Pokemon GO Tips And Secrets 2 : Level UP

I've been playing Pokemon GO for weeks. Today I'm writing another (a second) collection of tips for everyday Pokemon GO trainers – as well as a couple of secrets some trainers might not yet be aware of. This collection of tips will help users level up, find Pokemon they've been searching for, and avoid common (and not so common) pitfalls of the game. Today we begin with PokeStops, the place where users attain items without paying real cash.

First – a user, a player, and a trainer are all the same thing. In the article above and below, I use the terms user, player, and trainer interchangeably.

SEE ALSO: (TIPS #1) Pokemon GO mistakes I've made playing

Do not spend real money on Pokemon GO. That's crazy. I considered dropping a few dollars on the game when I first ran out of Pokeballs after the first couple of days the game was out – then I found out the refresh rate of a PokeStop.

A trainer can sit at a PokeStop for long periods of time, spinning the stop to attain Pokeballs (and other fabulous prizes). Users don't have to walk away and walk back.

Every PokeStop has a refresh rate of 5 minutes. A friend being at the stop at the same time as you does not matter – there's no limit to the amount of players that can grab items from a PokeStop at the same time.

Users are able to gain experience points far faster by walking and capturing Pokemon than by fighting at a Gym, especially if that Gym has Pokemon with powers far exceeding the Pokemon the walk-by trainer has to battle them with.

If, on the other hand, the trainer has Pokemon whose powers exceed those of the Gym, they may as well battle until the Gym has been won. It's a delicate balance.

In the Beta version of the game it wasn't especially clear whether or not the game would allow all Pokemon to spawn in all areas of the planet. Here in the release-level version of the game, location certainly matters.

You might spot a water Pokemon out on the prairie, but the chances are far, far greater that you'll find a water Pokemon near an actual water source.

Greater numbers of Pokemon spawn in areas that are more traveled by human beings, too. Don't expect to be finding any especially rare Pokemon out in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota. Trust me on that one – I've tried.

Big cities are the best place to find Pokemon – especially in areas like local landmarks, business districts, parks, and beaches.

Here's a useless secret for you – open Pokemon GO and turn your phone upside-down, with the screen facing you. See what happens.

Don't bother using the Transfer button on your starter Pokemon. You wont get any super secret candy, nor will you get another hidden Pokemon spawn out of nowhere. This isn't like the time we confirmed the secret Pikachu.

Multiple users can see the same Pokemon spawn in the same spot at the same time, and multiple users can capture that same Pokemon at the same time. Sometimes, though, one player may end up capturing that Pokemon before the other player can capture it, and the second player's Pokemon will disappear.

Each person that sees the same Pokemon at the same time will meet a different version of said Pokemon. Each version will appear to the user with a power level according to the user's own trainer level. They might even appear with vastly different capture difficulties – just you go out and see!

STICK AROUND our @TeamPokemonGo Twitter for more tips and hints and secrets and crazy business from all angles – all Pokemon GO style.