. There has to be a way for my raid group and others to control the "unseen forces" so that they may be more of a benefit rather than an impediment.
 |
| Mewtwo @ Street. The Gym is fairly close to the street. Taken using the "manual method". |
Having said all of that, my battle went smoothly. Despite being given a Mewtwo with fairly strong moves, my battle flight subdued Mewtwo quickly, which allowed the capture challenge to occur. Even the capture challenge proceeded quickly and effortlessly; I was given 11 balls and I caught Mewtwo on the first ball. A few others did the same, which makes me think this was somehow meant to be. Other than that, there were no reports of anything outlandish. It was just another Mewtwo in a slightly different place.
 |
| What You See Is What You Get. |
With two places in my local area for Ex-Raids, the opportunities for Ex-Raids are greater. No one is locked in to just a single place with variable times; whichever Gym is open can be raided for a chance to qualify for an Ex-Raid. At the least, it makes things easier for any Trainer in Go to do so, and if skillfully done can provide the chance for Ex-Raids over several weeks. I can do it... or have done it, and others can do the same.
One year ago: Cosplay: BJF - Shizen ni Modoru
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Cosplay: Tachiagare
[AshKetchumMode]
Well, my friend likes to find out new things - and new events too! So when he saw this new theme event, we knew we had to get in. This event promised everything that's usually in an event, like entertainment, competitions, goodies, food, and communities. There were a few of them, but not too many. I guess it's OK.
The people seem to have planned out the event well, even though not many people came, not like last week. Some things were unexpected, like wind at the front entrance and people and things not being ready in time, but everything was OK for a new theme event. But then again, it seemed there were lots of idol group things...
Pikachu: Pika pi! Pika chu? [wondering]
I'm not really an idol, Pikachu, but thanks to my friend, I'm kind of like that where my friend is. I'm a little flattered.
Of course, I wouldn't be here if my friend sent me as a character. If last week I was sent with my special Kanto journey outfit (which I forgot to mention), this time I just came with my regular Kanto outfit. Ever since the beginning, my friend always wanted to send me with this one, but he was only able to later on - there's a story about it. So it's special for him, and of course it's special for me too.
There's another reason why things are special today: I was a judge for the character parade! That's right - for the first time ever, I looked at my character friends to see how good they can perform. I've always been part of the parade to perform, but not to check out what they can do and how good they can do it. And this time, I am! I'm honored. Don't worry - my friend gave me some hints of what to look for, and of course I've seen some of them before, so that helps.
I wasn't the only judge, of course. Two other character friends - one from an idol group - also judged, and after looking at everyone, we decided on the three winners. Everyone was great, but we still had to choose. So congratulations to the ones that won - they were the ones we think were really great.
Pikachu: Pikachu! [cheering]
Yeah, that's the spirit. My friend tells me the title of the event means "stand up". I stood up and did well today, and I think if the people can get it together, they might just stand up and make a better one next time. I can't wait!
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: My Book of Days
Well, my friend likes to find out new things - and new events too! So when he saw this new theme event, we knew we had to get in. This event promised everything that's usually in an event, like entertainment, competitions, goodies, food, and communities. There were a few of them, but not too many. I guess it's OK.
The people seem to have planned out the event well, even though not many people came, not like last week. Some things were unexpected, like wind at the front entrance and people and things not being ready in time, but everything was OK for a new theme event. But then again, it seemed there were lots of idol group things...
Pikachu: Pika pi! Pika chu? [wondering]
I'm not really an idol, Pikachu, but thanks to my friend, I'm kind of like that where my friend is. I'm a little flattered.
Of course, I wouldn't be here if my friend sent me as a character. If last week I was sent with my special Kanto journey outfit (which I forgot to mention), this time I just came with my regular Kanto outfit. Ever since the beginning, my friend always wanted to send me with this one, but he was only able to later on - there's a story about it. So it's special for him, and of course it's special for me too.
There's another reason why things are special today: I was a judge for the character parade! That's right - for the first time ever, I looked at my character friends to see how good they can perform. I've always been part of the parade to perform, but not to check out what they can do and how good they can do it. And this time, I am! I'm honored. Don't worry - my friend gave me some hints of what to look for, and of course I've seen some of them before, so that helps.
