Countermeasures for Pokémon Go: "Over" Time?

Even though there may be signs that things are letting up, the current conditions may (and ought to) be considered to be far from over. Meanwhile, I haven't discussed about the "countermeasures" that are to alleviate those conditions for Pokémon Go since two seasons ago, and that may be because I consider that not much had changed. With the start of this new season (the Season of Alola), there are a couple of important changes. These changes on their own may not fully comprise a set of "countermeasures", but they complement them all the same and should be covered.

One of those changes concerns free raid passes. Now up to two of them may be collected over a day, which may be helpful for those who can go out and raid. It may also be considered that the state of affairs is helpful for those who have spent for remote passes since the start of when they were introduced, allowing a certain amount of freedom from payment for raid passes. At the same time, it may not exactly be a "countermeasure" for those who cannot take full advantage of the change. Therefore, this change seems one that can go both ways, whether slightly positive or tending towards neutral.

Two changes concern Incense: while it is extended to 90 minutes (triple its standard length), it also doesn't attract as many Pokémon as it is while walking. This is another one that goes both ways, but more on the negative side; it's neutral for those who can go out to take advantage of it, but slightly negative for those who can't or don't want to go out. Some Trainers have voiced their complaints about this change, and it is not exactly positive. What remains is to see how Trainers develop to this and how the "countermeasure" itself develops.

As a throwback, last season did feature a neat "countermeasure" that wasn't retained for this season: all trades regardless of Pokémon distance guaranteed a Candy XL. With the countermeasure not retained, Trainers have been going back to "distance trading" - trading Pokémon from faraway places - in order to obtain Candy XL. At the least, it might have been nice to have the "countermeasure" retained, but even during its one season, it had a fine presence. The return to "normal" in this case might be fine as well.

In the time that current conditions have persisted, Pokémon Go has demonstrated to a certain extent that it can adapt, though at times this left more to be desired. It will certainly have to adapt more in the case that the world is adapting, even as it seems that things are heading into an "over" state. But as it has been said, things are never really "over" until they really are, and that may perhaps demand more changes and "countermeasures" "over" time.

One year ago: New Pokémon Go Bonus Hour Experiments

Two years ago: On Blogging and Microblogging

Three years ago: Character Songs

Four years ago: "You Shall Not Pass" - Hard-to-Access Gyms and PokéStops

Five years ago: Alton : Food :: I : Pokémon