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by kvaca
Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:45 am
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Pokemon Go! as a nuisance to other outdoor activities
Replies: 98
Views: 15576

Re: Pokemon Go! as a nuisance to other outdoor activities

I have the app but don't play it as avidly as others. Simply put, it's a throwback to one of the first, and best, games I played in my childhood. The game is, in my opinion, a fantastic way to get a younger generation outdoors. It's also a great way to bring people together.

As far as situational awareness is concerned, the company who made the game is releasing some Bluetooth device with a button and a light. It lights up anytime you can do something in the game, and simply pressing its button will allow you to not miss it. This will most likely help the few who obtain the object to keep their nose out of their phone.

The game also has a speed limit. If you're going faster than roughly 35mph, the game doesn't; register that you're moving, spawn Pokemon, and it is too fast to collect items from pokestops. Although 35 is still a bit fast for someone driving and playing, a child sitting in the back of a car will probably appreciate that limit.

I don't understand the "hopping fences" situation. The game doesn't require you to be right on top of the Pokemon you're looking for. Actually, it has something of a 50ft range. On top of that, "tracking" the Pokemon doesn't necessarily entail very accurate knowledge on where a Pokemon is located. You are given a distance in silhouettes of animal feet. 3 of them means you're off by almost a kilometer, down to 0 feet meaning you're within 40 meters or so. It tells you very little of direction. I can't imagine the need to hop fences to get to the Pokemon you're looking for. Actually, I hope if enough of these types of cases present themselves, they'll extend your range... Wishful thinking...

Usually, when I play, I take a friend with me, and he has both of our phones, one in each hand, as I drive around. I don't make awkward stops, and if he asks me to turn around, I first consider other drivers in the area. We had gone to a shopping center late at night once, and although many shops were closed, there were a great deal of people roaming around playing the game. We didn't stick around though. We're not a fan of getting into sketchy situations.

As with anything people do, some will not be very smart in its practice. Just as some people who drive might drink prior to or speed, just as some who ride bicycles might think the road is the best place to do so, Pokemon Go is no different. There are those who play responsibly, and those who don't. The app has been downloaded by over a million people. Some may lack situational awareness, but not everyone crashes into parked cop cars or drives off cliffs.

If my friend and I plan on going Pokehunting, we always carry, and we make sure to make situational awareness our first priority.

Just my 2¢

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