Pokemon GO’s Gyms Is a Great Idea That’s Poorly Executed

So close but yet so far.
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Pokemon GO has been a pretty huge success since it began its staggered release early last week. It’s a fact that nobody can dispute that the app has managed to get people running around the great outdoors searching far and wide to complete their mission to catch ’em all. Of course, catching the Pokemon is only a slither of what there is to do in the game, with the Gyms offering a source of longevity for the game. Giving players the chance to pick a team and then help their fellow comrades defend or challenge these points with their strongest Pokemon has given wannabe trainers all the more reason to power up and evolve their Pokemon. There’s a problem in all of this though – while the Gyms certain mean well as an idea, they’ve been poorly executed thus far in Pokemon GO. If the game is to truly thrive and maintain its popularity, then its Gyms are going to need to undergo a few tweaks.

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You see, Gyms aren’t just as straightforward as beating the Pokemon stationed there to claim it; there are actually a ton of different little mechanics that culminate into these places of prominence in the Pokemon world. Not only does the amount of Pokemon that a team can leave at a Gym vary from place to place, but there are also rewards that can be gained from having a Pokemon at one, Prestige levels, the ability to perform Special Attacks, and how many Pokemon you can take into battle that all seems to go largely unexplained, or at the least skimmed over by Pokemon GO. It’s not as if these are insignificant aspects of the whole challenging or defending process of a Gym either. In fact, the ability to perform Special Attacks can be the difference between emerging victorious or defeated.

If you’ve not clued yourself up on it prior to your first visit, you wouldn’t be blamed for being a little bit confused by what you’re presented with. Nevertheless, this is just the beginning of the Gym’s issues. With a bit of luck, Niantic will be aware that this feature, full of great little extra distractions and means of bolstering your Gym defenses warrants a little extra explanation and n FAQ or additional tips guide can be added into the game via an update at a later date. It would certainly be appreciated by fans everywhere.

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With the tricky details behind you, you’re ready for battle. Your first encounter is against a Krabby that is somehow clinging onto the bottom rung of your local Gym and you fancy your chances at claiming this landmark in the color of your team (or at least lowering the Gym’s Prestige). Many taps and swipes of your screen later and said Krabby is on his last slither of health. A tap of the screen should finish it off, but wait… your attacks have stopped doing anything whatsoever. Ah yes, Pokemon GO’s Gyms suffer from one of the most infuriating glitches, preventing you from winning when you’re more than deserving of the victory. Snatching the sweet fruits of your labor from your hands and laughing in your face. What’s worse is that in some cases the opposing Pokemon can continue to land hits on your own, causing it to faint and for you to have to use some of your Potions and/ or Revives.

It’s a frustrating issue for those who are more than capable of defeating their opposition if the glitch didn’t occur and is likely to put many people off even trying until it’s fixed.This glitch doesn’t occur all the time, though, so at least the feature isn’t entirely broken, but it does seem to be pretty frequent for a majority of players. The solution to this? Well, unfortunately it looks like a case of waiting it out until the patch arrives and hoping you can get through a few battles without the glitch occurring. We’re sure it won’t be too long until it’s fixed, though.


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Author
Chris Jecks
Chris Jecks has been covering the games industry for over eight years. He typically covers new releases, FIFA, Fortnite, any good shooters, and loves nothing more than a good Pro Clubs session with the lads. Chris has a History degree from the University of Central Lancashire. He spends his days eagerly awaiting the release of BioShock 4.