It was shortly after 2 hours, a cool evening in May Until then, it was like any other night. I did what I do, always in front of the bag Go...
It was shortly after 2 hours, a cool evening in May Until then, it was like any other night. I did what I do, always in front of the bag Go Pokemon I beat my phone open and checked Fitness - Studios around my house. I am a member of Team Mystic - the blue team - and I moved to Los Angeles a year ago, a quiet neighborhood north of Los Angeles, Mystic has always dominated the region. Gyms that were entered without resistance for weeks at a time, and I expected the blue sea of peace, to see if close the application before his eyes. But tonight, all I saw was yellow. The instincts of the team arrived in town, and we were completely destroyed.
He felt strangely injured when an enemy army had marched in the street and hoisted a flag in my garden. This feeling was surprised when his inauguration as much.
A few months earlier, it may be that I did not even notice.
After the initial enthusiasm died Pokemon Come down, I continued to play casual, open the app on my phone for walking the dog and sometimes compare progress with friends and family. When my friend and I arrived at our new website in 2016, the gyms - Reality - extended game play was surrounded, so I started harder Pokemon Go beat, as I had before. Before the last update of the game, capturing the game around gyms is very hard for casual gamers. But as time passed, I found myself less and less permeable. At the beginning of 2017, he played hard to make a high-level Pokémon team in the gym for weeks could sit at a time to free parts accumulate. I felt like a king in a castle tower much, by a small army of monsters guarded pocket.
There were other mystical actors in the region, and I began to wonder whether they are playing alone, like me. I found the Pokemon GB THE subreddit , and an application of discord Chat - Server had begun in which to gather the players from Southern California. asked a channel for my neighborhood a few weeks before the invasion instinct team, these are the mods, where I went to believe that "Mystic Highland Park has so strong that it is not even funny. "
"My country," I wrote. It was a joke, but also a little pride.
That night, I realized then that was my arrogance, I opened discord and Highland Park now dominated the team by instinct.
"It's like the storm does hit Highland Park," said one of the instinct of the players whose names appeared in yellow.
"It looks like my son hit FJR Highland," he wrote to another, an image of the mascot instinct addition, the legendary bird Zapdos beam with a caption saying: "No shelter from the storm. "
I found myself unknowingly on the brink of a community that does not even know exist - the world of hardcore - Pokemon Go So it was happened.? Why? FJR wanted, who knows, and when "the storm" in fact came in response to my jubilation was.
I decided to head to jump first without knowing what I discovered little by little: these waters are stirred with bitter wars enormous egos, unfounded accusations and at least one confrontation in the real world, which was broken up by police.
Discord, the next day I knew I had become a little famous. A YouTube - users do Nick Trainer , patrolled Highland Park with a team that I instinctively that night - there to support, and that includes a screenshot of my back, incredulous late at night in his video of my room fitness. The water was deeper and deeper.
MEET THE PLAYERS
FJR, it turns out, Francisco Javier Rodriguez, aka TheOfficialFJR is. "I have a very common Hispanic name," he said. "I did it as a skit where I like me no, I'm really. I am a "official". "
He is young - 23, and you can see that - but an easy way that speaks their trust. He said he is involved in politics, working with Bernie Sanders campaign. He started playing Pokémon after the infamous Community toxicity League of Legends tired Go. He plays a game at a time because he read a book, the only thing Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, a matter of focus.
At that time, Pokémon Go is your game.
"Chase two rabbits catches neither," she said wisely. We huddled in the shade of a small umbrella in front of a cafe Highland Park. Nearby schools let out, and a little boy is the team in a red shirt value. FJR asked nicely for help.
"I want to see this. I do not care whether it is mystical, value or instinct. I love that people are still playing, "he said.
FJR is not your average players go Pokémon, though. Level 40 is the highest possible level in the game, still a relatively rare element, even more than a year after the release of Pokémon Go d ". Reach level 40 required to collect, it's crazy, even for hardcore players a total of 20 million impressions. I logged my start date and the current experience - nearly 4 million - in an online - tool, unofficially called computational speed reaches the Pokemon level , and I said, I get level 40 when I play on at this rate for four years. FJR Stern said in November last year, four months after the start. It is an advanced user, the last minute Maxer, the heaviest unconditionally.
