Not an expert on any of the older Pokemon games. For a gaming aspect, the tracking aspect just isn't needed right now. Every type of Pokemon I've seen in the nearby feature, I've caught even if I didn't get it right then. Maybe, it will be more important when they add more Pokemon. Just seems like the Pokemon are either in such great a number that you'll eventually run into one or just not in your area. I will say it was fun the first few days. Maybe if it worked well, it would actually be useful as well as fun temporarily. Caveat: I've moved on to playing gyms and just catch Pokemon during walks between stops and gyms.
There does seem to be a huge uproar over this. Aren't you describing yourself as a DAU who doesn't need new pokemon, since you've already caught most of them? New users might really love a homing device feature like all the original users did. I'm sure Niantic is watching their DAU stats to see if there is a significant drop-off. Maybe there won't be, as you suggest. ------------------------------------------------- btw: at the beginning of this thread, we were having fun talking about possible future features. I suggested a feature where the Nearby screen shows pokemon from other player caches. You could track the player and when close enough, do something to entice their pokemon to mutiny and join you...like start giving them razzberries...or something new specific to that type of "capture," brainwashing potions...hehe...discontent spells. So players have to pay attention to their pokemon possibly being lured away from them, and respond with countermeasures or run away. anyhoot...and that's just me thinking of how tracking could be expanded, by included other players in the Nearby feature. The gaming professionals surely have more and better ideas. Maybe multiplayer battles outside of a Gym, too? Like you lay down attack pokemon in AR anywhere as ambushes for Nearby enemy teams. Something that would be described as Tactical RPG requiring tracking other players. I don't know, but my friends and I are having fun to thinking about it. That's why I'm sad. Think of the possibilities tossed out with abandoning tracking/geocaching.
Aside from Legal, I still believe there is another possible reason for this -- financial. This might all be Niantic negotiating price with Google. If your app uses Google Maps, you have to pay Google for map requests. I think we can assume this game has reached unprecedented map requests in the history of the Google Maps API payment plans. Probably only Google Maps itself uses the API more. As evidence, the Three Steps glitch is caused by a Google Maps API "key invalid" error message, making me think Google is have scalability issues with Pokemon Go, or doesn't have a Key-based invoicing system that can handle the volume. Or maybe terms of use during Beta is limited. If my speculation is true, Niantic could remove a feature and cite their SLA with Google to get penalty fees for not delivering. And/or they could be negotiating a Key-less bulk rate based upon DAU stats. Further, Key-less access to the API might be the thing that eliminates the Three Step glitch, but Google needs to put out an update to support it. This also explains why there has never been official word from Niantic wrt the cause of Three Step Glitch...they are under SLA to not point fingers in public. Just some thoughts...
I gotta say losing tracking sucks. It's fun seeing something you don't have on pokevision and then racing out to get it. I don't use tracking all the time, but it can be fun to use. This game is just getting to big for Niantic to handle, I give it a month before it dies out. I hope I'm wrong.
The uproar is because people had it, don't have it now, and that it seemed important at beginning. If I had to restart and it was fixed, I wouldn't use it much. Granted, it would be beneficial for those just trying to fill put Pokedex instead of developing the strongest Pokemon.
Or too big for Google Maps to handle. Scaling issues is a dream come true, unless it means way too much money to pay Google Maps, thus you need to throttle a feature. Anyone want to bet that they bring back the feature (maybe even add compass direction arrows), but you have to pay for it, maybe offered in time increments. Also, they could be eliminating access to pokevision to provide that as a store item, too, an item you buy and can use from your home, before you wander out. Then you buy and activate a time-based Compass and zero in even faster.
I think it will come back (just don't think it is a big deal). I don't see a pokevision-like addition or even a compass as it would make it too easy.
My wife, son, and me will all have very different nearby lists, despite all being in the same place. Pokemon that have timed out will sometimes remain or disappear and come back, despite not actually being there. I'll have 3 Pokemon that I can see, but none of them will be on my nearby. It seems accurate when I first open the app, but that is it. I think for the most part it just takes way too long for it to upload new information. I have 101 types of Pokemon (or at least will when I finally evolve the ones ready to evolve). I have little use for most Pokemon. I have found some areas that produce rare Pokemon, but I don't want to constantly drive over to those areas without reason. I can't afford to walk for nearby Pokemon most of the time, because I risk them timing out if headed in the wrong direction.
