Through the Wayfarer platform, you have the chance to submit your suggestions for new PokéStops in Pokémon GO. YouTuber ChaosLady is passionate about this topic, which is why we at MeinMMO spoke with her. Below, you can read what tips she has for you.
What is it about? In Pokémon GO, trainers have the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the game by submitting new PokéStops in the form of suggestions through the Niantic platform Wayfarer.
YouTuber ChaosLady is very active there as well. In an interview with MeinMMO, she revealed to us what the DOs and DON’Ts are in this context. She also shared some tips on what you should pay attention to when applying for new PokéStops.
This is ChaosLady
Melanie, alias ChaosLady, is one of the most well-known German-speaking YouTubers on the topic of Pokémon GO. On her YouTube channel, she currently has over 11,100 subscribers and regularly streams on her Twitch channel. She releases videos on the topic of Wayfarer, Pokémon GO, or other Nintendo games several times a week.
Since 2013, she has been playing Ingress (now Ingress Prime) and has been actively involved in Pokémon GO since its release on July 6, 2016. At that time, she had already reached the maximum level in Ingress and submitted several hundred new Wayspots.
In her videos, she often focuses on this topic related to Wayfarer, which is why we wanted to know more from her about it.
Only after that could players also submit portals without help from Ingress. However, submitted Wayspots continue to be applicable for both Ingress Prime and Pokémon GO to this day. So it may be that your suggestion is accepted but only appears in Ingress Prime.
ChaosLady has reviewed so many suggestions on Wayfarer
Wayfarer is the official platform through which trainers can apply for new PokéStops. In ChaosLady’s YouTube videos, it is evident how passionately she is using Wayfarer. For this reason, we wanted to know from her how many suggestions she has already reviewed.
ChaosLady: “I really enjoy Wayfarer. What drives me is the fact that it improves gaming enjoyment for all of us. I have reviewed a total of 11,140 suggestions, which may sound like a lot, but it isn’t when you consider that the system has been online since 2017.”
Good to know: She further explains that the Wayfinder, the person who submitted the suggestion, can also file an appeal against a rejected Wayspot. This will then be reviewed directly by the Niantic Wayfarer team. Additionally, suggestions can be submitted for both Pokémon GO and Ingress Prime.
No-Gos that everyone should know and consider
Due to the many suggestions that ChaosLady has already seen and reviewed on Wayfarer, we wanted to know what trainers should pay attention to when submitting new PokéStops.
ChaosLady: “There are absolute No-Gos that one should know and consider. Basically, visible faces or license plates should not be present in the Wayspot photo (the first photo of the suggestion). It should not be too dark or blurry, and the photo must not contain a watermark.”
Furthermore, ChaosLady mentions places where Wayspots should not be submitted. These include:
- Kindergartens
- Schools (except for universities)
- Places inaccessible to pedestrians, such as highways, unsecured railways, military bases
- Adult-oriented places, such as liquor or firearm stores, stores with sexual content
These mistakes are made most frequently when applying for new Stops
In addition to the No-Gos that everyone should consider, trainers also frequently make other mistakes when applying for new PokéStops, which leads to rejections. ChaosLady shared her most common reason for rejections with us.
ChaosLady: “My most common reason for rejection is when I cannot assign the suggestion via the satellite image embedded in Wayfarer. The Wayfinder may submit two photos, the Wayspot photo and the environment photo. The latter helps the reviewers to see if the GPS location is correct.”
Important note: According to ChaosLady, one should ensure that the image shows as much of the surroundings as possible. Particularly prominent points and landscape features, as well as existing Wayspots, play a crucial role in this, as they aid in better orientation in the image. ChaosLady recommends taking the photo in landscape format.
However, there is one more criterion that can lead to exclusion: “Another problem is spelling mistakes in titles and descriptions. According to Niantic, this should not be a reason for rejections, but the past has shown that these submissions are rejected at an above-average rate. So pay attention to this.”
Two more tips: In this context, ChaosLady also has two tips for you to consider when applying for new Wayspots:
- Describe the object correctly: So don’t just say that it’s a great place for a PokéStop, but focus on the object. Keep in mind that the Wayspot is also used for other games.
- Geodata in the environment photo: Using camera apps, you have the option to integrate your GPS coordinates into the image, which can help during the evaluation for verifying the location, especially with outdated or blurry satellite images.
Suggestions that are frequently accepted
Based on the extensive experience ChaosLady has with Wayfarer, we asked her for her assessment of which suggestions are often approved.
ChaosLady: “Generally, it can be said that anything that is public and easily accessible is a point of interest, not restricted or private in access, or a meeting point for people is well suited for a Wayspot.”
Provided that the factors surrounding the respective suggestion fit, ChaosLady states that the following objects are thus relatively often accepted by the community:
- Artworks (statues, murals, painted utility boxes)
- Fountains
- Religious sculptures (as long as they are not in a cemetery)
- Public playgrounds (not at schools or kindergartens)
- Sports equipment or sports fields
- Sports clubs
- Information on signs or display cases
- Public libraries
- Churches
- Monuments
- Theaters
- Town halls
- Skate parks
What you should pay attention to when you want to start with Wayfarer
To submit your own suggestions via Wayfarer, you must have at least Trainer Level 38. However, that is not enough, as ChaosLady revealed to us in the interview. Besides the Trainer Level, passing an eligibility test also plays a decisive role. Once you meet these criteria, you can get started right away. But what is important now?
ChaosLady: “As a Wayspot applicant, you should keep an eye on your status and statistics. Only then can you see if your assessments align with the community’s. If you deviate too much from the global opinion/direction, they will change for the worse.
Currently, a negative status means that your assessment will no longer be included in the overall assessment of a Wayspot. What other disadvantages may be introduced in the future, I cannot yet assess at this time. Niantic continuously develops its systems and responds to feedback from the community. This makes things exciting for all of us.”
Here you can learn how to evaluate suggestions on Wayfarer.
For those who want to know more: ChaosLady also invites interested people to her community on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Discord. There she provides more helpful tips regarding the game and Wayfarer. Additionally, you can also upload suggestions on her community server on Discord before the actual submission to get initial feedback.
Weekly, she posts at least two videos on her YouTube channel about Wayfarer. In these, she not only reviews the Wayspots but also provides insights into the Niantic Wayfarer Forum and shares Niantic news and decisions on current Wayspot discussions.
Her goal is to bring her viewers closer to these experiences and impressions. So it’s worth checking out.
Are you as active on Wayfarer as ChaosLady? How many suggestions have you already reviewed? Or do you now want to submit new PokéStops yourself? Let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO and exchange thoughts with other trainers on the topic.
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