Recent events in the Pokémon Go player community have sparked an outcry for greater account security. This concern followed the hacking incident that affected respected player FleeceKing, whose account was compromised, resulting in the loss of all his rare Pokémon.
In the popular mobile game Pokémon Go, players are known to be vociferous advocates of change. There have been regular calls for alteration and evolution within the game milieu - a response to ongoing issues, glitches, and drawbacks in the game's interface.
The game users have time and again expressed their disappointment against the game developer, Niantic, for its inability to fix long-standing problems. There are frustrations for unresolved bugs, disappointing incentives, and the lack of provision for players in rural areas.
However, the hacking incident with Pokémon Go champion, FleeceKing, has now caused fear and apprehension within the gaming community. FleeceKing’s loss has led players to wonder if their hard-won Pokémon collections are also at risk.
A proactive player from the community has suggested a practical solution to the issue. He proposed the introduction of a “lock” feature in the game that could help prevent such future instances of hacking and potential loss of Pokémon from player accounts.
Initiating a “Lock” Feature in Pokémon Go
A player named PrestyRS in the gaming community has recommended an option to “lock” the Pokémon, especially once they have achieved their maximum power levels. He took this concern to the well-known Reddit page, TheSliphRoad, to share his thoughts with other players.
PrestyRS's proposal was to introduce a feature that makes it impossible to transfer or purify the Pokémon once they reach their highest power levels. For those Pokémon who haven’t achieved their full potential yet, an item could be made available in the gaming store that would allow players to lock those Pokémon with PokeCoins.
Preventing the transfer of Pokémon would mean that they cannot be deleted from the user's account in the event of a hacking incident. This proposal was inspired by the FleeceKing situation and represents PrestyRS's effort to prevent any such incidents in the future.
The idea has been welcomed by several community members. One player expressed optimism about PrestyRS’s idea, whilst expressing skepticism about the developer’s responsiveness. The player remarked, “Bro, this idea could work; a shame if we propose it, we'll be talking to a brick wall.”
Detailed Suggestions from the Community
Some Pokémon Go players expanded on PrestyRS's original assertion, suggesting more specific actions. For instance, a user argued for a “Permanent” box in which Pokémon could be stored. Not only would this box be upgradable, much like the other bags and boxes in the game, but it would permanently protect the Pokémon kept inside from tampering, transfer, or elimination.
However, not everyone was entirely supportive of the idea of a “lock” feature. Some players deemed it an ineffective solution against hackers. They countered the ‘lock’ feature suggestion, saying that a two-factor authentication process might be more beneficial. They also suggested having “secret pins,” similar to those used in games like Runescape, to prevent hacking.
Despite some criticisms, many players supported the proposed feature. “If we keep spamming, it’ll show how much this feature is needed. And it really isn’t hard to implement,” noted one enthusiastic supporter. However, given Niantic's history of less-than-optimum responsiveness to changes suggested by the Pokémon Go community, many players remain skeptical about the implementation of this feature.