There has long been an unspoken rule in Pokemon Go surrounding Gym etiquette, but a recent hostile encounter with another trainer has demonstrated that not everyone follows it.
In Pokemon Go, Gyms are the sole way for players to earn PokeCoins without spending money. Every day, a trainer can accumulate a maximum of 50 PokeCoins by spending a total of eight hours at a Gym.
Nevertheless, PokeCoins are only earned when your Pokemon is defeated and kicked out of a Gym. As a result, a culture has formed where players are motivated to wait until this time to knock out each other’s Pokemon in order to maximize their PokeCoin earnings.
Despite some individuals believing otherwise, it is not a universal rule to wait 8 hours before taking control of a gym in Pokemon Go. One player, who was upset by this notion, shared on Reddit, “Just got told that it’s ‘bad manners’ to take a gym from someone without waiting 8 hours.”However, the same player later expressed that others have no right to complain about losing a gym, as playing the game does not guarantee ownership of a gym.
The post went on to recount a situation where OP defeated a Pokemon belonging to another player at the Gym. The trainer then reminded them to “let everyone get their coins!”In response, the original user questioned, “Is that rule only applicable to me and not to you?”
Upon reading this comment, the other player became upset and accused the poster of being “extremely rude.”The accuser even went as far as to claim that as a high-level player, the user who shared the post no longer needs to use Gyms.
Just got told that it’s “bad manners” to take a gym from someone without waiting 8 hours. byu/Majik518 inpokemongo
The community promptly came together to support the post, with highly upvoted responses such as, “Isn’t that the main purpose of gyms? To conquer and take over?”and “I don’t see the point of waiting. If I come across a gym while taking a walk, I will definitely attack it, whenever I feel like it.”
Some individuals expressed concern over the trainer’s aggressive behavior, stating, “Some people really need to spend time outdoors. I would report him for violating the TOS, which clearly states that harassing others can result in a ban.”This refers to the community guidelines of Pokemon Go, which explicitly state that harassment is a punishable offense.
Surprisingly, a few players expressed a different view from the overall message of the post. One player commented, “I wouldn’t label it as poor etiquette. However, I do make sure to see how long someone has held a gym before I remove them.”Another player added, “By preventing them from receiving their coins, you have provoked them to do the same to you. It’s a straightforward concept that ultimately hinders the game experience for all.”
The unwritten Gym etiquette remains a contentious topic among Pokemon Go players, as some argue that it is acceptable to claim Gyms at any time while others believe it is best to hold off. Unless Niantic implements changes to the Gym system, this ongoing dispute is unlikely to be resolved in the near future.
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