Now that raids have been introduced to Pokemon Go, trainers are really wanting a good way to find other trainers nearby so they can coordinate their raid battles. Until developers create some compelling apps that will do this, trainers have gotten creative. Here are some tips and techniques that trainers have used to rally together other local players and battle nearby Raid Bosses.
Join Local ‘Pokemon Go’ Facebook Groups
The easiest tip right now is to search for local Pokemon Go Facebook groups. Many have been around since the game first launched. Now, many of these groups have transitioned and now consist of trainers’ working together to coordinate raid battles.
These groups typically chat with each other through Facebook Messenger, so they can communicate quickly and efficiently. This is your best initial stop for finding other trainers and coordinating raid battles.
Join Reddit and Look for Local, Relevant Subreddits
Another tip is to join Reddit and drop in on multiple subreddit conversations until you find other players from your area. The subreddits PokemonGo and TheSilphRoad are a great way to get started. But there are also already many subreddits devoted to regional PokemonGo players. Do a quick search on Reddit and see what you can find. Try searching for your city’s name and “Pokemon Go.” Pittsburgh, for example, has a local Pokemon Go subreddit here.
Some trainers have already created Discord groups, WhatsApp groups, and more specifically for local raids. The key is finding them, and sometimes Reddit can play a great role in that.
Keep an Eye on The Silph Road
It’s not available yet, but it looks like The Silph Road is creating something that will help. Keep an eye on it here or on Reddit here. Right after the beta was released, The Silph Road announced on Reddit that they have something great in the works:
We’ll soon be adding local coordination centers into every small town, big city neighborhood, and across population centers around the world via a global map. We’ve devised some (pretty awesome) ways to accomplish this, and our hope is that this helps to connect folks who don’t have a strong local community in-place yet. Soon, anywhere you travel in the world will have a coordination point to hook into the local scene of legitimate players!
Another good way to keep an eye on The Silph Road’s latest developments is by following them on Twitter.
Coordinate Your Own Groups and Offer Rewards
If you’re really ambitious, find other local trainers on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. Then create your own group specifically for raid battles and offer rewards to incentivize participation. Redditor thewildbunny is doing just this and going all out. They’re not only coordinating teams, but offering really nice badges as rewards for participating in raids, and then letting trainers trade the badges for gift cards or raffle tickets. Here’s a look at one set of gym badges:
Set Up a Lured PokeStop Near a Raid
This idea, shared by Redditor AlexChilling, is a great option for rural players who have trouble finding anyone to help out with raids. These players may see a raid nearby but not bother to go because they don’t think anyone will be there. If you set up a lured PokeStop nearby, they’ll know that someone is likely there and will be more likely to show up themselves.
Ideas for Niantic
Pokemon Go trainers are hoping that Niantic has some ideas in mind for helping trainers coordinate raids in the future. An in-app messaging service would be ideal. If not that, some trainers think that even an RSVP button on a raid, with a number showing how many are going to participate, would help people know if they should join a battle or not.
Do you have any other tips for finding and coordinating trainers for nearby raid battles? Let us know in the comments below.