I wasn't the only judge, of course. Two other character friends - one from an idol group - also judged, and after looking at everyone, we decided on the three winners. Everyone was great, but we still had to choose. So congratulations to the ones that won - they were the ones we think were really great.
Pikachu: Pikachu! [cheering]
Yeah, that's the spirit. My friend tells me the title of the event means "stand up". I stood up and did well today, and I think if the people can get it together, they might just stand up and make a better one next time. I can't wait!
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: My Book of Days
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Other Uses of Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go is a great game in and of itself. It takes elements from the Pokémon world and places them in a realistic setting. Even so, because it includes realistic elements, it may be considered to be useful in other ways. I've come up with several possible uses for Pokémon Go other than for playing the game itself based on its more realistic aspects. Some of these are simply theories, and some are partially or fully based on experience, but they all make use of the realistic aspects in some way.
Quick path finder. This one is based on a real experience. The other day, I met someone in my neighborhood who was looking for someone else, but couldn't exactly pinpoint where the other person was. Luckily, I had Go running, so with the overworld of the game open, I helped to direct the person to where the other person might be. I don't know if the person succeeded, but at least this illustrates the possible use of Go as a quick path finder. I discussed this with my raid group, and this seems to be a fairly common experience for many, so at the least this use seems to be validated.
(Historical) tour guide. In Go, many things around the world are preserved by way of the Photo Discs at the locations of PokéStops and Gyms, even things that no longer exist at the particular locations. With all these things present in the game, enterprising souls could conceive guides that string all of these based on particular themes, locations, and so on. I've offered a particular set based on Gyms, but the same is conceivable for PokéStops or a mixture of both. It would be fun to play the game as well as conduct structured visits to these locations.
Interactive pedometer. A few things in Go keep track of distance traveled, including incubated eggs and buddy Pokémon. Because of that, these could be used as pedometers with interactive capabilities, especially when the game is played properly by walking from place to place. Sure, the game only measures distance rather than steps and sometimes it may be inaccurate due to something called "GPS drift", but to some extent the data collected may still be usable. All the Pokémon things in the game are a nice plus for this purpose.
The fun in Pokémon Go seems to go beyond the Pokémon aspect. Given some considerations and a bit of effort, some fun and helpful uses may result from the realistic aspects integrated within the game. For fans of the world of Pokémon, this game has a lot of good things; for those who would like to maintain some sense of realism, these other uses look to be pretty good too.
One year ago: Incubators in Pokémon Go
Quick path finder. This one is based on a real experience. The other day, I met someone in my neighborhood who was looking for someone else, but couldn't exactly pinpoint where the other person was. Luckily, I had Go running, so with the overworld of the game open, I helped to direct the person to where the other person might be. I don't know if the person succeeded, but at least this illustrates the possible use of Go as a quick path finder. I discussed this with my raid group, and this seems to be a fairly common experience for many, so at the least this use seems to be validated.
(Historical) tour guide. In Go, many things around the world are preserved by way of the Photo Discs at the locations of PokéStops and Gyms, even things that no longer exist at the particular locations. With all these things present in the game, enterprising souls could conceive guides that string all of these based on particular themes, locations, and so on. I've offered a particular set based on Gyms, but the same is conceivable for PokéStops or a mixture of both. It would be fun to play the game as well as conduct structured visits to these locations.
Interactive pedometer. A few things in Go keep track of distance traveled, including incubated eggs and buddy Pokémon. Because of that, these could be used as pedometers with interactive capabilities, especially when the game is played properly by walking from place to place. Sure, the game only measures distance rather than steps and sometimes it may be inaccurate due to something called "GPS drift", but to some extent the data collected may still be usable. All the Pokémon things in the game are a nice plus for this purpose.
The fun in Pokémon Go seems to go beyond the Pokémon aspect. Given some considerations and a bit of effort, some fun and helpful uses may result from the realistic aspects integrated within the game. For fans of the world of Pokémon, this game has a lot of good things; for those who would like to maintain some sense of realism, these other uses look to be pretty good too.
