Pokemon Go just got an update that adds a lot more strategy to collecting Pokemon
Spencer Kern/Sway
The number-one new feature in the update, per a Facebook message from the game's developers:
"Implemented Pokémon Appraisal: Trainers will now be able to learn about a Pokémon's attack and defense capabilities from their Team Leader (Candela, Blanche or Spark) to determine which of their Pokémon have the most potential for battle."
This may sound confusing, but it actually adds a lot of depth to the game. In the world of the Pokémon games, including Pokémon Go, different monsters have different "individual values," or IVs. Which is to say, one Pikachu isn't the same as another Pikachu, even if they're otherwise at the same level - they have subtly different statistics that can make a big difference in battle.
Those stats have always been present in Pokémon Go, but there was no legitimate way to access them: While there are fan-run websites that let you calculate IVs yourself, Pokémon Go developer Niantic recently shut down the unsanctioned third-party services that had represented the best and easiest way to check a Pokémon's IVs.
By adding the ability to check a Pokémon's IVs within Pokémon Go itself, it's going to bring a little more strategy to the game, as players will now be able to absolutely maximize their Pokémon team's potential. That's good news for the two-month-old game, as moves like this will help to retain the game's sizable base of players.
Meanwhile, Niantic would like you to know that they're not done yet, and promise that there's more to come.
"We are still working hard on several new and exciting features to come in the future of Pokémon GO," say the app release notes.
Features previously promised to be coming to the game at some point include Pokémon trading and global gym battle leaderboards.
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