Ok let's do this.
API is something like software hosted on Niantic server which respond to our application.
Basically you calling command in for example NecroBot something like "getToken":
1. NecroBot sends to API server your login and password
2. API is checking in account database
3. API send to NecroBot state which could be "invalid", "notactivated"(etc.) or correct and then NecroBot gets token.
4. NecroBot doing a "login" command which sents the token we got from API to the game server
5. After that in Pokemon game server our account is logged in.
Similiar proccess is for walking catching getting pokemons - actually everything in bot is working like I explained few lines up.
And Niantic changed the method for getting map objects
That's why the maps or bots are not getting any Gyms, PokeStops or Pokemons, because they can't got map objects from API.
At the end I'll show you the change at it's source. I wouldn't explain what these lines below means because trust me you wouldn't get it anyway:
POGORE1 - Pastebin.com - That's how the communication Application <---> API looked before change.
POGORE2 - Pastebin.com - And that's how it looks now - you can see completely different values.
So basically I tried to explain it to you as easy I really could.
If you got more question feel free to ask, I'll answer them.
And...
Quote Originally Posted by Karneey View Post
Considering Niantic doesn't make the API. Your knowledge is pretty much bullshit.
Developers make unofficial API for doing bots and maps. Niantic have official API which source you'll never see. That's what developers are doing is recreating the official API which will never be the same as original.
EDIT:
http://www.ownedcore.com/forums/poke...ml#post3515320 (POKEMON GO API CHANGE - Reason for not working bots maps) - Thanks to ZeroDayGhost - here you have explained it what means API change but on the example of unofficial API but it's good anyway.
My post is actually explaining the WAY API WORKS and it's about this change which was made today.