The Problem with Research in Pokémon GO

I have been a huge booster of quest and research in Pokémon GO.  It’s the feature I was looking forward to for the longest.  Overall I’m happy with this addition but it doesn’t bring as much to the game as I had been hoping.

The pace with which new features and events have been coming to the game has been crazy over the past couple of months and that’s a very good thing.  At this time last year the game was so boring I was only playing for 5-10 minutes a day.  Now it’s hard to go an hour without checking in on the game to see what is happening.

Research added a great new element to the game.  The quest for Mew was cool but just too easy.  I completed it in a little over a week, doing it at a very leisurely pace.  Others completed it the day it was released.  The reason it was so easy is that for people who have been playing since day one most of the objectives were automatically accomplished.  The other ones, like transferring or evolving a few Pokémon, were incredibly easy.  Catching Ditto was probably the hardest part of the quest and that was more annoying than anything given it didn’t require anything other than dumb luck.

Some parts of in the special research would have been great had this feature existed since day one.  As a daily player for nearly two years it was a little disappointing.  If they make an element of quests be getting a gold Sinnoh medal, or evolving some rare Sinnoh region Pokémon then that will definitely seem like much more of a challenge.

I am currently sitting on 96 Lotad candies, and not a decent Lotad to evolve.  I’m excited any time I see one.  Imagine if I also knew that evolving Lotad would bring me one step closer to completing a special research assignment.

I’m also not sure if laying everything out in 8 segments is the best way to do it either.  Just having a complete checklist seems like it would work much better.  As it stands everyone is worried about evolving anything at this point as that evolution may be necessary to complete the next research project.

Field research has its own problems as well.  Since you can complete field research it’s really easy to just sit on three completed research projects then just use them daily.  Prior to research all we needed to do every day was catch a single Pokémon and spin a Pokémon and our mission for the day was complete.  During those boring days of the game last year a lot of days I’d open the game in the morning, do both of those things and then be done for the day in a matter of a minute.  Now I feel like my morning ritual also includes claiming a reward and that only adds a few seconds.

Including some sort of tracker to measure how many of each task you’d completed and maybe giving additional rewards for doing that task 5, 10, or 100 times would spice things up a bit.

Research is a great addition to the game but in the absence of an ongoing event it just becomes another task to perform to keep a streak alive.

The 7 day reward for Poké Stops is getting an evolution item, something almost completely unnecessary in the game at this point.  These are for Gen 2 evolutions and none of them are particularly useful evolutions at that.  So we’re all sitting on dozens of evolution items that we do not need.

The 7 day reward for research is a legendary encounter.  This sounded really cool at first but so far we have had four straight weeks of Moltres encounters.  This seemed like a really good solution for rural players who have no real options to get legendaries.  Imagine how stoked rural players must have been to have learned of this feature only to find out it would be the same encounter four weeks in a row.  On the one side you get four shots at getting something with decent IVs and you can get at least 12 candies for power ups.  The downside is at this rate you’ll need over a year to complete your legendary Pokédex, and that’s assuming that no additional legendaries are released.

Something about this needs to change.

It would be great if you could voluntarily select quests for the legendary Pokémon you need.  Long, hard quests that would result in a standard level 20 encounter.  There could be varying quest for each one and trainers could do them all simultaneously if they chose.  They could easily make the 7 day reward for research be something else like increasing an attack, defense, or stamina stat by one point, item rewards, or a number of other options.

Overall this has been a great addition and a solid test run of this new system.  Now, some tweaks are needed to add some more challenge to the game for hardcore players, and a little more incentive for rural players to want to continue to participate.

423 Replies to “The Problem with Research in Pokémon GO”

  1. My wife and i ended up being absolutely ecstatic Emmanuel managed to do his inquiry through the entire precious recommendations he came across when using the web site. It’s not at all simplistic to simply always be making a gift of strategies which often a number of people could have been trying to sell. So we do know we’ve got the website owner to thank for this. All the explanations you made, the simple blog navigation, the friendships you will make it possible to foster – it is mostly powerful, and it’s letting our son in addition to our family know that this subject matter is pleasurable, which is quite important. Thank you for all!

  2. I am just writing to make you understand of the outstanding discovery my wife’s girl developed visiting your webblog. She even learned numerous issues, most notably what it’s like to have a great helping nature to let most people quite simply thoroughly grasp various problematic subject areas. You really exceeded readers’ desires. Thanks for supplying such informative, trustworthy, edifying as well as cool thoughts on that topic to Lizeth.

  3. My spouse and i ended up being very ecstatic Chris could round up his inquiry using the precious recommendations he obtained from your web pages. It’s not at all simplistic to simply possibly be handing out steps which usually some people may have been selling. Therefore we take into account we need the writer to be grateful to because of that. The most important illustrations you’ve made, the straightforward blog navigation, the relationships you make it possible to foster – it’s got most wonderful, and it’s really facilitating our son in addition to the family reason why that subject matter is fun, and that is tremendously vital. Many thanks for all!

  4. I enjoy you because of each of your labor on this web site. My aunt delights in getting into research and it’s really obvious why. We know all of the powerful tactic you make vital suggestions on your web site and as well increase contribution from other individuals on that point plus my daughter has always been understanding so much. Take pleasure in the remaining portion of the year. You are doing a wonderful job.

  5. I’m commenting to let you understand what a useful experience our child gained reading through your web page. She came to understand so many issues, with the inclusion of how it is like to possess an excellent giving style to let other people quite simply know precisely specified extremely tough subject matter. You undoubtedly did more than visitors’ desires. Thanks for supplying such valuable, trusted, explanatory not to mention cool tips about this topic to Jane.

