"Legendary marathon: 21 Raids in 12 hours (and lessons learned)"

#PokemonGO: On Saturday a few players in my area — suburban Montreal — decided to try a Legendary raid marathon. The goal was simple: We’d meet and go from raid to raid, trying to do as many as we could with a soft goal of hitting 20.Ultimately, we managed 21 legendary raids in 12 hours.We started at 6:30 a.m. with three level 40 players (one from each team), and four other players in their 30s. The group grew towards lunch time, going well passed 20 players, then shrank back down again towards the end.Here’s how we made it work:We agreed on a start time the night before. Not a location, since we had no idea where raids would spawn. But we knew when we wanted to be there. That let the early risers set alarms and make plans.We aimed for clusters where we could hit a few raids at a time very close together to save on transition time.We used a chat room to coordinate and continuously posted where we were going and what time we were starting, and where we were going next, so people could plan to join us at the next raid if they wanted.It’s super important to have a “raid leader” or someone who helps keep everyone organized, answers questions, and gets everyone to the right place at the right time. Otherwise, chaos ensues.That part was key. There are always people who are just “15-30 minutes away, please wait for me!” and so we’d just politely tell them we’d agreed on a start time and they could aim to meet us at the next (usually very close by) raid.A couple times a new raid would spawn at a Gym right next to or across the street from where we were. In those cases we’d do it quickly so as not to overly impact the schedule we’d already shared. We treated them like bonuses.People would always drop out but others joined in, so we never got below the minimum amount we needed for a raid, and never had to wait or call for help.After a while you learn who you can trust to be there and ready, and other people do to. So, when those players say they’ve found a raid and suggest a time, more people are likely to go for it.Likewise, savage as it sounds, you also quickly learn who flakes (or says things like, “I’m just grabbing a burger, will all 15 of you wait for me?!”) and who to politely remind that they need to be there by the start time or skip and go on to the next raid.Some people who come and go from raids have interesting ideas, especially if they’ve never been part of a group before. Some want to Pokesplain a lot, others are shy. Some come prepped with counter lists, others suggest outlandish counters to others. Be nice. Help if they’re open to it, just let them ride along if they’re not.Sharing traffic/route tips vital. Locals know where the construction and road closures are, where the parking is, and other tips to help you get quickly and safely from raid to raid.Also share tips on being respectful, parking legally, and being polite to public workers and property owners you encounter. Make sure you greet anyone who approaches you nicely. We received standing invitations from a church and a lot of kindness from people who live next to parks just by keeping it courteous. Other groups in the same area have been ticketed for being not so polite or considerate. Keep it fun, and avoid places where there have been problems in the past.Everyone needs to be physically present and grouped together. Every one and a while some will post “I’m in my car, signal me to start!” or “I’m around the corner, let me know when to go!” and it makes coordinating a hassle and jumping in/out when everyone is ready/has an error really difficult. (Plus, it eliminates remote ride-alongs.)Raiding is more art than science. You’ll always have people who come late and then don’t want to wait, or need to leave early or fit in a Lucky Egg and complain continuously, or are otherwise challenging to get to play nice with the group. You can only manage it as best you can.That said, having extra chargers, cables, water bottles, hotspots, etc. for people who need them always helps make sure everyone who wants to raid can raid.We had someone who caught 3/3 Lugia and 8/8 Zapdos and someone who went 0/12. RNG is fickle. It’s important to congratulate the people who catch and encourage the ones who miss to keep trying. Group moral grows from individual moral.Overall, it was tiring but also a great way to set a challenge and add a little excitement to the raid game. Also, great way to flood storage with rare candy, TM, and golden razz… and earn a ton of Badge XP for the local Gyms. via /r/TheSilphRoad http://ift.tt/2w5d2EU