Pokemon GO

[Yuthirin]

Pokemon GO is the most fun you can have with your phone in your face while wandering around in the dark like a twit.

10/10 would faceplant into a stone wall again.

Look at that, this is gonna turn into a game guide.

Preface

So you've decided to play Pokémon GO. Good for you. It'll get you outside, reduce your stress, help you lose weight, and you'll meet new and interesting people who you can stare at mistrustfully while you all stand around a random landmark and try to get extra goodies from it while trying not to look like you're playing a video game on your phone.

Things You Will Need
1. A modern smart phone
2. A hat or sunglasses
3. Good walking shoes
4. Patience

1. The game is played on modern smart phones, so your old Nokia brick won't be able to help you here. Compatibility is somewhat low, so it'll actually have to be a recent phone too, most likely.

2. It's sunny outside, don't get burned!

3. You're going to be doing a lot of walking. Best to be sure you're in comfortable shoes and be prepared. Consider a water bottle. Double up if you're walking a dog with you. Or a cat, if you're weird.

4. Patience is needed to get the hang of the game. Don't flip out when that Pikachu bolts on you.

PSA: PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE AND PLAY THIS GAME AT THE SAME TIME!
America already has its share of news stories about people driving and playing Pokémon GO and getting into collisions. Don't be another news story.

Chapter 1: Starting Out

You'll load the game and get some very basic advice from Professor Willow, who is the game's Professor Oak clone. He'll help you in some ways, but he's not going to have a ton of advice on actually playing the game.

At this time, you choose your name and gender.

Following this, you will be shown the map screen, which is an overlay of your current location in Google Maps (as far as I can tell). Around you will be the three classic starter Pokémon; Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Though you can see all three, you can only catch one. Choose wisely, or don't, it won't have a huge effect on you at this point.

More to come!

[thepanda]

Pokemon Go actually got me to walk the riverfront/downtown like I kept telling myself I would for months now. Sadly, the server problems are a pain in the ass. Missed a ponyta and ekans do to being kicked. Had to restart and then no pokemon would show on the screen. And it eats batteries like whoa.

On the flip side, it did have me out of the house at 3:30 in the morning trying to catch bulbasaur.

Fun when it works.

[Yuthirin]

I'm assuming it'll get more stable in a week or two.

[Ebiris]

I can't connect to the server :(

[thepanda]

Game is playing worlds better now. Had a friend bust a u-turn so I could get Jiggly Puff. I regret nothing.

[Merc]

http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/8/12132746/pokemon-go-teen-discovers-dead-body-wyoming

Not only is Pokemon GO encouraging people go out of the house and get fit instead of fat, it's helping them find dead bodies and preventing the ever growing pile up of unsolved mysteries.

This all assuming the dead guy didn't die trying to catch some pokemon himself. That would be bad.

[Carthrat]

I am an old man and what is this

[Merc]

It is a phone app, old man. You go out for walks and catch the pokemon that pop up when your phone vibrates. Or cry when your phone dies of battery loss. Or when the server disconnects just as you're catching something.

***

A while ago I saw a Bulbasaur's shadow as I was walking on a neighborhood trail with my sister. After nothing but Pidgeys, Rattattas, Weedles, and a pair of Ekans for most of the day, that was pretty neat. Okay, I caught a 120CP Staryu today too, but that was really early in the morning.

I seemed to be heading towards it since the number of footprints by the shadow was decreasing...except shortly after it reached 1 footprint distance the shadow vanished. Where did the lettuce go?!? I was rather saddened by it's unexpected vanishing act.

My sister, clearly more observant than myself, noticed a guy walking on the same trail from the opposite direction and that he was on the phone. She called out to the guy and asked if he was in Pokemon Go....and he admitted to it!

I've seen claims that people can catch the same spawned pokemon on the internet, but that lettuce vanished on me, and there was a rival trainer present. So either the internet is wrong in this case, or Team Rocket is real.

Goodbye, poor lettuce, I probably won't avenge your theft.

[Yuthirin]

@Ebiris: I don't know if the EU servers are online yet? I remember reading something about them not rolling out yet.

[Ebiris]

Nah, it wasn't in the play store here until a couple days ago but you could still download it and install manually. Servers were just swamped when I first tried, it's been working fine since then.

[thepanda]

Just got back from a Pokemon Go event at Shelby Farms Park. It was pretty fun. Lots of people showed up. People were selling t-shirts and towels for the teams (Valor, ho!). There was food. There was cosplay. There was the normal, none mon related stuff to do, like zip lining and canoeing.

Really could have used so charge stations, though.

[tabyk]

A nice couple whom I am friends with dragged me out of my apartment last night, told me to install this game, and took me for a walk to a war memorial that I happen to live nearby.  Holy $#!T.  There was about 60 people there all play, and now I'm one of them.

*insert crying/sad face here*

With friends like these....

[Halbarad]

Coworker introduced me the day after it came out. Now? I'm level 18, I have a Team Mystic vinyl sticker on my phone (that I got for free from an awesome game store owner that the GF and I struck up a conversation with), and I'm planning trips to area parks to find specific Pokemon types.

Oh, and I've lost 3 pounds and averaged about 3.5 miles walking a day since it debuted. All in all, I'd call it a win.

[Dracos]

so resisting....looks so fun.

[Arakawa]

On the flip side, it did have me out of the house at 3:30 in the morning trying to catch bulbasaur.

Sounds a bit Tamagochi esque in its ability to create urgent need to do stuff with the game....

I think a large portion of it taking off has to do with the original game/series playing up the romance of actually having to go places as a prerequisite to catch the Pokemon. Next logical development: Pokemon Go backpacking trips.

"And so, our heroes set out from Local Park in search of fresh adventure...."