"The Importance of a Meta, and two ways it could be done in POGO without breaking the current Gym System"

#PokemonGO: Over the past two weeks there have been increasingly more posts in regards to the stagnancy of the gym system. The two biggest hot button topics are the ways by which a player gets their daily coins and whether to not to allow legendaries as gym defenders. The purpose of this post is to show that there is not one simple "switch" that Niantic can flip to suddenly make gym battling sustainably fun, but there are ways in which they could adapt the current system to create an ever-changing meta in Pokemon go.Before I get started, two good posts as references of other well written opinions on r/TheSilphRoadBy u/Pikatrainer: a well written post on legendaries in gymshttps://https://ift.tt/2mMl7Yq by u/howard526: displays the uselessness of certain legendaries.https://ift.tt/2AiXKz9, THIS POST IS NOT FOCUSED ON LEGENDARY POKEMON BEING USED AS GYM DEFFENDERS, IT IS ABOUT ADAPTING A META.Anyone who has ever played a competitive TCG card game such as Magic the Gathering or Yugioh knows how a meta works. Certain cards, monsters, themes, (Pokemon or types) work better at a certain time based on their inherent usefulness or overarching power in comparison to what is currently available. This keeps the game from becoming indefinitely stagnant.In POGO now, the closest thing to a meta we have is powering up Pokemon to counter legendaries or powering up Machamps to take down normal types in Gyms. When the birds were around, Golem was about as "meta-relevant" as could be. With Blissey, Chansey, and Snorlax, the most meta gym attacker is Machamp.There are numerous posts and comments on the road of ideas for a new gym system, but I believe that a complete gym rework has too high a cost to be done now. Imagine all Golden Gym badges being lost because of a Gym rework, or players ending up with something else similar to the training badge we all have from the old system. Although there is no simple switch that can be flipped (ie, Legendaries on gyms. Because the meta would quickly become Machamp for Blisseys and Tyranitar for Lugias), I think there are two adjustments Niantic could make to improve the current system.Adjust the viability of defenders based on changing variable.Adjust rewards and viability of gym attackers based on a changing variable.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Adjust the viability of defenders based on changing variable.I'm sure someone has said it but I haven't seen it. There is no quick fix to indefinitely create a better defender than Blissey. Even if Niantic changed their CP formula, we would quickly be left with 1-3 more defenders that have undeniable advantages because of their bulk/defense CP. There needs to be a changing variable that allows for Pokemon to be much better now, even if they won't stay that way forever.Niantic has shown that they have the ability to adjust monthly incentive in other things when they introduced breakthrough rewards and research tasks based on the breakthrough reward. For example, August will be a more electric themed month with Raikou and electric research rewards.We simply just need to take this one step further and apply it the Gym system.ex: "On August 1 at at 1:00 p.m. PDT, a brand-new set of Field Research tasks themed on Electric-type Pokemon and Pokemon originally discovered in the Johto region. In addition, you may notice increased strength of Electric-type Pokemon as they defend gyms near you."Essentially, Niantic just has to buff types (or other themes such as Kanto/Johto) for a month, similar to weather and/or a very small raid boss.Now even though you did not change the gym system or take away from the usefulness of Blissey, you have temporarily created a meta and something possibly better than Blissey. Maybe thats a 1.5x buff. Maybe more, maybe less. But a Jolteon buffed to 4000cp or more because of a boost (maybe 6000 CP Zapdos?) becomes more useful (or as useful) as Blissey for a month. At the very least, edging out Snorlax and Slaking. The meta for gym defense then becomes powering up Jolteon, Amphoros, A-Golem, while the meta for attacking gyms becomes more centered around having your Groudons and Rhydons powered up.The stagnation towards the end of the month is over when Entei is released and gym defense becomes centered around Flareon, Blaziken, Charzard, etc. and gym attacking becomes centered around Kyogre, Gyrados, etc.Adjust rewards and viability of gym attackers based on a changing variable.I'm not going to go as in depth because the core concept of change is the same here. But rather than boosting defenders, give aid to attackers. However instead of boosting their stats, give rewards for the month.ex: "On August 1 at at 1:00 p.m. PDT, a brand-new set of Field Research tasks themed on Electric-type Pokemon and Pokemon originally discovered in the Johto region. In addition, you may notice your Electric-type Pokemon growing stronger as you fight beside them gym battles this month."Increased cp, lower stardust costs, or candy. Just some sort of incentive to take Raikou and Zapdos into battle instead of a Machamp army. in addition, gym defense becomes slightly more centered around leaving ground types such as Golem and Ryhdon.I don think this point would be as effective as the first, but is worth saying. Optimally, this is in addition to my first point.I do think the current gym system is stagnant, but do not think we need to wait for an entire gym rework. We need insentive to use things other than Blissey and Machamp. We need Niantic to create a changing meta.tl;drTo revamp the gym system, boost defending types in the same way weather and/or raids work to create better defenders than Blissey and more relevant attackers than Machamp. Have it coincide with the monthly breakthrough rewards so it continually changes. In the same way, give us some incentive to use certain Pokemon to attack gyms for a month. Read point 1.Thanks! via /r/TheSilphRoad https://ift.tt/2K4DEZd