# Spore



## Kid_Eternity (Feb 13, 2008)

Coming out in September apparently. On most formats too including the DS, internet fun will no doubt play its part in the games fun.









> *Spore, the long awaited creation of gaming legend Will Wright, is going on sale on 7 September.
> 
> *  Begun in 2005 the eagerly anticipated game was originally expected to be on shop shelves in 2007.
> 
> ...


Official website.


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## The Groke (Feb 13, 2008)

Sweet - didn't realise they were making a Mac version.

Always preferable to play it native rather than from XP/Boot Camp


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## cliche guevara (Feb 13, 2008)

September?! Gah! It was March a few weeks ago on play, another massive delay


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## TheDave (Feb 13, 2008)

I've been looking forward to this game for ages. Partly for the game but mostly for the reaction from Fundie Christian types who think it spreads the evil lies of evolution!!!


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## golightly (Feb 13, 2008)

Looks more like a representation of Intelligent Design to me.


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## TheDave (Feb 13, 2008)

Intelligent Design believes that life was designed as is and was just put into existence, so I think spore is more 'directed evolution' rather than Intelligent Design. It still shows the life being 'evolved' through stages.


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## Crispy (Feb 14, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Sweet - didn't realise they were making a Mac version.
> 
> Always preferable to play it native rather than from XP/Boot Camp


It's actually just running in an kinda-emulated windows environment (like WINE on linux) so it's not really a proper port. But WANT!!! all the same. I doubt I'll have much fun with the RTS and Civ bits, cos other games do that better, but I am so going to build things and creatures


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## The Groke (Feb 14, 2008)

Crispy said:


> It's actually just running in an kinda-emulated windows environment (like WINE on linux) so it's not really a proper port. But WANT!!! all the same. I doubt I'll have much fun with the RTS and Civ bits, cos other games do that better, but I am so going to build things and creatures




Well it's this "cider" wrapper thing isn't it?

It is reported to work exceptionally well, with no real performance overheads neither, which certainly bodes well for seeing more games on the Mac this year.


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## jodal (Feb 14, 2008)

Yep, looks awesome. I really like these types of games too. The concept reminds me of that creature breeding game from ages ago, name escapes me.

Idiot, it was called Creatures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatures_(artificial_life_program)


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## fogbat (Feb 14, 2008)

jodal said:


> Yep, looks awesome. I really like these types of games too. The concept reminds me of that creature breeding game from ages ago, name escapes me.
> 
> Idiot, it was called Creatures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatures_(artificial_life_program)



The creator of that game is now working on a robot orangutan


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## Dandred (Feb 14, 2008)

I've been watching this one for over 9 months, the time is killing me......


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## dervish (Feb 15, 2008)

Me too, I didn't realise that it was on the DS as well.  

Wonder if it would be ported to the Wii as well. 

Don't want to wait till September though, waited long enough already!


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## Kid_Eternity (Feb 15, 2008)

I think it is on the Wii, new vids of it here.


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## Crispy (Feb 15, 2008)

the ds and wii versions are quite different games compared to the pc version


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## Kid_Eternity (Feb 15, 2008)

In what way?


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## jodal (Jun 19, 2008)

Messing about with the creature creator last night was pretty fun. The full game looks awesome. Should we start posting links and videos to our creatures on this page?


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## miniGMgoit (Jun 19, 2008)

Bit annoying they keep putting the date back. I have joked with a friend that there is no game and its just a PR excersize


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## Buddy Bradley (Jun 19, 2008)

In case anyone missed it, there is a free creature creator tool available already.


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## jodal (Jun 20, 2008)




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## The Groke (Jun 20, 2008)

The inevitable:
Sporn!


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## dervish (Jun 20, 2008)

Dammit my PC meets the minimum spec for the creature creator and it won't run! Every time it starts then just quits. 

Arrgh, I wanna make monsters!


