Pokemon Go's Wayfarer explained
If you have ever played Pokemon Go, Ingress or Monster Hunter, you will notice all of the different gyms, stops, and places to collect resources along the map. These different places are real-life locations, highlighted around the world. You might have wondered how Niantic selects these different points of interest - and I am here to tell you all about Wayfarer, which is used to create those points of interest.
What is Wayfarer?
Wayfarer is a third-party website where points of interest in the real world are submitted to be placed into Niantic's games. It is safe to use and you need the same login details as the game you currently have gained access to through Wayfarer.How do I create a stop in Pokemon Go, a portal in Ingress and a resource spot in Monster Hunter Now?
Once you hit level 37 in Pokemon Go, you can create an associated account on Wayfarer and take a bit of a test on what should be a stop. If you pass the test, you will then gain more access to the site. Even if you do not pass the test, within the Pokemon Go App, you can submit stops.In Ingress, you need to reach level 10 to submit new points of interest and then hit level 12 to get access to Wayfarer.
Inside Wayfarer you can also select stops to submit changes to the image, description or name, which is added to the voting system. You can also vote on various places that are submitted by other people, all around the world. Voting has you looking at the name of the stop, the map location on the stop, the description written, voting on whether it is culturally significant or unique, and reading any additional information that is submitted.
How do I move the location of a point of interest in Pokemon Go, Ingress and Monster Hunter?
If you have gained access to Wayfarer from Pokemon Go, there is no way to move or adjust the location of a stop. If you have reached level 12 on your Ingress account, you can adjust and move stop locations for review by other people using Watfarer.
How do I create a gym in Pokemon Go?
When it comes to creating points of interest, they are generally going to be placed as stops in Pokemon Go. However, there is a complex grid-based system that basically says if X amount of stops are in Y space, then they turn into a gym instead. Gyms are obviously more desirable than stops, so keeping in mind the grid system when submitting stops is important if that's your goal.How long does it take to get a stop approved?
When it comes to getting a stop approved, there really isn't a set time. Some stops take years, others take a few months. There are a few different factors in this; if the stop is in a location that is regularly visited by people who play Niantic's games, then it is more likely to be pushed through at a faster pace. Sometimes, Wayfarer runs different location-based challenges, pushing specific countries to the top of the list for people to review, which can also have your stops reviewed faster. Otherwise, it's a bit of a waiting game, however, you can use an upgrade to help you get your specific stop looked at faster.What is an Upgrade on Wayfarer and how do I get one?
On your Wayfarer Profile, you can see how well you are doing and if you are going towards getting an upgrade. Reviewing a bunch of stops in a good manner, and following the guidelines, will unlock an Upgrade. Upgrades are automatically applied to one of your stops (normally the one that has been waiting the longest amount of time). You can also gain upgrades when taking part in the previously mentioned challenges.Will I get in-game prizes for voting on stops in Wayfarer?
In Pokemon Go, there is a medal for getting stops approved and put in the game. In Ingress, you gain 1000 EXP and a key to the portal you have created with each accepted stop. If you take part in a challenge and do the required minimum amount of reviews, you can end up getting a plethora of prizes in both of the games, which are defined by the specific challenge.
Is it bad to have lots of rejected submissions?
Having lots of rejected submissions in Wayfarer can indicate you might not be doing the best job of submitting stops, but nothing bad will happen to you or your accounts. You may need more ratings for stops to be accepted in the future, but that's about it.Can I get banned in-game for using Wayfarer?
You can totally get a warning or in-game ban in Pokemon Go for using Wayfarer. In a recent Reddit post by someone claiming to be a Community Ambassador for Pokemon Go, they broke down all of this for us.You can get banned for your use of Wayfarer, but only through nominating fake stops. If you have a large number of stops that have not been approved, this won't count against you. If you have had stops approved that are fake or have been cheated into the game, you can find yourself getting a warning or a ban.
Each ban is manually reviewed by an actual human and is not done via a bot or any sort of AI scrubbing of your account. You should also receive a warning before a ban actually occurs, though players have said that they have not received that warning. At this time, we are not sure if the warning is via the email associated with your Wayfarer account or in-game.
What do I do if I get banned in Pokemon Go for using Wayfarer?
Every human makes mistakes from time to time. If you get banned incorrectly, you can appeal this ban and see what happens. This appeal is then looked at by another human, manually.Hopefully, this explains everything you need to know about the points of interest in Niantic's games!