"Pokemon Go" players who are fond of catching monsters while driving may have noticed the reduced appearance of Pokemon creatures. Niantic may have added a new feature that removed Pokemon "Sightings" and monster spawns from the mobile gaming app when a gamer is on the road.
Niantic recently deployed a "Pokemon Go" patch that added a few gameplay features, as well as addressed minor game fixes. However, the said update may have also introduced certain limitations for players on the go.
Pokemon monsters will no longer appear if a player goes beyond "driving speed," according to Forbes. The game's "Sightings" feature that allows players to track Pokemon creatures in nearby locations will also be turned off during the said driving situation.
At this time, it is still unclear if the said new feature is a new bug or one of the enhancements that developers added to promote safe gameplay. Previous reports have indicated of several incidents and accidents where players were injured while catching a Pokemon.
The said feature may be Niantic's way of avoiding potential situations where they may be held liable for a road accident that may involve "Pokemon Go" players. However, it may also affect other gamers who would usually play during daily bus or taxi commutes, as indicated in the same report.
The removal of Pokemon "Sightings" and spawning while driving may also impact players whose location may feature weather conditions unsafe for walking. Developers have initially designed the game to encourage individuals walk around and explore their neighborhoods. However, this may prove challenging especially during a winter season.
In other news, Niantic's latest update introduced a new gym training feature that allows trainers to use a six-team Pokemon during battles at friendly Gym locations. The patch notes posted on the game's official website also made mention of temporary adjustments to a Pokemon opponent's combat points (CP) to match a trainer's level during a training session.
Apart from the updated Gym battles, players can earn a "Catch Bonus" in case they nab several Pokemon monsters of a specific type. The Egg and Incubator screens will also now display periodic updates of the distance walked without having to refresh the screen.
"Pokemon Go" was released in July and became one of the popular mobile gaming apps around the world. Watch a tutorial on how to battle friends below:
