A new PokéCoin system is currently being tested in Pokémon GO. This has not been well received so far – and could lead to problems with gyms.
This is the new PokéCoin system: At the beginning of May, Niantic announced plans to test a new system regarding coins. It allows for 55 coins instead of the previous 50 coins a day. The extra 5 coins can be earned through specific tasks. The remaining 50 are still obtained from gyms – however, you only receive 2 PokéCoins per hour for defending a gym, instead of the previous 6.
The new system already faced significant criticism upon its introduction. The test in Australia has already been running for several days, and the criticism has not quieted down.
Testers see serious problems with the new system
This is what testers report: On reddit, the user “redditorperth” provided a first-hand account that drew a lot of attention. The trainer plays in Perth, Australia, and is at level 40. From his experience, the new system causes many problems.
He has noticed that there are significantly more spoofers during the day than usual: “Every time a gym is defeated, it is retaken by the same team within minutes,” he reports. As a result, potions and revives are suddenly a pretty rare commodity, as one has to constantly nurse their Pokémon back to health.
At the same time, real players are essentially camping in front of gyms: “They sit in their cars for up to an hour straight to ensure that their monsters stay in the gym for more than just a few minutes.” This is pointless, as they are simply ousted by spoofers when they leave.
This even leads to a deterioration of the atmosphere among players, and there are loud disputes over gyms. Overall, his experience with the new system is “overwhelmingly negative”.
The problem for gyms: In the comments, many trainers and other testers agree on the issues. They have noticed that gyms change hands much more frequently. The only chance to keep them is to “guard” the gyms. A state that some players had suspected: “It was incredibly predictable that spoofing would become even more aggressive, and that real camping and multi-accounting would increase,” finds one user (via reddit).
Earning coins seems to be significantly more difficult with the new system. On reddit, trainers hope that Niantic listens to the feedback and does not implement the new system. However, there were accusations recently that players are often not being listened to.
