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Pokemon Go Players Running Out of PokeBalls Since the Interaction Distance Decrease
Decreasing the interaction distance for Gyms and PokeStops is already becoming problematic and many players are now faced with PokeBalls shortage.
It is getting more and more difficult to get either of the three types of PokeBalls the game currently has, and this is clearly shown in the recent poll done by bluedragon147 on the official TSR Reddit.
The poll shows that many U.S. players are running out of PokeBalls and are struggling to get them from PokeStops and Gyms due to the interaction distance going back to the pre-COVID state. And it is now understandable why many of them are absolutely furious with Niantic.
 How are you doing with your PokeBall stash? Are you running out? How is the new interaction distance affecting your gameplay?
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Exactly why I stopped playing.
I just started playing again recently after a long hiatus so when they switch the distance back recently I was floored. It’s crazy annoying what get them at all let alone get enough to supply the amount of pokeballs you need. It’s such a huge difference I’m surprised they ever got away with it.
New distance reg’s have to go! I am not having fun anymore w COVID concerns
I don’t think it has anything to do with the distance. They just deliberately nerf the drop rate of Balls, like they do now and then, depending on the event. I live next to a Stop, and it is dropping more Berries than Balls. But during Swirlix debut, the stop dropped more Balls than Berries, which was needed to evolve one.
It’s all about tempting players to spend money and buy certain item, if you ask me.
Not only i am always running out of pokeballs but am getting fewer item from the poke stops i went on a walk a couple of days ago and all i was getting where 3 items for stop has any one else notice that the catching rate of some of the Pokemon have been lower some Pokemon that i use to easily catch now are now giving me trouble.
That happened with me as well. Less items, have to walk nearly on top of the stop for it to activate. They need to bring back the 80m and increased item spawns. For QoL as well as too help disabled and sick players.
I’m not lazy. Hasn’t affected me any.
Being lazy has nothing to do with how many pokeballs you have? Just live in any area w/ more spawns and not enough stops (basically everywhere but dense cities) and you won’t have enough pokeballs now.
Wow USA players running out of pokeballs. Do what u r supposed to do get out and walk enjoy your surroundings there are plenty of stops and gyms where u do not have to be around people at close distances. Quit being lazy and get out there and GO!!!
And guess what? Out there with “plenty of stops and gyms” are also spawns! Which use up pokeballs! Big surprise!
I tend to play in a well used community park that has plenty of pokestops and gyms but several are in the middle of ball fields and such. I can still spin many others but the reinstatement of shorter distances has decreased the available gyms by 20% (5 of the 25 are not available during active portions of the day).
There’s really not a shortage. I actually throw away pokeballs everyday because great ball and ultra balls are better and I have over a hundred of each.
The game going from 80 m to 40 m isn’t stopping you from spinning a pokestop. Covid restrictions say 6 ft you’ve got an entire 40m you can be from the stop.
Literally just send people gifts everyday and open gifts everyday. Find a hotspot where there’s like 5 to 10 pokestops close together.
Not everyone lives in a dense city where you have access to 10 pokestops close together :/
Just get out your car & walk, it dosnt take long, park & walk around your local park.You’ll get steps for buddy view the sights & possible find a shiny
That’s exactly what I do – walk around local parks. Guess what? Too many spawns, not enough pokeballs. One of them is a Torchic nest. I ran out of balls after one .9 mile lap.
I have been playing this game from day one. I love the game and i have spent thousands of dollars in the last 5 years. I had both hips replaced, so i can’t get around like your average person. The 80 killomitters made it possible to reach gyms and stops that i never could before. I have not spent anymore $ since the distance change.
They could just, ya know, play the game as originally intended.
Right and I catch pokemon…and then run out of pokeballs. See the problem?
Jeez, how lazy can you be? Not only is the point of the game to get our fat asses up and walk, but this is also a lazy article. Poor grammar, relying on a poll, and ONE reddit post? I will have to make sure this site stops showing up in my list of recommendations, what trash. PS I have over 400 Ultra balls, 200 Great balls, and 150 Pokeballs. Grab your balls and GO.
Why are you assuming people are lazy? Do you live in a dense city and assume everyone who plays has access to plentiful stops/gyms? I lose pokeballs when I’m NOT lazy and go out and walk. Not enough stops/gyms & they don’t give out enough balls w/ each spin.
Yea. I loved gathering a bunch of balls while at the park so I’d have a good amount to use in places where there is no stops like home and work. Also, I walked for hours on Eevee community day, but couldn’t catch the amount I wanted or could because the Stops are stingy with balls! So even if you ARE out walking your tush off, you can still only have a few balls and a bunch of potions or berries. Either bring the distance back or let Stops poop out twice as many balls.
Or both
Niantic forgets about the campaign to register more Pokèstops during the increased interaction distance. I love getting out, but still can’t spin roughly 40% of previously accessible stops. Maybe they can increase the number of rewards given per spin?
I honestly think is the the best solution right now and a quick fix – just increase the number of balls/items each stop/gym gives out. We can keep slowly adding more stops/gyms over time.
Nope i have hundreds i have no issues walking to a stop, dont be so d*** lazy, its pokemon go, it was made to give you the idea of excersize, not extra fries
And when I walk to a stop, guess what? There are spawns, which use…wait for it…poke balls. Yep! Big shock.