Yes, not as general features activated always. They could be limited-use items you find, or trade for with Prof Willow. Or I can see steps/distance, pokevision and a compass all having the potential to be items to buy in the Poke Store...each having time-expiration or per-use purchasing. That's the whole point of Store purchases, to make the game funner and/or easier ... for a limited moment in play.
Easy in what regard? You still have to travel to the sites, and the end game isn't to just catch all pokemon, it's to own gyms and battle. Knowing where things are definitely aid in that, but knowing how to level them up, how to battle, and all the stuff behind it makes the game a lot more than people think it is. Plus, if they were to mix in tasks like they eluded to, where you can fight Mewtwo, or band together to stop Team Rocket, I think the game will be more than just a dinky AR pokemon catching system.
rep...thx for sharing. I really appreciate your description. As I've said, many people in my circles are interested in the successes and problems of this game...it helps us know our own markets. It's easy to assume the known server timeouts are reasons for all glitches. They rarely are. I've got pokemon running on my desktop, now, to get a better look, but that doesn't help me simulate issues like you describe. I'm seeing an "expiration_timestamp_ms" for each mapped pokemon, which controls when they "disappear", as well as long/lat info, etc. the phone should have all that info while hunting and not need the server to ask for help, except when you travel into a new map "tile", to refresh the known pokemon. We should not dismiss the possibilities that players are getting different levels of location accuracy to their device, especially when we are talking about a matter of a few yards. If the game is getting confusing readings for your location, it might manifest itself with mixed signals in the game. Phones cannot deliver accurate geolocation for you at all times. There are three levels of accuracy...the actual reading from a satellite (assuming you have a GPS chip), tower triangulation, and strength of signal to known wifi. I assume your family all has the same phone and phone service?
Easy to find specific Pokemon. Traveling to sites isn't that difficult if you know direction and GPS coordinates.
Why? Using the phone's "Best Answer" decision-making to include Triangulation is perfectly fine for a game that doesn't require accuracy, but rather just consistent readings. And wifi tech is an enhancement algorithm. It just means you might not be given the same exact answer as people next to you, and if your own readings are jumping about, you add a smoothing algorithm. GPS has problems too, as it drops out more often. Is your comment speculation again (written as fact) that they switched to rejecting all non-GPS responses, or did Niantic report that? I know people are getting "GPS not found" messages and blaming Niantic for it. so sad. Even if they switch to rejecting all non-GPS location info, doesn't mean server loads are contributing to odd behavior in game accuracy of pokemon Nearby lists, etc.
We all have Cricket, though different phones. We've talked to other people having the same problem. I'm having issues with my location more than ever. It is usually okay, but sometimes it jumps me all around.
Yeah, I'd expect lots of people to have inconsistency in their phones ability to track their location. That was my point. Trying to get a feel for whether Niantic needs to add a smoothing algorithm to tracking the user. Did the game give you any "GPS not found" messages? I assume your phones have GPS chips, right? This statement doesn't sound like GPS readings. It will drop in and out, but when it does report readings, it's less likely to jump around as triangulation might.
Phone related it seems. 3 phones side by side. Samsung note 4. Nexus 6. Nexus 5. Both Nexus are very similar in what Pokemon are nearby. Differences seems to be related to XP level, which makes sense. The note 4 is somewhat similar and seems to be either having older or newer data. Given that we get much more GPS not found on the note, I would guess its has more out dated info.
Currently, the store has egg incubators that allow a person to hatch a random egg with a Pokemon based on distance walked (2km eggs, 5 km eggs, and 10 km eggs). The benefit to Niantic is that the eggs are random and each person has to buy limited use incubators if they want more than one egg hatching at a time. Don't get something helpful, get some more incubators and get to walking. What you are suggesting would need to be much more expensive to keep egg incubators worth buying as they would both be used to find Pokemon not readily available in a person's home area. I suspect the game makes more money on cheap purchases made over and over again than big purchases even if the big purchase is worth more in the game to a player on a per dollar basis. Drug dealer financial practices 101.
The last update did away with WiFi and only uses gps for location. Basically it turned off the high accuracy option.
