Pokemon Go players suggest “awesome” change to Incense

Nathan Ellingsworth
A person holds a phone with Pokemon Go visible on the screen

While Pokemon Go never stops, the Winter months can make it tough for rural players, so one Pokemon Go fan is suggesting a great change to incense that would improve remote regions.

Pokemon Go wants most players to go outside. Fans understand this, it’s the point of the game, and plenty of the game’s install base enjoy a long walk to grab some Pokemon, and the added bonus of a bit of exercise to boot.

We’re not knocking it. However, sometimes the weather outside is frightful. Especially for players in more remote and rural areas, where temperatures might plummet to dangerous levels. No Shiny Pokemon is worth frostbite.

As such, some Pokemon Go players are sharing their ideas for changes to incense, in the hopes that rural players can still take part in the game, even when the temperature drops down to dangerous levels.

Pokemon Go players imagine a “Winter Incense” to help remote players

Pokemon Go player Ponyboy06 has shared a Reddit post, detailing their idea for a “Winter Incense” which would offer some solace to remote players who struggle to get out of the door.

The Pokemon Go player comments, saying, “Anyone else think there should be an increase in spawns while staying still during the winter months?”

Then, they continue by saying, “I understand not everywhere gets cold weather but it really puts a kink in galarian bird hunting when it’s -30. Like we’re being punished for living in northern regions lol.”

The topic of game changes for rural players is a hotly debated one, especially after Niantic changed the limits and prices of remote raid passes, so several fans agree that an assist in the farthest reaches of the globe would go a long way. Even in hot places, where it’s still dangerous to go outside.

One comment adds to the idea, saying, “How about during extreme weather warnings, your daily incense works when stationary. That would account for both hot and cold extremes, as well as rain, etc, and likely be super easy to implement.”

Another comment backs this up, adding, “By that logic, Texas needs a summer incense for like four or five months of the year when death by heat stroke is a very real possibility. Which is to say, Incense should just be buffed regardless.”

A few people are sure to mention that Niantic isn’t to blame here, with one player commenting, “There’s always somewhere that will have an ‘extreme’ weather condition though. It’s a worldwide game. Niantic sucks but this is hard to blame on them.”

Meanwhile, another comment backs them up, adding, “It’s “meant” to be a play outside game. They don’t have to figure out how to make it playable for people from their home.”

It’s clear that a lot of changes made in the COVID era are still missed in the community, but it’s unlikely that anything will change soon.