People are running out of poke balls and great ball and Ultra balls in poke’mon go because people are to lazy to go out to a poke stop and spin it to get free items.
Not really, I’ve went out and played Pokemon Go, and I have gotten less pokeballs overall. On my normal trip I use to get my bag full, but now I barely can keep 50 pokeballs
Except when you go out to get your 3 free items (many times potions/revives/berries), there are pokemon spawning all around you, which can easily use up more than 3 balls!
It is terrible what niantic has done! Their argument that less distance makes you get out and meet people! Total opposite! I now have to get in a car and go to spin stops because it’s almost impossible to enough balls to play. Niantic has created a shortage of balls to punish us! And you have to be even closer than before covid. That’s an undeniable fact! If this continues I will quit the game! And I know they will not give our distance back. Not all of it. Niantic is going to force people to spoof. That way distance won’t be a problem.
Yall need to get outside and move around. What did you think pokemon go was for? Sitting still? Eggs to hatch and stops to visit. If you can hatch an egg then you can hit a pokestop. Stop being huge babies about it.
And guess what happens when I go outside and move around? Pokemon spawn. Which use…yes, poke balls! The main point of the game is to catch pokemon, right?
Everyone quit crying and actually wear a mask and go out or buy poke-coins and support the game. Sheesh!!! It isn’t that hard is it?
I’ve walked around a small park for literally hours trying to slowly accumulate balls – yes IT IS that hard.
I was playing in disney literally inside what the poke gym was (splash mountain for example)
That’s how ridiculous it’s been.
Splash mountain is huge. Pokestops are finite points. Poor argument.
I have a walking route around my office that takes 45 minutes and I only pass 4 pokestops total, but catch tons of pokemon. I’ll also incense it up during events to maximize my time. Unfortunately the pokeball shortage is making me focus more on re-walking the same circle at the local mall with a high density of pokestops instead of exploring my community. The biggest issue with the reduced interaction distance is that it amplifies the gps drift issues in the game. Every day I seem to be fighting to get within range of a pokestop, even when I’m standing on top of the pokestop. I keep losing gyms after I defeat them, drift, and someone snipes it before I can place a pokemon. It’s just frustrating.
I’m not having a problem with the decreased distance, literally just walk up to it. People need to stop being so lazy, this is the epitome of first world problems.
Exactly! The going back to the distance it was for the four years before the covid addition has ZERO a to do with lack of poke balls. The stops are just plain not giving nearly as many balls as they do potions. Gifts have always given more potions than balls so it is silly for them to do more potions at the stops too. I don’t know what these people did before they added the distance, but the only ones that have been affected by the reversal so far is the US. Guess which country has the most out of shape and overweight population… they also seem to have no clue how big of a radius 40 meters is.
I am disabled and enjoy playing pokemon go with friends and family. The recent distance change has made it difficult for me to get to different gyms and pokestops. Your article is bringing a great point that should be addressed. This is a game, it is great way to get exercise for many. Unfortunately, those of us who are disabled are not able to play as we could before the distance change.
Get off your lazy duffs and go for a walk. Find a park with a good loop that takes more than a minute. You’ll survive. If you don’t like it, go back to farmville.
Not been an issue for me, either. I know my area (Omaha) and have enough convenient places where the distance change was irrelevant, and there are plenty of places to get friend codes online. If Niantic met others in the middle and increased the distance to 60 m, maybe that would be sufficient. Seems to me like a strange hill for players to die on, though.
I used to be able to throw away red balls bcuz I had so many now I barely have any of either 3 so I keep what I get now
Newsflash!!! Niantic has increased the pokestop/gym interaction distance back yo 80 meters!
I have had no issues accessing any poke stops since the change. They are back to where they were before. I have seen people whining and complaining about not being able to access stops that are supposedly fenced off or whatever, but…. Are those stops even supposed to be there? Last I knew from the instructions on nominating stops, you could not have them on private property where people could get in trouble for trespassing. Maybe these questionable stops need to be screened better before being accepted. I have yet to see any like this, or the other mythical thing, the gyms that are supposedly up hundreds of flights of stairs or on the side of a mountain that one has to climb to get to them.. most gyms I have seen are easy access from a nearby road, or easy access from a parking lot, or on a designated walking trail. Only one around here got removed because of being questionable. It was a gym that someone nominated at a church, but they put the location direct at the front door in the drop off area instead of at the back of it where the parking lot is. The church complained because people would go park in that area for raids during church hours and block the entrance. They ended up making it a stop and moving it out by the road.
After being a daily player for 3 years, I quit the game shortly after the change. The change cut the stops I could access on my typical walk from 20 to 6. Unless I want to zig zag across 4 lanes of traffic and trespass on private property daily, which I am not comfortable doing, playing in my city no longer makes sense.
On the plus side, i no longer feel burdened on playing the game everywhere I go. I have gotten back to numerous other hobbies I dropped while playing the game. I enjoyed my time with the Go, but it’s been a blessing to have moved onto other things. So thanks Niantic, for getting me ‘moving’ onto other hobbies.
They updated the distance for gyms and pokestops. But they didnt change the distance of which u can see pokemon. I can spin it but cant see the pokemon there what a ripp off.