One year ago: Incubators in Pokémon Go
Friday, September 7, 2018
Artistic Routine
As I've explained in my previous post about my new New 3DS, my old 3DS remains somewhat workable and capable of playing certain games. In fact, that was what I immediately tried, by playing my copy of Pokémon Art Academy on it, which is something that I haven't touched in a long time. However, it felt like I was immediately thrust into the unknown, having departed mid-way through a particular set of lessons. I've come to the conclusion that the game (which isn't really one) needs a more routine approach - an "artistic routine", at that.
I've already explained a bit about Art Academy in a different post early on this blog, and it really is true: it's really an interactive art book. The lessons cover topics that aren't too shabby as well, like shading and outlining, things that are vital for advanced abilities in art. To complement the execution of these topics, what could be likened to an advanced painting or illustration program is included, with exactly the same capabilities: pens, brushes, and pencils that can draw in many different colors, as well as support for layers. Sure, the implementation is rudimentary, but this is quite sophisticated for a console.
Thus like for any real set of lessons, Art Academy has to be followed in a routine manner. Since the lessons stack up on each other and require know-how from earlier lessons, they have to be remembered well so that they may be applied later on. Such a routine approach would also help to build up familiarity with the paint program aspect. Personally, I could be said to have "lost touch" with both, and now I have to regain what I lost so that I can acceptably progress through it, even all the way through everything.
Will I continue to try to progress through Art Academy? Yes - but not at the present, considering the above. I have other pressing concerns (including Pokémon ones) to worry about, precluding anything that might amount to an "artistic routine". Now is not quite the right time for artistic concerns, but rest assured, when the time for artistic concerns is at hand, I will be glad to dive into the melange of Pokémon artistry that is part of Art Academy once again.
One year ago: Pokémon Song, Indonesian Flavor
I've already explained a bit about Art Academy in a different post early on this blog, and it really is true: it's really an interactive art book. The lessons cover topics that aren't too shabby as well, like shading and outlining, things that are vital for advanced abilities in art. To complement the execution of these topics, what could be likened to an advanced painting or illustration program is included, with exactly the same capabilities: pens, brushes, and pencils that can draw in many different colors, as well as support for layers. Sure, the implementation is rudimentary, but this is quite sophisticated for a console.
Thus like for any real set of lessons, Art Academy has to be followed in a routine manner. Since the lessons stack up on each other and require know-how from earlier lessons, they have to be remembered well so that they may be applied later on. Such a routine approach would also help to build up familiarity with the paint program aspect. Personally, I could be said to have "lost touch" with both, and now I have to regain what I lost so that I can acceptably progress through it, even all the way through everything.
Will I continue to try to progress through Art Academy? Yes - but not at the present, considering the above. I have other pressing concerns (including Pokémon ones) to worry about, precluding anything that might amount to an "artistic routine". Now is not quite the right time for artistic concerns, but rest assured, when the time for artistic concerns is at hand, I will be glad to dive into the melange of Pokémon artistry that is part of Art Academy once again.
One year ago: Pokémon Song, Indonesian Flavor
Thursday, September 6, 2018
A New 3DS Story: A Second Monster Home
As evidenced by several posts on this blog, I've had a spate of problems with my 3DS, so I had been planning even as far back as August last year to obtain a New 3DS (XL), which I had hoped to materialize soon. That didn't happen then, but recently I was able to make things happen, and I finally got a New 3DS as my new workhorse for my Pokémon games. Even so, this New 3DS kind of a bit of a departure, but not one that is too strange in some ways.
While I had managed to survive with my Pikachu 3DS XL from when it was repaired last year, the impetus for getting this New 3DS was because it seemed the problems with my 3DS got more severe. It seemed that the lid problem had extended to when I close my 3DS; sometimes it would turn off as I did so. Also, sometimes when I let the 3DS rest and play it on an unstable or soft surface such as the mattress of my bed, it would also suddenly turn off. This meant I could no longer hold my 3DS up in the air as I play, precluding any sort of travel with it, and this becomes an even graver threat to all my games and their saved data, especially Pokémon Shuffle, with years' worth of progress.
Thus the time to get a New 3DS became imminent. To my luck, another person in one of my game groups offered his New 3DS XL for sale, and it was with a fantastic offer that was suitable with current conditions. I did not hesitate in taking up the offer and purchased it so that I could transfer all my data before the worst happens. That is exactly what I did as soon as I received the New 3DS, ensuring that I could continue to play Shuffle or any other Pokémon game without concern.
