Improving on Pokemon GO - Making Better Augmented Reality Games - Extra Credits

Pokemon Go demonstrated the potential of a well-themed augmented reality game to capture people's imagination, but as far as game design, it doesn't offer much. We take a look at how a hypothetical D&D competitor could use the same type of location and resource structure to make a more engaging and accessible game.
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♪ Intro Music: "Penguin Cap" by CarboHydroM

♪ Outro Music: "Cerulean Dancefloor - Kevin Villecco Mix" by RoBKTA, Kevin Villecco

[fleurdelispens]

It's really cool watching this 2 years later and seeing how many of these kinds of elements pokemon go has added/retrofitted

[theadhdeditor]

It's 2019. Where's my augmented reality dungeon crawler? T_T I feel so deprived.

[Felix.Fictus]

orrrr companies WON'T realize any of this stuff, a ton of boring walking rpgs get made which don't make enough cash, so the company panics and starts laying on micro transaction HEAVY to make back there losses, the public gets sick of it, and this all fades away as another failed fad!

[peterdietrich]

One thing, mandatory fire resist lake doesn't sound fun. It sounds like an arbitrary barrier based on weapon stats, and not skill.

[extrahistory]

How do you build a better Pokemon GO? We look at a hypothetical D&D competitor.

[Rehteal]

"Collect 10 Bear Arses."
God, now I want this game to exist.

[docopoper]

But a lot of your proposals require actual attention and for people to being a state of 'playing' the game. I think Pokémon go worked so well because it integrates into people's lives so well but still gives them the option to peruse it further.

[Blucham]

What Pokemon GO really needs to do to "improve" is increase its sense of augmented REALITY. I went to an active volcano in Hawaii and didn't find a SINGLE fire or rock-type Pokemon!!! And the further into the wilderness you go, the harder it is to find anything... Meanwhile people who live in the city get to sit in crowded parking lots as Dragonites and Charizards spring up all over the place.

Pokemon automatically generate where more phones have been playing the game... And that makes no sense! If a lake or beach is crowded with fishermen all the time, more fish don't just magically appear. The population goes down and you gotta go find a new spot!

Your suggestions involve designing a whole fantasy world around our own, and disregarding reality... I think the opposite is needed. Incorporate the landscape and fill the areas with the appropriate Pokemon. Incentivize actual exploration and stop putting all the best Pokemon where city folk can sit around leveling up faster than hikers.

[Jonic_P]

1st. Shout out to Dan Jones for the "Critical Role" shout out!

2nd. Any chance you guys might be able to talk about why Pokémon Go is such a successful AR game? Is it only because of the brand? Why haven't other AR games taken off like Pokémon Go?

[bertio]

Local quests would actually be really easy to implement (though they would need to be based off template ones). PG already has data on "zone" type (beach, etc), so having specific quests and monsters appear in various regions would be a piece of cake. Plus, since these are created programmatically, they can be limited time only, and can even have uniquely-named bosses etc.

[chandlerf]

Yes, Pokemon go would be better with more depth and turn based combat. In other words: an actual Pokemon game. God knows why they thought POKEMON needed to be simplified when it's already accessible to children of all ages.

[TBirdSoars]

0:22 That's all I needed to hear. Take my money, please.

[allegedman]

Pokemon Go is a punishing game if you start the game late and live in a neighborhood that isn't filled with pokemon/stops/gyms. you have to grind out levels before you can even hit a poke gym.

[Rippertear]

simple make it jet set radio and have graffiti points that score you points over time to get you higher on the leaderboard instead of pokemon and places where theres pokemon to be niftier or whatever

[Rickfernello]

Do you know what else would be nice? To have a certain "home" location on the GPS, assigned by the player.
They could stash their loot in there, and wouldn't lose time for taking a break. Or anything similar!

[CatnipTequila]

that 1 frame of critical role caught me off-guard and it's AWESOME to see referenced here :D

[Mathignihilcehk]

*Throws money at screen* GIVE ME THIS GAME, IT SOUNDS AWESOME!

[yonatanrotbach]

Here's an idea for quests. Let players give each other quests. Players who either create or pay for a 'quest hub' can create whatever quest they want with all the flavour text and plot they want.

[pinch-of-salt]

"Turn base combat" something Niantic has never heard of.

[petedoglips]

In response: I usually agree 100% with you guys, but this week, I can't help but feel that your game offers a more individualized experience than Pokémon GO, especially when you talk about the multi-goaled quest that launches after 4km. In GO, the Pokéstops and lures serve to bring lots of players to one location so that they can meet accidentally and potentially become friends who bond over Pokémon. I've seen it happen in person. So I think that this game should have a much greater focus on quests that are easily shared among players, and maybe even add benefits for people who play together, such as having different classes that are stronger with certain loot, and implementing a sharing/trading system to make teams of different classes practical. Just some thoughts. I love the show!