Pokemon Go's Battle Mechanics Revealed?

Beta testing for Pokemon GO is underway, which means more details about the highly anticipated [...]

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Beta testing for Pokemon GO is underway, which means more details about the highly anticipated mobile game are beginning to emerge. According to beta testers on the Silph Road Network, a subreddit dedicated to Pokemon GO!, battle mechanics for the game will be a bit different than the traditional Pokemon games. While Pokemon in the normal games have four moves, Pokemon in Pokemon GO will only have two attacks: a quick attack and a stronger "charge" attack. In addition, battles will be "real time" as opposed to turn based, and players pick which attack to use by either tapping on the screen (for the quick attack) or pressing and holding (for the charge attack). Attack strength will still be affected by type advantages, so a Grass type attack will be super effective on Water type Pokemon but not effective against Fire types. Surprisingly, trainers can also have Pokemon dodge opposing attacks, similar to in the Pokemon anime. There's also a 120 second limit to battles, presumably to keep players moving and not caught in a lengthy battle.

Although Pokemon GO's beta version isn't necessarily a guarantee of what will appear in the final version of the game, testers have noted that there's no "PvP" option to battle against friends or passerbys. Instead, players battle against other trainers' Pokemon at gyms scattered throughout the real world. Players (who are part of one of three teams) can capture gyms for their team and then leave Pokemon there to defend it. Opposing teams can battle those Pokemon to gain experience and weaken the gym so it can be captured by their team instead. Wins and losses at the gym will either build or decrease a gym's "prestige", making it harder or easier to capture. Trainers can also train their Pokemon by battling at friendly gyms, which also raises that gym's prestige.

Per the report, Pokemon GO is also changing how Pokemon are caught. How trainers "throw" their Poke Balls affect the chances of a successful Pokemon catch. Trainers can also feed wild Pokemon berries, which can also increase the chances of a successful capture. Stronger Poke Balls (like Great Balls and Ultra Balls) will also make it easier to catch wild Pokemon.

No release date has been announced for Pokemon GO, but the beta tests indicate that the game could be released as soon as early summer 2016.

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