As for the "departure" part, that's where "second monster home" comes in. This New 3DS is actually... the Monster Hunter Generations LE. The previous owner is (or was) a Monster Hunter player who also graciously included the cartridge for said game as part of the offer. I don't play Monster Hunter, but I maintain good relationships with those who play it. Incidentally, a year or two ago, there was one such player who only played Monster Hunter, but did so on a... Xerneas 3DS XL; he said the 3DS XL just looked too good. The situation that I'm in is therefore the inverse of that, being (mostly) only Pokémon games on a Monster Hunter 3DS. It's a little ironic and strange, but that's why I call it a "second monster home".
And I must say, the experience with a New 3DS is quite smooth and responsive, even with Shuffle, which has expanded to the point that even on my old 3DS, it has short but noticeable delays, and there is little of that on the New 3DS. Even Ultra Moon works well in comparison, which makes me a little sad that I didn't get one sooner. But that's the way things are, I suppose.
Thus the story of my old 3DS ends and the story of my New 3DS begins. But it's not a complete ending, as my old 3DS is still workable to some extent even with its flaws, and may be able to play certain games to aid progress. This is the "epilogue" which I mentioned in the other post. Regardless, the story of my Pokémon games continues, whether possibly on my old 3DS to assist, or on this New 3DS as my "second monster home".
One year ago: Personalities
While I had managed to survive with my Pikachu 3DS XL from when it was repaired last year, the impetus for getting this New 3DS was because it seemed the problems with my 3DS got more severe. It seemed that the lid problem had extended to when I close my 3DS; sometimes it would turn off as I did so. Also, sometimes when I let the 3DS rest and play it on an unstable or soft surface such as the mattress of my bed, it would also suddenly turn off. This meant I could no longer hold my 3DS up in the air as I play, precluding any sort of travel with it, and this becomes an even graver threat to all my games and their saved data, especially Pokémon Shuffle, with years' worth of progress.
Thus the time to get a New 3DS became imminent. To my luck, another person in one of my game groups offered his New 3DS XL for sale, and it was with a fantastic offer that was suitable with current conditions. I did not hesitate in taking up the offer and purchased it so that I could transfer all my data before the worst happens. That is exactly what I did as soon as I received the New 3DS, ensuring that I could continue to play Shuffle or any other Pokémon game without concern.
As for the "departure" part, that's where "second monster home" comes in. This New 3DS is actually... the Monster Hunter Generations LE. The previous owner is (or was) a Monster Hunter player who also graciously included the cartridge for said game as part of the offer. I don't play Monster Hunter, but I maintain good relationships with those who play it. Incidentally, a year or two ago, there was one such player who only played Monster Hunter, but did so on a... Xerneas 3DS XL; he said the 3DS XL just looked too good. The situation that I'm in is therefore the inverse of that, being (mostly) only Pokémon games on a Monster Hunter 3DS. It's a little ironic and strange, but that's why I call it a "second monster home".
 |
| This is a Monster Hunter 3DS... |
 |
| ...that really only plays Pokémon games. (Shuffle, for instance.) |
And I must say, the experience with a New 3DS is quite smooth and responsive, even with Shuffle, which has expanded to the point that even on my old 3DS, it has short but noticeable delays, and there is little of that on the New 3DS. Even Ultra Moon works well in comparison, which makes me a little sad that I didn't get one sooner. But that's the way things are, I suppose.
Thus the story of my old 3DS ends and the story of my New 3DS begins. But it's not a complete ending, as my old 3DS is still workable to some extent even with its flaws, and may be able to play certain games to aid progress. This is the "epilogue" which I mentioned in the other post. Regardless, the story of my Pokémon games continues, whether possibly on my old 3DS to assist, or on this New 3DS as my "second monster home".
One year ago: Personalities
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
A Happy Return
It just so happens that one year to this date, I officially re-started my adventures in playing Pokémon Go (see below). It was brought about by the impetus of buying a new smartphone after the current one I used back then failed miserably. Things change and smartphones change, so it was a good time to buy a new phone so that I could do more stuff with it, which includes playing Go, something that is fortunate for me as a Pokémon fan.
