I got into the beta test, and it is very much a beta. You can't do anything if it can't get your GPS position, and right now, it says "GPS signal not found" about five seconds after you turn it on. You can toggle the signal to get five more seconds, but that gets really annoying really quickly.
Bad news first: it seems like there is no Team Rocket, just Teams Red, Blue, and Yellow. Good news is that it works much better outside, so I went outside and played it for about an hour today. The catching mechanic is actually pretty fun because it requires some amount of skill to flick the pokeball accurately instead of it just happening. I saw ~20 gyms (even became the leader of two) and dozens of pokestops. I didn't get a chance to try the combat because all the enemy gym leaders were way too high a level for any of my pokemon. Overall, I enjoy it a lot more than what I've played of Ingress.
After having played with it for most of the week, I've got a few more things to add.
So far, I haven't found a single place inside a building that it works. Step outside or onto a balcony, works fine, back inside, nothing. The GPS works fine for other apps, so I suppose they're trying to encourage outside activity?
Battle isn't turn based, but real time. You have three options during battle: light attack, heavy attack, or dodge. It's a little odd getting used to it, but not too bad. BUT taking damage and getting knocked out are really bad because potions and revives are few and far between and Pokemon Centers are nonexistent thus far.
It looks like, at least for now, regions are locked. I was level 5 and had lots of pokemon in Japan, and I'm back to level 1 with nothing in the US. I have seen one pokestop so far, so it looks like the map is at least partly populated. Haven't seen any pokemon, though.
You don't really need the coins for anything, and once you have a few gyms, you'll earn plenty of coins and stardust.
I've noticed two big changes sincr the end of the beta last week. You get three of a pokemon's candy each time you catch one, instead of just one. And the radar doesn't show you how many meters away you are from a nearby pokemon anymore, so it makes homing in on them a lot harder.
Other than that, it's mostly just been up polished up. In the last month especially, they added a lot of pokestops and gyms. There's still not as many of them in the rural US as there is in rural Japan, but we haven't had as long to accumulate cultural things.
Oh yeah, I remember back in the day they used to have a lot of Ingress players swinging by, too. Basically all the pokestops and gyms are identical to Ingress portal locations.
Which is nice, because my route for walking the dog before I took my egress from ingress took me right past a few spots.
Comments
Looks to be the same game as Ingress, only with three teams!
We're all joining green team. If there is no green team, Team Rocket.
I think I'm joining Team Rocket no matter what if that's an option.
but really, choose wisely, enemies will be made.
I can't believe that Grass starters got the shaft again and it's Team Yellow.
Kill me.
So far, I haven't found a single place inside a building that it works. Step outside or onto a balcony, works fine, back inside, nothing. The GPS works fine for other apps, so I suppose they're trying to encourage outside activity?
Battle isn't turn based, but real time. You have three options during battle: light attack, heavy attack, or dodge. It's a little odd getting used to it, but not too bad. BUT taking damage and getting knocked out are really bad because potions and revives are few and far between and Pokemon Centers are nonexistent thus far.
I've noticed two big changes sincr the end of the beta last week. You get three of a pokemon's candy each time you catch one, instead of just one. And the radar doesn't show you how many meters away you are from a nearby pokemon anymore, so it makes homing in on them a lot harder.
Other than that, it's mostly just been up polished up. In the last month especially, they added a lot of pokestops and gyms. There's still not as many of them in the rural US as there is in rural Japan, but we haven't had as long to accumulate cultural things.
Honestly I saw it coming when Ingress introduced microtransactions.
Which is nice, because my route for walking the dog before I took my egress from ingress took me right past a few spots.