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Pokemon GO’s Party Play and Routes: An Unjoined Path

In recent times, “Pokemon GO” has introduced a number of fresh features to enhance the gameplay experience for its users. Among these new introductions are the Routes function and the Party Play feature. Routes allow players to create a path between two points on the map, typically between PokéStops or Gyms, for a fun and engaging walking experience. Party Play, on the other hand, lets four trainers come together for a shared adventure in the game. However, these two features don’t mesh well as of now, according to player experiences and reports.

Key Highlights:

  • Routes and Party Play debuted in Pokemon GO recently.
  • Current game mechanics do not allow Routes and Party Play to function together.
  • Technical limitations might be the cause of this inability, though this hasn’t been confirmed by Niantic.
  • Players hope for a future integration of these two features for a richer gameplay experience.

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The Routes feature in “Pokemon GO” is a recent addition that encourages players to physically move between two points on the map, usually from one PokéStop or Gym to another, with the route’s length being between 0.1km to 1km​. It enhances the game’s exploratory aspect, making the gameplay more engaging and enjoyable. However, the initial reception to Routes has been lukewarm, with players feeling it could be better enjoyed if integrated with Party Play, especially when adventuring with up to three other friends​​.

Party Play, another recent feature, allows a total of four trainers, level 15 and above, to form a party and share in the Pokémon GO adventure, including seeing each other’s avatars on the in-game map​​. This feature was highly anticipated and has been largely welcomed by the game’s community for the social interaction and teamwork it fosters.

However, the intersection of Routes and Party Play has hit a snag. Players have discovered that when they team up in a party, the Routes feature becomes inaccessible. This limitation has been a source of disappointment among the players who were looking forward to blending the exploratory nature of Routes with the social interaction of Party Play​​.

The underlying cause of this incompatibility isn’t clear-cut. It’s speculated that perhaps the game’s programming doesn’t support the simultaneous operation of these two features. Some theories suggest that integrating Party Play with Routes could lead to issues with tracking or reward distribution, which might not have been resolved during the game’s testing phases​​.

The community remains hopeful that Niantic, the game’s developer, might find a way to bridge this gap in future updates. The integration of Routes and Party Play could significantly enhance the gameplay experience by merging the social and exploratory aspects of “Pokemon GO”. Until then, players can only hope and keep an eye on Niantic’s announcements for any updates regarding this issue​​.

The inability of Routes and Party Play to work together in “Pokemon GO” has left many in the gaming community longing for a more integrated gaming experience. Although the exact reasons behind this limitation remain unclear, the hope is that future updates from Niantic will address this issue, opening up new dimensions of gameplay that combine exploration with social interaction.