Of course, Go changed as well, prior to and after that, with all the additions that I've discussed on different posts on this blog. It would be no surprise, then, to see that the appearance of the game has changed over the course of the year that I began replaying it. For that, I have the pictures that show the game as it runs on my current phone from last year and this year that can be used for comparison.
Here's how it looked like one year ago:
And here's how it looks now:
I took the new picture with my old, old phone again for the sake of comparison equality. Many differences are immediately apparent: I'm 27 levels higher, changed clothing, have a Buddy Pokémon with me, and have claimed a team (by the color of the experience progress bar). Feature-wise, there are the weather system with immediate effects and the Research icon. One thing that may not be so apparent is the change in the map, which is due to the game changing the source of the map. All of these changes only serve to my benefit as well as to others' benefit.
I'd say I'm a happy camper, and this is one happy return. Since then I've progressed significantly in the game, made a batch of new friends, and in a way contributed to the local success of the game. This is more than I've ever hoped for since I re-started playing and even when I first started to play eons ago. For a Pokémon fan in general, this success is particularly worthwhile.
Pokémon Go is a great game, and the fact that I am able to return and continue playing it shows how great this game is. But what is more important is how everything that has happened has instilled happiness in myself as a player and a loyal fan of Pokémon. Other fans who play might say the same as well. Certainly we'd expect this to continue as we make further progress and the game changes to suit.
One year ago: Here I Go (Again)
Of course, Go changed as well, prior to and after that, with all the additions that I've discussed on different posts on this blog. It would be no surprise, then, to see that the appearance of the game has changed over the course of the year that I began replaying it. For that, I have the pictures that show the game as it runs on my current phone from last year and this year that can be used for comparison.
Here's how it looked like one year ago:
And here's how it looks now:
I took the new picture with my old, old phone again for the sake of comparison equality. Many differences are immediately apparent: I'm 27 levels higher, changed clothing, have a Buddy Pokémon with me, and have claimed a team (by the color of the experience progress bar). Feature-wise, there are the weather system with immediate effects and the Research icon. One thing that may not be so apparent is the change in the map, which is due to the game changing the source of the map. All of these changes only serve to my benefit as well as to others' benefit.
I'd say I'm a happy camper, and this is one happy return. Since then I've progressed significantly in the game, made a batch of new friends, and in a way contributed to the local success of the game. This is more than I've ever hoped for since I re-started playing and even when I first started to play eons ago. For a Pokémon fan in general, this success is particularly worthwhile.
Pokémon Go is a great game, and the fact that I am able to return and continue playing it shows how great this game is. But what is more important is how everything that has happened has instilled happiness in myself as a player and a loyal fan of Pokémon. Other fans who play might say the same as well. Certainly we'd expect this to continue as we make further progress and the game changes to suit.
One year ago: Here I Go (Again)
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
AFA ID in Memoriam
I have some sad, sad news, actually. And Ash is here to tell you about it.
[AshKetchumMode]
Thanks, my friend. I think I'm just sad as you are. You know that my friend likes to send me to faraway events or conventions too, right? One of these happened over last weekend and even on the same day as the nearby convention I was sent to on Sunday. The problem is that it's also the last time it's held, maybe for now, and of course we missed it. Even though it was far away, we still have some links to it. And that makes us sad.
I was sent by my friend four years ago to the convention to see what it's like, and I couldn't believe what I saw. I saw many of my fellow characters, and lots of people that came to see them too. They also came for the food, goodies, and the show - there were lots of these for everyone to enjoy. Maybe that's why the long name of the festival is "Anime Festival Asia", because it really is a festival for everyone.
My friend also had a goal sending me here, and that's to meet my fellow characters. They mean a lot to him, and I have to say this is what makes me happy too. It's kind of like what happened two months ago but on a bigger scale, and everything really was big. The people who were part of the show were no small names either. Sometimes I even saw Pokémon stuff too, which makes me and my friend happy. That's big too for us.
Maybe instead of this, I can be sent to other festivals in the area. That thing that happened two months ago is sure to be around again, so maybe that can help too. Maybe part of the problem is also the location, so maybe next time it could be held somewhere else. But it's hard to find anything that is even like this convention by scale and size. That's something that the people will be sad to lose, and I'm sure my other character friends also feel the same way.
