Ingress is the game that enabled Niantic to take the lead in location-based augmented reality. The smartphone game has players roaming the city and the countryside marketing down places of interest to transform them into in-game portals. This database of knowledge is what enabled Pokemon Go to have gyms. This lack of information is why competitors like Delta T to have to rethink the model and make their version of portals a mobile asset instead.
There’s a catch, though. This same heritage of assets and technology needs to be maintained. It’s a pile of legacy code. With Ingress 2.0 on the horizon, it looks like Niantic gets to tackle all that legacy code. This means they will look again at raising the current agent level cap from 16 to something higher. Geek Native has speculated they would do this before and got it wrong. It looks like server upgrades were needed to enable the new feature.
In this video, in an unofficial comment, Niantic’s global community manager Andrew Krug says the Ingress Prime rollout is a two-stage process; smartphone clients first and then the server upgrade. The server upgrade will enable the new levels to come to the game.
This news will divide the Ingress community. Agents work hard to hit level 16, and some like to consider it ‘job done’. With no idea of what progression above level 16 might look like there’s no way to tell if you’re playing the game ‘right’ any more. Are you collecting AP? (the game’s experience point system) Or Badges? Or will there be a new levelling mechanic?
What do you think about the prospect of new levels and other new features arriving by the time Niantic upgrade to Ingress Prime 1.1?
That’s a stretchy headline. Andrew Krug has stated that new levels aren’t on the horizon any time soon. The video also doesn’t refer to new levels, but rather new features.
He did a really good job and made it very clear he was making no promises and was not in the position to do so.
However, in a video designed to manage our expectations of what might happen with Ingress Prime Andrew says “It only makes sense that, at some point, we increase the level cap.”
The biggest problem is that they haven’t done anything with the 8 levels that they added years ago! Where are the L9-L16 resonators and bursters?!
I was thinking the same thing. I used to live submitting portals while traveling but they took that away. I loved playing the attack game but they didn’t add the busters and other equipment.. Now I just half ass capture when I’m traveling and I don’t submit portals.
You can submit portals, but in my area, they will probably be rejected, no matter what quality. All of the portals I’ve had accepted are from long distance road trips.
Ingress is nothing but a bot game! The whole game is filled with bots and spoofers. I doubt their are legit players anymore and is why I barely play it anymore
You’re obviously correct. All these comments are from bots as well.
I am legit beep boop
They’ve been cracking down on bots and spoofers a lot recently. Your comment is ill informed and shows you haven’t played in a long time. The community is still strong and PoGo players are now joining in.
Bots? Even I know they’ve been cracking down and I’m a casual player now
You are correct in the remark about playing the game ‘right’.. In the end, people that are higher levels tend to be the ones with a lot more free time. It is a poor basis for how good of a player they are.. as it is only a mere indication of how much more time they have compared to others. There is simply no way to distinguish skill level by looking at player level.. Which holds true for most games. Having a high AP number is exactly just that. New features? Looking forward to what they have planned.. as far… Read more »
That’s one perspective. Another one is that the people playing the game in cars are the ones who have an overwhelming advantage. Niantic should be condemned for being an environmental criminal.
We need new levels! Or it would be too boring. Or new ability for agents reached lv.16! Like deploying two L8 resonator or new L16 XMP.
Coming Soon™