Should abilities be added to Pokemon GO? Some fans seem to think so

Pokemon GO's battle system is a sizable departure from the main series of games, and both casual and hardcore fans of the franchise have praised its simplistic approach to combat. However, some trainers seem to think that it could be better, and one fan posited that Pokemon abilities be introduced to the mobile title to add some strategy to in-game battles.

In the mainline series, abilities are inherent powers that Pokemon possess, providing various effects. Abilities differ between Pocket Monsters based on their species and even on the individual level, and different abilities can make a huge difference in battle, even between two creatures of similar species, types, or IV spreads.

On Reddit, the Pokemon GO player TheSickWrite shared their idea for adding abilities to the game without disrupting the overall balance.

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Pokemon GO players discuss the prospects of adding abilities to the game

Possible Handling of Abilities in Pokémon GO? byu/TheSickWrite inTheSilphRoad

While most Pokemon GO players agreed that adding abilities outright would cause some serious problems for the game's battle system, they did believe that there could be some manner of activating abilities, like making a 'mon a buddy or a menu that allows for abilities to be selected on a per Pokemon or per battle team basis.

Sure, plenty of Pokemon GO fans love the simplified combat compared to the original series games, but other trainers miss the added strategy that features like abilities offered. Though the idea was a welcome one after years of additions that some trainers consider quite stale, a few trainers remarked that it would be difficult to get GO-exclusive fans onboard after years of a set combat system.

Fans appreciate the prospect of adding abilities despite their complexity. (Image via Reddit)

With so many abilities in the main series, it would be somewhat tricky to decide which could make their way into Pokemon GO. There are over 300 distinct abilities as of Generation IX, and not all of them even apply to combat specifically. Since this is the case, it's likely that if Niantic did hear out players, it would have to roll out a few abilities at a time, which may present a problem of its own.

Specifically, unless Niantic dumps dozens or hundreds of abilities into the game at once, some creatures would have abilities while others would be left deprived. This could create a massive balance issue in competitive circles. However, if some form of mechanism was implemented alongside abilities, Niantic may be able to level the playing field a bit.

Rolling out abilities in Pokemon GO would be an immensely tricky task. (Image via Reddit)

All things considered, adding something as complex and paradigm-shifting as abilities to Niantic's mobile title may cause more problems for fans than it improves the overall gameplay experience. Anything is possible, of course, but trainers have been making similar recommendations to the developer since the game's earliest days. But Niantic has its own plans for the future at the same time.

There's no doubt that plenty of Pokemon GO fans would love the added layer of complexity that abilities bring, but the realism of implementing it may be too tall a task at this point of the game's development cycle.