My friend and I are really sad that this happened, even before I had a chance to come back. This convention is one of a kind to us and maybe many others, and to see it go is just terrible. Perhaps it could return some time and some place, but we don't know. Things will go on though, with or without this, so that is something to look forward to. I know my friend agrees with this.
[/AshKetchumMode]
There you have it. If this is the end, then it's a sour one for everyone.
One year ago: Cold as the Winds
Monday, September 3, 2018
(Late and Great) Local Ex-Raid, 9/3/2018
Well, the Ex-Raid that occurred today had a number of things that happened once again, but that didn't make it any less great. For starters, it happened late again, as it was scheduled for 6 PM in the evening. While this does work out to the advantage of some people, as Monday is indeed a work day and the 6 PM time conveniently falls just outside of work, it might be a bit bothersome for others, considering how some people noted that the previous 6 PM Ex-Raid - one that I didn't attend and coincided with a special moment - was in colder weather. This scheduling has its ups and downs.
A good thing is that this Ex-Raid once again has the normal number of participants, numbering to over 90. As such, there were many battle flights. In all, there were eight: two for each team, and two dubbed as "rainbow" flights, which simply meant that they had players from different teams. It should be noted that with the way raids work, things may or may not provide an advantage to the players... or in my own terms, "handicap" or "assistance". Prior to this Ex-Raid, the Gym firmly belonged to Valor, and there was not enough time to "blank" the Gym, let alone change it to any other team. Thus this time it was a "handicap", and as things stood, I only got 11 balls to catch Mewtwo, again being forced to catch on the third-to-last ball.
The Mewtwo I caught today is not overly strong, but it's by no means less capable either. It is the eleventh one I've gotten since I've participated in the Ex-Raids. As my Pokémon storage grows full, I may have to think about trading away some of the Mewtwo to those who have not been as fortunate in getting one. Thanks to the trading system, now it becomes less desirable to transfer Pokémon to remove them from storage, and in the case of Mewtwo, it is simply too precious to do so even without trades. Of course, trades will also depend on the willingness and resources of the player willing to "adopt" it, which may be variable depending on circumstances.
Also once again, for this Ex-Raid, I was unable to take an in-game picture with the normal means using the camera and the AR mode. This was what happened with the previous Ex-Raid, for which I had planned to take a picture in this way. (As a makeshift, the picture above was taken by a direct screenshot.) I talked to one of my fellow raid mates, and I was told that he was unable to take pictures either, and therefore this is a major bug, threatening the existence of something like the "Mew @ Everywhere" project. However, a week ago, I had discovered that a picture of the previous raid miraculously existed, so now I include it for reference.
Lots of things happened (again) in this Ex-Raid. By now, most of them should be able to be expected, and preparations can be made to support the positive ones and sidestep the negative ones. By my experience, I'm sure that I can do so in order to support my raid mates in the Ex-Raid effort. Surely lots more things will happen in subsequent ones, and dealing with them is what makes things great in the end.
One year ago: Bandai Pokémon XY Swing - Pikachu
A good thing is that this Ex-Raid once again has the normal number of participants, numbering to over 90. As such, there were many battle flights. In all, there were eight: two for each team, and two dubbed as "rainbow" flights, which simply meant that they had players from different teams. It should be noted that with the way raids work, things may or may not provide an advantage to the players... or in my own terms, "handicap" or "assistance". Prior to this Ex-Raid, the Gym firmly belonged to Valor, and there was not enough time to "blank" the Gym, let alone change it to any other team. Thus this time it was a "handicap", and as things stood, I only got 11 balls to catch Mewtwo, again being forced to catch on the third-to-last ball.
