Summary
- Catching new Pokémon in Pokémon GO can be exciting but recent additions appear to be more difficult to catch, which can be disappointing and take the fun out of the game.
- The mechanics of catch rates in Pokémon GO are complicated, with factors like Pokémon size, throwing technique, and additional modifiers affecting the capture rate.
- While some Pokémon should be challenging to catch, others that are low in combat power () should not require excessive resources and multiple tries. Niantic should update their equations for more balanced catch rates.
Having new Pokémon introduced to the augmented reality world of Pokémon GO is always exciting. For a trainer, getting to experience seeing a Pokémon that they don't already have in their collection out in the wild can provide a little hit of dopamine as they go to tap on it and try their hand at catching them. Some have noticed recently, however, that it seems that the newer creatures being added to the game appear to be more difficult to catch than the older ones, which can lead to some crushing disappointment right after the thrill of thinking a new Pokémon would be caught and can take a lot of the fun out of the game.
The idea of catch rates in Pokémon GO becoming more difficult has been an ongoing debate since the game was introduced in 2016, but the notion is not without merit. There are so many factors that come into play with the math behind how easy or difficult each individual instance for each type of Pokémon is, that it is staggering to comprehend. It is an overly complicated system that does not allow for a very even breakdown across the board. Therefore, when new creatures are added to the game, it is entirely possible, if not likely, that the capture rate percentages for the new introductions will not be equal to those of longstanding Pokémon.
Pokémon GO Should Update Their Catch Rate Protocols
The Mechanics Are Not Straightforward
The mechanics of catch rates in Pokémon GO are significantly more complicated than in other Pokémon games. Each Pokémon has its own Base Catch Rate that can range from 0 to 70% and then there is an added factor that depends on the size of the targeting circle and strike point of the thrown Poké Ball. This doesn't even begin to take into the extra aspects of which type of ball is being used, type of throw, of the Pokémon, medals, encounter type, or if a candy has been applied to increase the modifiers. The 3D effects of the game can make it so some types of Pokémon appear closer or further away on the screen, making it more difficult to land an "excellent" throw, and the creatures themselves each have different animations regarding dodging and parrying movements to counter.
Pay attention to the medals that can be earned through catching various types of Pokémon, as some medals can increase the catch rate for that type by 10%.
There truly are many Pokémon that are harder to catch than others, and it really doesn't always make sense. The discouragement that players can feel when they want to get the new pocket monsters can be crushing when consistently facing the creatures running away. While it stands to reason for some Pokémon to be difficult to catch, others really shouldn't be. Catching a Nymble that only has a of 30 should not require a player to exhaust multiple Great Balls only to then have the little creature flee in a cloud of dust. This suggests that Niantic's overly complicated equations need to be reevaluated and updated.
Some Pokémon Make Sense To Be Challenging
Legendary And Mythics Should Be Difficult
Naturally, there are certain Pokémon that should be more difficult than others, such as the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, which can be incredibly strong and are designed to be rare finds. Because of how rare some of these can be to face, having them flee can be significantly more upsetting than having a Sprigatito run away, yet it still does make sense from a roleplay standpoint that they would not quietly submit to capture. In the end, having some challenging encounters with rare Pokémon adds to the thrill of the game and the feeling of success when they are eventually added to a Pokédex.
Shiny Pokémon encounters can be a different situation, as some Shinies may be of a very low of an otherwise fairly basic creature. Their rarity of being shiny should not add to their catch rate negatively. It is not confirmed whether a shiny Pokémon is more difficult to catch, but it would be nice of Niantic to make the formula change so that Shinies would actually be made easier to catch than normal, as the percentage rate for coming across one has already been taken into .
Pokémon GO's Monetary Cost Of Purchasing Supplies Should Not Be A Limitation
Purchases Should Not Feel Necessary
As things currently stand, there are most certainly some Pokémon that have higher capture resist rates than others, and they will require many candies and balls, in addition to luck, to successfully catch them. Candies and Poké Balls can be obtained through spinning Poké Stops, receiving gifts from friends, and completing quests in the game, but for players in more rural locations, this can still be burdensome. The initial reported intent of Pokémon GO was to encourage people to get outside and walk, but when there are no stops nearby to spin, resources can become scarce.
This, sadly, can mean that when faced with many failed attempts at catching Pokémon, it is easy to run out of Poké Balls or candies designed to help with catch rate odds, leading to a temptation to spend real money on purchasing more. It is a good option for the game to have, but should never feel like a necessity to simply play the game. Adding more friends who will send regular gifts is a good alternative as a way to receive daily doses of supplies. Many forums, websites, and social media groups are designed for people to share trainer codes for this purpose, without ever having to communicate in real life.
Pokémon GO can add a fun incentive to going outside and walking or exercising, but if the catch rates for new Pokémon become too discouraging, it will lead to more players looking for other options. The game's internal mechanics for deciding the probability of catching each specific creature are much more complicated than they should be and lead to a format where some Pokémon that don't seem like they should be hard to catch end up being incredibly challenging. Pokémon GO needs to update the catch rates to make it more friendly for players, and thereby give everyone even more reason to step outside.
