Pokémon GO is great when it comes to gaming, but it sure doesn’t help enough to get you started. There are a lot of elements in the game which can get confusing when combined with Augmented Reality. So here are a few tips to help you get started with the game.
1. Understanding the Interface
So let’s start with the interface. You are in an open world scenario and soon you will notice that the place you see on the Pokémon GO screen is actually the map of your area and the player is actually you standing there in the virtual world. So basically, it’s an augmented reality of Pokémon World that runs in parallel to your world. As you move in real life, your player in the game covers the exact same distance and therefore you will have to keep the game active and running all the time along with seamless GPS and data connectivity. As soon as you come near a Pokémon, your phone will vibrate and tapping on the screen will open up the camera. You will then have to throw the Poké Ball at the Pokémon to catch it. Please note that you are given 50 Poké Balls to start with and each throw costs one ball. Poké Balls can be earned by visiting PokéStops near your area. Coming back to the interface, there are different items that you need throughout the game, like egg incubators to hatch eggs, etc. In the beginning, you are given the choice to choose from three Pokémons and in augmented reality, you can turn on your camera to throw the Poké Ball at the Pokémon and catch it. So that was it, you now know the basic interface and have your very first Pokémon.
2. Stardust, Candies, and Upgrades
Every time you catch a Pokémon, you get stardust and unique Pokémon candies. These are used every time you try to upgrade or evolve your Pokémon. You get stardust each time you catch a Pokémon, but then you get specific candies for a Pokémon each time you catch one. So let’s say you want to evolve a Pikachu, you will have to collect as many Pikachus as possible to collect Pikachu Candies. Also, remember not to evolve your Pokémon as soon as possible. Hold your temptation. First, upgrade your most powerful Pokémon enough and then evolve it.
3. Collect Items from PokéStops
As I’ve already mentioned, you will have different items in the game like the Poké Balls, Potions, Revive, Egg Incubators, etc. You can, of course, buy them with real money but then you can also go to PokéStops which are usually places of interest and collect Poké Balls by spinning them. You will have to walk or drive through these PokéStops and then just spin to collect the Pokémon.
4. Know the Pokémon Around You
The small sign at the bottom right shows you the Pokémons around your location. If they are already caught, you will see the photo, but if not, you will get their shadow. There’s also the footprint mark next to them that shows the distance between you and the Pokémon. A single print mark means its closest and 3 print marks means the farthest. There’s no way to know the direction he’s in, but if 1 mark becomes 2, you know you are headed the wrong way.
5. Level 5 and PokéGym
We all would want to battle Pokémons against one another and that’s where the PokéGyms comes in picture. When you are level 5, you will be asked to choose between Team Red, Blue, and Yellow and once you have selected the team, you can train your Pokémon in the gym or fight against when you have a contender. If the team loses a fight against a team, the gym is taken over by another team. You will have to decrease the prestige points of the rival team to take control of that gym. As complicated as it might sound, things will be clear when you start playing the game.
6. Revive Hurt Pokémon Using Potions
While fighting in gyms, he Pokémons will lose their HP and eventually die (it’s heartbreaking at the time). But then you have potions to help you out here which can be collected from PokéStops. These potions can revive your Pokémon and also restore hit points for you to use them again. These potions are tough to find when compared to Poké Ball so make sure you use them wisely.
7. Use Incense to Draw Pokémons to You
There’s this item called Incense which is hard to collect, but when used, the fragrance lures wild Pokémons to your location for next 30 mins. You can use them when you are at a nice location and you are certain to catch some Pokémons. Remember! Leave no Pokémons even if you have them already. You will need those candies to evolve your Pokémon.
8. Use Battery Saving Mode and Carry a Battery Pack
The game constantly uses GPS and Internet data, and you have to keep the screen on all the time to play the game. This can drain your battery from 100 to 0 in just a few hours. You can enable the Battery Saver option that turns the display of your phone off, when kept face down. The feature helps, but at times crashes your game. So make sure you carry a power bank and a bottle of water with you when you are out training.
Conclusion
These were some essential tips to get you started with the Pokémon GO. So go out and catch them all. But make sure you stay alert all the time. Also, if you would like to share any special tips and tricks with us, please use the comments section. ALSO READ: 5 Uses for Your Phone Camera other than Taking Photos and Selfies The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