The Mewtwo I caught today is not overly strong, but it's by no means less capable either. It is the eleventh one I've gotten since I've participated in the Ex-Raids. As my Pokémon storage grows full, I may have to think about trading away some of the Mewtwo to those who have not been as fortunate in getting one. Thanks to the trading system, now it becomes less desirable to transfer Pokémon to remove them from storage, and in the case of Mewtwo, it is simply too precious to do so even without trades. Of course, trades will also depend on the willingness and resources of the player willing to "adopt" it, which may be variable depending on circumstances.
 |
| Mewtwo @ Fountain. I'll have to come back and take another picture for a daylight raid. |
Also once again, for this Ex-Raid, I was unable to take an in-game picture with the normal means using the camera and the AR mode. This was what happened with the previous Ex-Raid, for which I had planned to take a picture in this way. (As a makeshift, the picture above was taken by a direct screenshot.) I talked to one of my fellow raid mates, and I was told that he was unable to take pictures either, and therefore this is a major bug, threatening the existence of something like the "Mew @ Everywhere" project. However, a week ago, I had discovered that a picture of the previous raid miraculously existed, so now I include it for reference.
 |
| The picture of my raid mates and Mewtwo, which was supposed to be posted last time. |
Lots of things happened (again) in this Ex-Raid. By now, most of them should be able to be expected, and preparations can be made to support the positive ones and sidestep the negative ones. By my experience, I'm sure that I can do so in order to support my raid mates in the Ex-Raid effort. Surely lots more things will happen in subsequent ones, and dealing with them is what makes things great in the end.
One year ago: Bandai Pokémon XY Swing - Pikachu
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Cosplay: Utsuru! -the fifth-
[AshKetchumMode]
On my journey, I make lots of friends. The same goes for my friend, who also makes a lot of friends on his own journey. Today his friends all gather in a convention to celebrate being together, and my friend also sends me here. If last year this convention was a bit late in the year, this year it's a bit early. My friend and I still like it though, whenever it's held. Since everyone's here, we of course have to come.
And this year, it's really crowded! Maybe even more so than last year, which was crowded too. It looks like everyone that plays games, interested in music, and likes different things really came to get together with the others. The food and show are the usual, but they're good too. What's nice is that I and many of the characters I know are here, and we're all getting along with the people that like us.
Oh yeah, there was a character parade also. My friend wanted to make sure that I was in it, and I'm glad there was a way to get in. It was to our surprise and relief that everything was done on the spot. Of course, the character parade is just as crowded as the convention, and I was one of the 50 characters and more in the parade. There were five prizes for four of the best characters and one for the most favorite character, and...
I WON THE FAVORITE CHARACTER PRIZE! Pikachu, we did it!!
Pikachu: Pi pika chu!! [elated]
Everyone else was great too, so they need respect as well. I need to give thanks to them.
I gotta say that like last year, it's always great to meet the characters I don't often meet where my friend is around most of the time. My friend too likes to see his friends and meet with them. This convention is always all about friendship, and that's a great thing for both of us. We're glad we didn't miss almost all of it.
Today was a great day, and the fifth time for this convention was a blast. I think there may be greater things ahead for my friend and myself. I'm still going to do the best I can anyhow. I can't wait to see how things turn out next time!
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: Bandai Pokémon XY&Z Pokémon Lover Mascot - Squirtle
On my journey, I make lots of friends. The same goes for my friend, who also makes a lot of friends on his own journey. Today his friends all gather in a convention to celebrate being together, and my friend also sends me here. If last year this convention was a bit late in the year, this year it's a bit early. My friend and I still like it though, whenever it's held. Since everyone's here, we of course have to come.
And this year, it's really crowded! Maybe even more so than last year, which was crowded too. It looks like everyone that plays games, interested in music, and likes different things really came to get together with the others. The food and show are the usual, but they're good too. What's nice is that I and many of the characters I know are here, and we're all getting along with the people that like us.
Oh yeah, there was a character parade also. My friend wanted to make sure that I was in it, and I'm glad there was a way to get in. It was to our surprise and relief that everything was done on the spot. Of course, the character parade is just as crowded as the convention, and I was one of the 50 characters and more in the parade. There were five prizes for four of the best characters and one for the most favorite character, and...
I WON THE FAVORITE CHARACTER PRIZE! Pikachu, we did it!!
Pikachu: Pi pika chu!! [elated]
Everyone else was great too, so they need respect as well. I need to give thanks to them.
I gotta say that like last year, it's always great to meet the characters I don't often meet where my friend is around most of the time. My friend too likes to see his friends and meet with them. This convention is always all about friendship, and that's a great thing for both of us. We're glad we didn't miss almost all of it.
