Countermeasures for Pokémon Go: What's In, What's Out

In the past two editions of my detailing of what could be called "countermeasures" for playing Pokémon Go (or as Niantic calls them, "quality-of-life improvements"), I've detailed about what has been added. However, just as things change so much to demand their addition, they also change so much according to developments with them. There have been "countermeasures" that were newly added since then, but there are also plans to keep and remove some of them once these rough times have passed, even if it is not known when that will be. I've decided to detail all of those within this post as well as their developments.

First up is what's new. Recently, two (plus one) new "countermeasures" were added after having undergone some testing. All Trainers can now get free items through a "Daily Free Box" found in the in-game shop. The selection is limited - most of the items consist of Poké Balls, Great Balls, Potions, and Razz Berries, and they rotate randomly each day, only available for purchase once that day - but they may make a difference, especially for those with limited mobility; this facility is also what replaced the Buddy Assist in last month's Community Day and provided the free Ultra Balls. A random common Pokémon, highlighted in a white solid circle, also appears daily at the place where the game is first opened for capture, allowing for capture streaks to continue. As for the "plus one" part, there is a test in Australia for a new way to earn PokéCoins through daily tasks similar to those for Research and a new Gym coin paradigm, though this isn't yet ready for everyone. These are likely to be quite helpful, including the last one when it has been refined for all to utilize.

Meanwhile, there are a few of these "countermeasures" that are planned to stay. The interaction distance for PokéStops and Gyms, which was increased some time ago, will stay that way after things have settled. The number of Gifts that can be held in the bag and opened from friends, which also were increased, are to stay as well - this effectively fulfills one of my wishes for increased limits that I made last year. As stated in an earlier post on them, remote raids are here to stay as well, although there will be a few refinements to them to keep them from becoming the new norm after the "new normal". The ones I've detailed above have definitely made a difference since they were implemented, and I would say that they surely deserve to stay.

For the ones that are planned to go, some are clear while others are somewhat less so. The Go Battle League was conceived with walking in mind in order to battle, and that will be the case again once things have passed. Something that is not so clear concerns Eggs and the way they are hatched. Currently, Eggs being hatched have a half-distance bonus applied to them. Eggs have always needed to be walked to be hatched, and this will remain the case, so this generous bonus as a "countermeasure" is to disappear as well at some point. Along with that, however, overall Egg distances may have the possibility of being adjusted, which if the case might be beneficial indeed. One way or another, walking will remain a certainty for many things in Pokémon Go.

The world in its current state is an uncertain one, at least until significant progress is made. Even in that state, some still choose to turn to Pokémon Go as something a little more certain. It too has had its changes to make a few uncertain things more certain. At this point, it's also certain that some changes are to be added and/or maintained, while others are to be refined and/or removed, at least not now, but later on. It has been said that as some things change, others also remain the same. While it is difficult to say that for the world of today, it may at least apply in some capacity for Trainers in Pokémon Go as things within it change.

One year ago: Cosplay: Utsuru SX

Two years ago: (A New) Local Ex-Raid, 8/4/2018

Three years ago: Pokémon on My Bed