Playing Pokemon Go In A Safe And Fun Way - 3 Key Points!

By now, most people in the World would have access to Pokemon Go, if Sonny Truyen had been more patience, he could have enjoyed the game together with us, during Singapore National Day.

With various Telcos giving free data, there is really no better time to go Poke-Hunting!

First of all, a confession: I am not a Pokemon freak or expert, just a curious individual - one who doesn't even know a single character of Pokemon. Nevertheless, given the hype as well as some negativity about the game, I decided to install it and give it a try.

Installation was easy, just like any other application in Google Play or App Store. Playing the game was also easy, the 1st Pokemon appear right on my desk, a Squirtle.

Next, I decided to go out to explore the game, just curious to know if it was really 'that' dangerous! Well, it turned out to be the opposite, there is simply nothing dangerous about the game - except that it could be additive! So, here are 3 key points to take note when playing Pokemon Go!

1) Don't walk while looking at your phone, just configure the vibration setting

If you have used Google Maps before, you will know that GPS is not a super accurate stuff and it does not refresh for every single steps that you take, so there is really no point in looking at your phone while walking.

Instead, you should configure the vibration setting in the game and hold your phone in your hand while walking normally. With the vibration setting, your phone will vibrate when a Pokemon appears. This is the screen of the vibration setting, just make sure that you tick the "Vibration" option:

Pokemon Go Vibration Settings

If you have the "Battery Saver" ticked as above, you will noticed that when you point your phone downwards, the screen will be blank. This is how it would look like (image has been enhanced to show the logo):

When Phone is Held Down

Don't worry about that, you will still be alerted whenever there is a Pokemon that pops up! This is yet another proof that you DO NOT need to stare at your screen while walking!

 

2) Decide a Safe Place and Explore From There

It is pointless walking randomly to search for Pokemon. It is much safer and fun to decide a place before you play the game. For example, a park or a shopping mall. Parks and shopping malls have a lot of walking spaces and you can also take this opportunity to exercise.

There are also myths saying that specific types of Pokemon are located only at specific places and time. For example, it is a commonly acknowledged tips that Gastly is found in cemeteries and hospitals and in the middle of the night - This is not true, I caught 2 Gastly in broad daylight, along a jogging track in Bukit Batok.

Gastly Captured In Broad Daylight

3) Do Not Play the Game While Driving

There is yet another pointless thing to do. When you are driving, your position changes so far that even if you come across a Pokemon, it will disappear almost instantly; but if you have a passenger, you might be able to catch some Pokemon at traffic lights when the car stops. However, there is no need for the driver to wait for the catch to complete because once you have tapped on the Pokemon, you can continue to throw the ball even if you have driven off.

Again, there is really no point in catching Pokemon while driving, you can catch much more Pokemon at a specific location. On top of that, there are much more PokeStops in various places than along the road. You might also be glad to know that each PokeStop refreshes every 5 minutes! Cars should be used mainly to bring you to your designate location. If you are a very 'eco' person, take the MRT instead. MRT stops are great places for catching Pokemon.

Other common sense safety include:

* Don't Poke-Hunt alone: You never know when you would need help. Nowadays, crime can happen in the safest city in broad daylight, you wouldn't want to hit the news. []

* Don't wander to remote places: There are myths that the rarest Pokemon are always the most difficult to find and in remote places. That is obviously not true. Think of this from a commercial angle, why would Niantic lure you to remote places that adds no value to them and commercial establishments? So, if there is any places that is too remote, just forget it!

In case you hold the belief that spooky types of Pokemon are more likely to be found in cemetery, etc., well, that is totally untrue. take a look at this article. If you want more concrete evidence, take a look at this YouTube video (a research had been done on this):

How Spawns Work in Pokemon GO - Research from The Silph Road

There are also wrong information about the game, as shown in this cartoon.

Nobody Plays Pokemon In This Way

In Pokemon Go!, you would not see the Pokemon far away, worst, there is no such thing that you need to chase it in order to catch it. If you see it, just click on it and you can start throwing the ball to capture it.

It is time for people to understand technology and embrace them. It is not the game that is dangerous, but rather the outdated mindset of people, or rather: "Neophobia". Take a look at this article from Mothership, which explains how pointless it is to consider regulating it.

There are many ways to play the game, some people stressed themselves out trying to collect all types, while others look for rarity, which is speculative in nature.

What I like about this game is that it gave people another reason to get outdoor. It has also become an incentive to my boy... "if you finished your homework and piano practice by 6pm, we can go poke-hunting". As a family activity, this also gave us another reason to explore different places of the city - just like treasure hunting.

Oh, by the way, this game has a exercise tracker and you need to hit the milestone for the eggs to hatch! (I have set a goal of 10km!!!)

Hatching Poke-Eggs

So Let's Pokemon Go - In a Safe and Fun Way!