"What I like about the game is that it's basically in our neighborhood," he said. "For example, you live here, this is your block and essentially gymnastics has here. You are on it, and keep it. There are just some pride and some good feelings when it comes to that. "
FJR area Glendale, a city northwest of Highland Park. He considers himself a leader in the instinct of the area - he met other players and taught them early on the course and the holding of territory advanced that online strategies made research. Always take the role of team leader at Pokemon Go Tournaments - unofficial events where players resurfaced sporadically hit three teams and a single fitness in the competition - to capture studio. But if it to keep gyms which usually stays in its own grounds.
Go for the first year of the game, Pokémon before developers gymnastics revised mechanical Niantic seemed insurmountable obstacles, especially for solo - player does not roll with a complete team of friends. Shoot the gym of an opposing team or the formation of their its own say on a high enough level in your Pokémon, it can take up to an hour, an absurd amount of time standing on the sidewalk or sitting in his parked car watching mobile phone. If you happened to choose the wrong team when he started to play - as a co-FJR players live dominates instinct of Mystic Highland Park - your chance to gyms, there was never anything.
Enter Nick, the user YouTube. He wanted to do as soon as possible a video on the assumption gyms - no easy task before school moved here in June. His instinct of the crew at least 20 strong, chose Highland Park so that your teammates take a break on their own ground. After FJR, some of his teammates had seen that I do not agree with the assumption and I thought it would be fun.
"The right side of Glendale, 100 percent, you have everything," said FJR, looking at a map on your phone and the team Mystic area shows. "It is ridiculous. It's real blue ocean. "
"That's what I want to see," he replied.
In the video player Instinct car to Highland Park to stop in four cars and the orange glow of street lights, forming circles which produce a kind of ritual. Remove our gyms, one by one. Fans Nick come and for images representing despite the late hour. "Most of these players in the Glendale area are to be more or less controlled by the instinct of the computer," Nick said.
"These players are very focused on the fitness game."
FJR said it was difficult to discuss all of them because they were distracted by the presence of Nick, a minor celebrity in the Pokémon Go community. But it is the job of a leader.
available towards the end of the video, the instinct player had mocked around the discussion of upcoming changes Niantic gym at the time, but has not yet been implemented.
"These players are very focused on the fitness game," Nick said. "That's the most important thing that keeps them motivated to play interesting and keeps the game."
The update comes in some of their hopes - to get involved as a better framework for team play and better incentives in gyms - but leave some freezing hardcore gamers.
I would learn a community whose concerns about Niantic is - if not very worried.
CORRECTION OF COURSE
"The game we created Pokémon Go was Ingress Ingress is completely over, cooperative, territorial. - Combat Team based, "said John Hanke, general manager of Niantic. "The reason why this part has received over the years is that the basic core fans of the players who are area really, really in this mechanical control and work together to monitor and occasional rivalries, more or less like it is found in Pokemon.
"We tried to take over a part of this game Pokemon Go."
When Pokémon Go launched in July 2016, it immediately became a cultural phenomenon. It seemed that everyone plays, and he was not to play them on the path were amazed he transforms the crazy world. Press outlets covered the classic "Pokemon Go crazy" while the players gathered in hundreds and thousands of people in the big cities like Los Angeles, Seattle and New York a rare Pokemon hunt.
In autumn, the world seemed his precious Pokémon forever in Pokéballs caught to have changed that would never be released.
Vice - wrote a satirical media takes "mania that swept in July 2016," Pokemon Go treat her like a strange relic of a distant past. Where players gathered earlier in bulk, some - some still play hide their screens began phones passersby to avoid these incredulous looks that say, "Are - you always play this game"
Hanke errors that remain at least partially to the lack of Niantic player to be a reason, as they had done with Ingress.
