Since Pokemon Go changed their maps from Google to OSM, I find myself living in an empty ugly green wasteland. So, here I am, putting buildings and structure back into my nerdy PoGo live, one edit at a time…
OpenStreetMap
Since Pokemon Go changed their maps from Google to OSM, I find myself living in an empty ugly green wasteland. So, here I am, putting buildings and structure back into my nerdy PoGo live, one edit at a time…
Discussion
Comment from HexBlack on 4 December 2017 at 02:44
Is it working? Does it update the map at all? We seem to have gained some but lost some at the same time. Wondering if editing actually works and how long it takes to change the map?
Comment from JavaCoyote on 4 December 2017 at 03:02
Yes, it should. Silph Road and recognized that Niantic had been using OSM for nests/biomes, but still using google maps for in-game. Not that it has switched, stuff that was already done previously in OSM does in fact show up. However, I am uncertain how/when PoGo syncs with the map. That part I guess we will just have to wait and see =/
Comment from park dan il on 4 December 2017 at 03:12
I seem to also be living in an empty field. I kinda wish they had left us rural folk on the Google maps.
Comment from JavaCoyote on 4 December 2017 at 03:23
I can’t say i disagree. It totally made a disconnect between in-game and real world being in the same space. Niantic may have some grand plan, but its going to cost all the players a lot of work too i think =/
Comment from HexBlack on 4 December 2017 at 03:35
See I can understand you thinking (I am guessing your from the US aswell?) Google maps is okay for roads but most parks and that are missing on Google in the UK and this I think will be much better in the end as we can correct it in a much easier way…. Google you can’t edit for example.
Comment from amapanda ᚛ᚐᚋᚐᚅᚇᚐ᚜ 🏳️🌈 on 4 December 2017 at 09:29
Welcome to OSM! When you edit something, it’s on OSM straight away, but who knows how/when/if Niantic do a data update.
Comment from Vincent de Phily on 4 December 2017 at 09:57
It seems that the current version of OSM data used by Niantic is a few months old. I guess they’ll only update “every now and then when they feel a need” rather than regularly, as that seemed to be their update pattern with OSM data used for nests. Maybe the PoGo community can incite them to update more frequently/regularly.
Regarding the “win some lose some”, it’s always the same when going from one map provider to another. For me (Ireland) the switch to OSM is a great upgrade, and I’d say most regions of the world will either find OSM better or equivalent to GM, except in North America where GM still has better data (I’m talking about the broad picture; zoom in and you’ll see exceptions either way).
Comment from Arty_Maavus on 4 December 2017 at 09:58
Me too. Before that I only edited OSM to fix incorrectly marked things, now that PoGo uses it I’m using it a lot more to add stuff to the map. Google Maps was almost perfect for my city, but my city is hardly mapped at all in OSM. I really hope they either update it so my changes get into the game or they go back to Google Maps. OSM is a nice idea and all but it doesn’t work for PoGo.
Comment from Hjart on 4 December 2017 at 21:52
I’ve played PoGo periodically and find the switch great as it made a lot of footways, cycleways, forest tracks etc. in my area appear. I’ve been a very active OSM contributor for quite a few years, so of course OSM is a lot more complete here than G Maps ever were :-)
Comment from JavaCoyote on 5 December 2017 at 01:27
I had not thought that Google Maps might be less than amazing in other countries. Everything in the US is Google. Good thought. Doesn’t make me any more pleased with my fugly PoGo game name. Especially if the estimates are correct and Niantic is using a months old version of the map. I would be sad to not see any changes for a very long time in the dark distant future.