Today was a great day, and the fifth time for this convention was a blast. I think there may be greater things ahead for my friend and myself. I'm still going to do the best I can anyhow. I can't wait to see how things turn out next time!
[/AshKetchumMode]
One year ago: Bandai Pokémon XY&Z Pokémon Lover Mascot - Squirtle
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Between Bugs and Features
In the world of programming and applications, for certain things that seem off for certain users, there is a saying that goes "it's not a bug, it's a feature". It means that the part is designed to work the way that it works. However, when it comes to other things, if the results are contrary to what is expected, then they are rightfully bugs. It may be that the difference between the two is marginal, unlike some bugs that I've mentioned for the main series games. And yet, this issue may be worthy to be discussed based on a couple of happenings for Pokémon games.
Currently, the most bug-prone of Pokémon games is Pokémon Go - even more so as it gets updates on a continuous basis. Each update seems to have its own particular issues. When the Friends feature was first introduced, the Friend List was rather rudimentary, as it sorted friends by recently sent gifts in alphabetical order, followed by the rest in the same order; it was also summoned - by tapping on the player avatar - each time there were still gifts remaining to be opened, and jumped to the top each time a friend was viewed, much like the early Pokémon list before this was changed. For some players, this might be fine as a "feature", but for others, this might be off as a "bug". This is in contrast with a happening where a Pokémon that was given a Berry causes the game to hang if a player escapes and then returns to it, which is a bug through and through (and has been fixed since). Players' impressions are certainly the determinant for what happens next for these happenings.
The main series games are no strangers to bugs, of course; even the first games had their own, one of which resulted in item generation (a beneficial side effect) but mystery Pokémon in battle along with other glitches, and this is indeed a bug in every sense of the word. Some of the later games also had bugs outside of the battle system, but some players may not have recognized them as such - I recently read about a few of the bugs in the third-generation games, though they occur in scenarios that are not too typical, and I wouldn't have recognized them as bugs if I wasn't told about them. It's not hard to conceive that this may be the case for others. It is here that the bug-feature contrast is a bit blurry too.
When an application is programmed to deliver things with positive results, then they're features. If the results are negative, then they are bugs. If the results are indifferent, that's where things may be hazy and could go either way. At that point, it seems that the users are the ones to decide which way things go. As Pokémon games come and go (or appear, then get expanded continuously) this appears to be something to kept in mind, for they too are programmed applications at their core.
One year ago: Takara Tomy Pokémon XY&Z Pikachu Halloween Mascot - Ver. D
Currently, the most bug-prone of Pokémon games is Pokémon Go - even more so as it gets updates on a continuous basis. Each update seems to have its own particular issues. When the Friends feature was first introduced, the Friend List was rather rudimentary, as it sorted friends by recently sent gifts in alphabetical order, followed by the rest in the same order; it was also summoned - by tapping on the player avatar - each time there were still gifts remaining to be opened, and jumped to the top each time a friend was viewed, much like the early Pokémon list before this was changed. For some players, this might be fine as a "feature", but for others, this might be off as a "bug". This is in contrast with a happening where a Pokémon that was given a Berry causes the game to hang if a player escapes and then returns to it, which is a bug through and through (and has been fixed since). Players' impressions are certainly the determinant for what happens next for these happenings.
The main series games are no strangers to bugs, of course; even the first games had their own, one of which resulted in item generation (a beneficial side effect) but mystery Pokémon in battle along with other glitches, and this is indeed a bug in every sense of the word. Some of the later games also had bugs outside of the battle system, but some players may not have recognized them as such - I recently read about a few of the bugs in the third-generation games, though they occur in scenarios that are not too typical, and I wouldn't have recognized them as bugs if I wasn't told about them. It's not hard to conceive that this may be the case for others. It is here that the bug-feature contrast is a bit blurry too.
When an application is programmed to deliver things with positive results, then they're features. If the results are negative, then they are bugs. If the results are indifferent, that's where things may be hazy and could go either way. At that point, it seems that the users are the ones to decide which way things go. As Pokémon games come and go (or appear, then get expanded continuously) this appears to be something to kept in mind, for they too are programmed applications at their core.
One year ago: Takara Tomy Pokémon XY&Z Pikachu Halloween Mascot - Ver. D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)