"What happened that we finished very strongly in terms of our development time supported the informal aspect of Pokémon Go" says - it. "We have a roadmap to develop these competitive functionality is based on the territorial control of the gym, but almost none of it in the first version. "
What I was bare-bones system in the gym, which is in the players overwhelmingly for a small percentage of Hyper. Niantic wanted to correct the course, but Pokemon GB high-profile technical problems - an endless barrage of server - error, mistakes and technical problems - developers rely even more because it has worked for months, only works to the game. It would be one year after the front output eighth gyms they need.
"[Pokémon go before this update] essentially allows players higher fitness - Studio ecosystem place completely to dominate," says Hanke. "The lower level players had no chance, and therefore have no interest in participating in general in fitness battle. This was evident in a few months of launch. It took a while from the start to get mad and do something for the organization, and that's a big part of what this version is over. "
In the new system, the level of a Pokémon decreases temporarily, over time, while in a gym, so it is easier for an even lower level players to launch attacks, and the lawn turn back any equipment. This is a positive change for casual - and a sentence of one of the hardcore players who formed a team of monsters and enjoyed the pure and divine rule.
"If there is disappointment that invests in something that is not the ultimate weapon, it was, we hope they encouraged by the fact that there are new challenges," says Hanke. "New blood in the game, the new blood in gyms, new blood in terms of the people who find this part of the game and go. It holds only fresh and interesting. Ultimately Stagnation is the enemy. "
There are more changes as well to come. Hanke said Niantic Rank operates on different levels, individual city guides to hold the device control system in the world. These lists, whatever form they take will appear on the site before implemented in the game. The developers are also working on different set of resources and Pokemon gym controlled by the other affect mechanical collection "to control the gym, which has a favorable effect on the Pokémon, health, the items that you collect, maybe Pokémon spawning other positive side effects is obtained in this area, about the kind of pride and rivalry to control the gyms or places on your computer, in fact, there are still and are shared by all players on your side , "
"I am very interested to promote aspects of the game, but I'm also the first to admit, in its most basic form in Pokémon Go now is unique," Hanke said.
Then there are the changes that the players want more - that is obvious, such as new functions for trade and fights between individuals, a better combat system, more Pokemon and effective ways to combat "usurpers GPS" by questionable means to the game fool you into thinking they are somewhere they are not.
"Speculation is widespread and many people have different preferences, and many people are making assumptions that things are going to happen one way or another. We try to be careful not to communicate until we like going discovers things to do internally, and until they are close enough to start, say Moreover, in general, "Hey, we're trying to improve the fight" or "trade is something that ultimately what we want to do, "says Hanke.
For now, the Niantic try active in the community management department set to "baste" all the different pockets of the community, Reddit, discord, Slack, Twitter, and imagine connected to help anywhere in the world community Niantic. An important element of this will be very large, formal events are like Pokemon Go Niantic Festival in Chicago organized a week - end.
"The speed at which this event is sold, really impressed us," says Hanke. "All entries in les ran six minutes, I think. So there is clearly an appetite there among the fans. "
And Pokémon Go is far from dead. "I think it will be great fun," Hanke said. "I'll be there with my son! "
Pokemon Master
Each, the Pokémon Go opened from time to time and looked at the Fitness - Studios in your area during the first year of the game, I could not help but see the same names over and over again. These are hardcore gamers, the best dedicated the best and I trained harder than others. They were celebrities like mini, tags, names and avatars recognizable by people like me whose descent into this world was looser and less wanted.
I met Melorixx, whose real name is Paul Conrad, on the sidewalk near my house. My girlfriend and I were open to walk our dogs, Pokémon Go on our phones, our thumbs casually and turn reflexively family PokeStops. Melorixx we stopped to ask what level we were. Accounts were compared, and I recognized his name and his hat distinctive cut and immediately hide your avatar. It was like a minor celebrity in the street over.
Later I would see his name in a chat channel Slack other power users, Victor, I had invited me to a place exclusively for Mystic player in Southern California. And I learn about its reputation of players on multiple pages, many of which describe an incident, the Glendale police are involved.