  6. I must show my admiration for your generosity giving support to individuals who actually need guidance on this concern. Your special commitment to passing the message along had been astonishingly good and have continuously helped workers much like me to attain their targets. This warm and helpful guide can mean so much to me and substantially more to my peers. Warm regards; from all of us.

  7. I wanted to create you that little bit of note in order to thank you very much yet again for the pleasant knowledge you have discussed on this site. It is really wonderfully open-handed with people like you to deliver publicly all that many people would’ve advertised as an electronic book to help make some cash for themselves, notably now that you could have tried it in case you decided. These pointers in addition acted like a fantastic way to be certain that most people have the same dream like my own to learn a little more with reference to this problem. I’m sure there are lots of more fun situations in the future for folks who start reading your blog post.

  8. I want to point out my appreciation for your generosity supporting men who should have guidance on this question. Your personal dedication to passing the solution all through was certainly powerful and have regularly helped those like me to attain their endeavors. Your own warm and helpful publication signifies so much a person like me and still more to my peers. Warm regards; from all of us.

  9. I want to show my affection for your kindness supporting men and women that have the need for guidance on your area. Your personal commitment to passing the solution along has been certainly good and has constantly helped ladies much like me to reach their desired goals. The valuable recommendations signifies a whole lot to me and especially to my office colleagues. Thank you; from everyone of us.

  10. Hey there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to check it
    out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to
    my followers! Outstanding blog and amazing design.

  11. I must show my appreciation to you just for bailing me out of such a incident. Right after exploring throughout the world wide web and getting opinions that were not beneficial, I assumed my life was well over. Being alive minus the approaches to the difficulties you’ve solved as a result of your short article is a critical case, as well as the kind which might have negatively damaged my career if I had not discovered the blog. Your main know-how and kindness in taking care of all things was excellent. I am not sure what I would’ve done if I had not encountered such a subject like this. It’s possible to at this moment look ahead to my future. Thanks very much for the professional and sensible guide. I will not think twice to propose your web sites to anybody who wants and needs counselling on this subject matter.

  12. I actually wanted to jot down a quick note to be able to appreciate you for all of the superb advice you are posting on this site. My extensive internet lookup has at the end been compensated with good strategies to exchange with my company. I ‘d believe that we visitors are really endowed to exist in a really good network with very many special people with useful tricks. I feel pretty blessed to have come across the web site and look forward to some more enjoyable moments reading here. Thank you once more for all the details.

  13. I definitely wanted to type a brief message to be able to appreciate you for those stunning strategies you are writing on this website. My time consuming internet lookup has at the end been paid with incredibly good facts to exchange with my relatives. I would assume that many of us website visitors actually are rather fortunate to live in a perfect place with very many awesome professionals with very helpful principles. I feel somewhat lucky to have encountered your web pages and look forward to tons of more brilliant times reading here. Thanks a lot once more for everything.

  14. I needed to put you this bit of observation to thank you very much once again for your personal extraordinary secrets you’ve shown above. It was really strangely open-handed with people like you to allow unhampered precisely what most of us could possibly have supplied as an e-book in order to make some profit for themselves, principally considering the fact that you could possibly have tried it if you ever considered necessary. Those good tips additionally served to become a great way to fully grasp most people have the same eagerness like my own to grasp good deal more when it comes to this problem. I’m certain there are millions of more pleasurable times ahead for individuals that look into your site.

  15. I wish to show my love for your kindness for persons that should have help with your study. Your personal commitment to passing the solution across was extraordinarily valuable and has really made those much like me to attain their objectives. Your amazing helpful help implies this much to me and further more to my office colleagues. Regards; from everyone of us.

  16. I would like to voice my passion for your kind-heartedness for those people who need help with that question. Your very own dedication to getting the solution all through ended up being particularly powerful and has truly empowered most people just like me to attain their dreams. This valuable instruction entails a great deal a person like me and even further to my office workers. Best wishes; from each one of us.

  17. I truly wanted to send a brief remark to appreciate you for these wonderful guidelines you are posting here. My rather long internet search has finally been recognized with useful facts and strategies to share with my family members. I would tell you that most of us readers are extremely endowed to dwell in a great place with many perfect individuals with helpful techniques. I feel truly happy to have discovered your entire website page and look forward to really more amazing moments reading here. Thanks a lot again for a lot of things.

  18. I would like to voice my respect for your kindness giving support to individuals who need assistance with your area. Your personal dedication to getting the message around came to be remarkably interesting and have usually permitted many people much like me to reach their ambitions. Your amazing invaluable publication can mean this much a person like me and extremely more to my fellow workers. Many thanks; from each one of us.

  19. I am also commenting to let you know of the extraordinary encounter my cousin’s child enjoyed going through your webblog. She learned so many things, which include how it is like to have a marvelous coaching heart to get other folks completely understand chosen advanced subject areas. You truly surpassed my expectations. Thanks for displaying such informative, healthy, revealing and as well as unique tips about that topic to Lizeth.

  20. I would like to express some thanks to the writer for rescuing me from this particular trouble. After scouting throughout the online world and getting techniques which are not helpful, I figured my life was well over. Existing devoid of the strategies to the difficulties you have sorted out as a result of your blog post is a crucial case, as well as ones that could have in a wrong way damaged my career if I had not encountered your web page. Your own mastery and kindness in maneuvering every item was very helpful. I’m not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t encountered such a thing like this. I can also at this point look forward to my future. Thank you very much for this professional and sensible help. I won’t think twice to endorse your blog post to anyone who ought to have support on this issue.

  21. I together with my friends came looking through the nice solutions from your web site while then developed a terrible suspicion I never expressed respect to the blog owner for them. Most of the people were consequently excited to see them and have in reality been taking pleasure in them. We appreciate you actually being really thoughtful as well as for deciding upon variety of amazing subject areas most people are really needing to know about. My very own honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to earlier.

Comments are closed.