A group of Pokémon GO players on Reddit has gathered to bemoan the fact that the game does not operate ideally for its rural participants. The immensely popular AR mobile game from Niantic has amassed a staggeringly large following over the years, but it is in the unique position of having its gameplay tied directly to the environments of its many players. While this can result in some Pokémon GO players getting very lucky, it doesn't work out as well for others.
Beyond the basics of finding and catching Pokémon, Gyms and PokéStops play a central role in Pokémon GO. Players can get valuable items like PokéBalls and Eggs from PokéStops, which are instrumental when it comes to progression. After catching and leveling-up various Pokémon, players can take them to Gyms to battle the current Gym Leader. Claiming victory over these Leaders will grant PokéCoins, an in-game currency that allows players to purchase additional items and cosmetics. The victorious player will also take the previous Gym Leader's place, which gives players an additional incentive to approach these Gyms and train their Pokémon. In addition to the many events hosted by Pokémon GO, Gyms and PokéStops are inextricable parts of the core experience for many players.
Unfortunately, many Pokémon GO players are reportedly missing out on these key features. In a Reddit thread started by a user called Moistur-, several players air their grievances about how Pokémon GO seems to favor players in cities versus rural areas. Moistur- notes in the post body that they consistently have difficulty finding rare Pokémon and that the nearest PokéStop is roughly an hour away. Even worse, the nearest Gym is about two hours away, according to Moistur-. The comment section is filled with fellow players concurring with Moistur-'s criticisms.
The issues related to finding Pokémon in low-population areas have likely not been helped by the recent nerfing of Pokémon GO's Incense items, which allow players to attract Pokémon. When it comes to the shortage of local PokéStops and Gyms, fans may find that this problem is more closely tied to the core of the game. These locations are each connected to real-world institutions or landmarks, so solving the problem of scarcity in rural areas might require a more drastic overhaul of the game's systems.
Time will tell if and how Niantic will address these concerns. Pokémon GO has been available to the public for several years now, so these problems are nothing new. Missing out on rare Pokémon, PokéStops, and Gyms can be massively detrimental to the Pokémon GO experience, though, so hopefully, the developers will find a way to better serve the game's rural players.
Pokémon GO is currently available on both iOS and Android devices.
Source: Moistur-/Reddit