Had FJR, the player he instinct in a coffee shop in Highland Park hit, Pokémon Go joined the toxicity of the League of Legends to escape, but it is also ugly in what the community of this game has a page. The more I am more than what I saw.
"The value and Mystic each gym took [Glendale]" describes Branden Bisordi, another hardcore gamers Mystic. He Victor and Melorixx had been drinking in a nearby bar. "The players come instinct and try to start something. Someone said Melorixx grabbed his hand and turned. In fact, I did not see that part of me. "
"I wanted to start a fight with Melorixx," he continues.
Melorixx met again in a sushi bar in Glendale a few weeks later. He is firmly planted a big guy in the head with a goatee Dodgers cap. He waited with a pitcher of beer, when I arrived and stood in the middle of the restaurant staff. The boy dropped us to get free shots as we speak. It was 14:01 on Monday.
Some players Melorixx and several players had discussed the instinct online, accusing the other to cheat, and when they met in Glendale, worsened the situation. Melorixx says it is a lie.
"You called the police on me, and the police laughed at her," he said. "I'm just saying," This is ridiculous. We're wasting time. What are we doing here? "
Some diehard Pokémon Go - players with whom I spoke, rivalries and turf wars are very funny. Who cares if some players "spoofing" GPS or fraud in any other way are? But others, like some very serious allegations throw around which go beyond the game. And they tend to band together all the players of a team or other group - called "players Mystic make" or "instinct a group of fraudsters are. "For someone Once removed, it seems absurd, as if the millions of people who Pokemon GB play with credibility in the minds of homogeneous hive are consolidated they could do and say what their" team leaders "- people who do not know - continue.
"I learned Markdang3r, the head of the Red Team Valor" Melorixx said. "I said, as the instinct of players who fall into griefing. They want to condemn people. You want people angry. They want banned people. You want to try to stop. That's what they are lowered. "
Another player who declined to be identified, said Slack players Instinct "described other players (see which car they are in license plates and documentation, video capture from other players, etc.) and trying to intimidate other players and social media. "
FJR described differently when it asked for the beef between instinct and mysticism. "Not only a fool named Melorixx. He threatened many people. So he got physical with Lubex "he said. "And Lubex was not even the guy who was looking for. He thought he was someone else ... he grabbed. So he called the police on him. "
They Players police Instinct call people to harass?
"Yes, I do not know that," he replied FJR, adding "lol".
To some members of the community say to hear: players a toxic unconditional presence. Melorixx by brushing all, insisting none of this is really important. Boasted to me his days of street racing, the thousands of dollars he in his youth World of Warcraft characters to sell and triumph in many other games did. He only wants the best in the biggest be flat - possible form - fall back without cheating, he says - and now it will go Pokémon.
"It is what it is: competitiveness, its highest level," he said. "It's killing instinct or die. You are either born with or you're not. "
Moreover Melorixx are often seen in Highland Park standing on the sidewalk, the other players help disguise the tough gyms, even if the benefits that a player at his level.
However, most players look forward Pokémon Do not go. Many just like Pokemon to collect or play with friends. They do not care which team will win, or at most gyms, or when someone is cheating. As I did that fateful night in May, recovered as the team my neighborhood instinct, they are perfectly aware of what teeming subcultures often go contradictory Pokemon there.
For me, well, gone are the days Pokémon are casually playing with dog walking on foot. But everything is bad, and even an intense player Melorixx can be a positive presence in the community. Branden Bisordi, who met to discuss the incident Glendale, is happy to have him in the corner of Mystic. "I'm not so much in the most aggressive party or feudal" he said. "But in fact it is a kind of good that Melorixx is because everyone defends us. "
As dedicated to those in a game with players who Pokemon Go love, it is inevitable that some ugliness arises. most players, however, I spoke with the Pokemon social life Go. It is the way gathers her friends. This leads them to places they normally never go, and went on adventures they enjoy. Pokémon Go can never reach its flash-in-the-pan stock - hit, but for these players - can - even Melorixx he wants to admit it - the game in time Niantic live is still trying to make it better.
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