5 ways Niantic can better Party Play in Pokemon GO

With the release of Pokemon GO's newest Party Play feature, many players have found that the experience has its fair share of issues. While some appreciate having the choice to play the mobile game with a group of friends, many are either unable to or lack the motivation to give the mode an honest chance.

If Niantic takes the time to fix some of the gameplay and server-side issues associated with this new game mode, alongside a bevy of slight tweaks, more players may be tempted to give Party Play a chance. With this in mind, the community may want to know what updates to look out for.

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5 changes and fixes Niantic should add to Pokemon GO's Party Play

1) Fixed autocatchers

A screenshot featuring the Pokemon GO Plus+ (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As of writing, one of the most irritating issues with the current Party Play build in Pokemon GO is that the reward quests cannot be completed with autocatchers. These devices are Bluetooth gadgets that players can carry around to do simple tasks like catch Pokemon or spin Pokestops. However, there is a bug where actions done by these devices do not register for party quests.

This issue is currently under investigation, according to Niantic's support website, so a fix for this glitch may be applied in the near future. However, it is unusual that this glitch would take place in the first place, and many who have experienced this issue first-hand have already lost a significant amount of time.

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2) Raid discounts

Official artwork for Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

One of the big draws to using Party Play is the boost it gives to players who choose to partake in raids. These are some of Pokemon GO's most popular gameplay facets, and as such, would benefit the most from Party Play done right. A big step in the right direction would be to offer groups a deal on Raid Passes.

With Raid Passes being made more expensive recently, players would have a massive incentive to participate in the new Party Play mode if groups only needed one Raid Pass for the whole party to participate. If they're not inclined to give players such a bargain for Raid Passes, Niantic could introduce a new type of Raid Pass for a slightly increased price. This new Raid Pass could be used to grant entire parties passage into the Raid Battle.

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3) Server maintenance

A screenshot from the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Although it seems like the worst of the server issues are over, some players may occasionally experience connectivity issues when using the Party Play feature. This is an unfortunate consequence of the feature being relatively new to the game. Since Niantic is reportedly actively trying to fix these issues, they are expected to be resolved soon.

However, these server and connection issues have put off a few trainers. As such, players may want to wait for an update or two before trying Party Play again if they have experienced such issues before. With the feature only improving with each update, it will surely be fixed at a later date.

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4) Passive bonuses

A screenshot from the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Another great way to encourage trainers to give Party Play a chance is to introduce a small array of different bonuses to the group. These bonuses could involve granting players extra candies or Stardust for catching and transferring Pokemon. This would be a great way to cut down grinding time and would also give players a reason to group up for events like Community Days or Spotlight Hours.

Both Stardust and candies are important for evolving and powering up a trainer's Pokemon. Stronger creatures mean players have more incentive to challenge Raid Battles and Pokemon GO's competitive Battle League. Making these facets of gameplay more accessible through this method would also result in more players engaging in these game modes.

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5) Special encounters

Plusle and Minun as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Arguably the best way to get players to use Party Play in Pokemon GO is to offer special encounters when partied up with their friends. While offering encounters like Legendary Pokemon is unrealistic, the chance to encounter some special monsters that fit the theme of teaming up with friends like Comfey, Chansey, or Plusle and Minun could be interesting to see.

If the concept of special species-specific encounters seems unrealistic, this boost to spawn chances could instead be applied to some of the rare creatures that appear during any ongoing event.