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## The Groke (Jun 20, 2008)

Been running it on my Macbook just fine!



Still annoyed they haven't released the full version as a download for the Mac yet.


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## Vash (Jun 22, 2008)

Buddy Bradley said:


> In case anyone missed it, there is a free creature creator tool available already.



Its not free its a trial.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jun 22, 2008)

jodal said:


> Messing about with the creature creator last night was pretty fun. The full game looks awesome. Should we start posting links and videos to our creatures on this page?



Sounds like a plan.


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## Stigmata (Jun 22, 2008)

Vash said:


> Its not free its a trial.



It's both.

Anyone recognise this?:


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## Crispy (Jun 22, 2008)

Been having endless fun with the creature creator. Will definately buy the game this week


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## The Groke (Jun 23, 2008)

Yup!

It is surprisingly deep really.

Would be nice to be able to tweak the body a little more - for example, being able to flatten it out along the horizontal plane and pull/mould details on other parts as well as on the spine. I wanted to make a mattress creature.



Still - jolly good wheeze so far, even though some of my more outlandish creatures tend to freak out a bit during movement.


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## The Groke (Jun 23, 2008)

Oh, my Spore screen name is The_Moog, if anyone wants to check out my creatures...


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 3, 2008)

iz got spore ( full version ), well only single player , cant go on-line but its a very very charming little game anyone else spored yet ?


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## The Groke (Sep 3, 2008)

Oooh - take it the *ahem* evaluation copy is available from all the usual places?

Doesn't not being able to go online break a lot of the core gameplay though?


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## The Groke (Sep 3, 2008)

ETA - yup, found the copy....will download when I get home tonight.

Seems like I may have trouble finding a valid serial though.


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## Crispy (Sep 3, 2008)

merged

I'm gonna PAY for this one, it's worth it


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## The Groke (Sep 3, 2008)

Crispy said:


> I'm gonna PAY for this one, it's worth it



Oh I have no doubt that I will pay for it too when it comes out in a week - besides which, the dodgy copy won't get you involved in any of the online content which is likely to be 40-50% of the game!

Still, I am both impatient and bored - a formidable combination.


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 3, 2008)

yeah im gonna buy it on friday but just wanted to check it out 


swarf , ive got a serial , pm me and there are a couple of other things youve got to do to make it work


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## XR75 (Sep 3, 2008)

jodal said:


> Yep, looks awesome. I really like these types of games too. The concept reminds me of that creature breeding game from ages ago, name escapes me.
> 
> Idiot, it was called Creatures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatures_(artificial_life_program)



Funnily enough it looks like the same people made Bamzooki, a creature creation program used for a program by the BBC similar to Robot Wars but (mis)aimed at a younger audience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamzooki


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 3, 2008)

right , im out of the water and evolving quite slowly , shame its an ugly bugger


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Sep 3, 2008)

jodal said:


> Yep, looks awesome. I really like these types of games too. The concept reminds me of that creature breeding game from ages ago, name escapes me.
> 
> ]



Pokemon?


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## teecee (Sep 3, 2008)

Definitely going to give this one a try, been looking forward to seeing it ever since i saw his TED talk, (where he gives a brief overview of what he was trying to create)

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/will_wright_makes_toys_that_make_worlds.html


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## XR75 (Sep 3, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Pokemon?



He meant Creatures.Pokemon is fairly different.



> Overview
> 
> In Creatures, the user hatches small furry creatures called Norns into a world called Albia, and teaches them how to talk, feed themselves, and protect themselves against vicious creatures called Grendels. Later games in the series introduced a third species, the Ettin. They are white, red eyed creatures that steal tools.
> 
> ...


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Sep 3, 2008)

XR75 said:


> He meant Creatures.Pokemon is fairly different.



I know. 


I was being 'hilarious'.


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## Kid_Eternity (Sep 4, 2008)

Heh have just er acquired an 'evaluation' copy of this for the DS, kinda fun so far, managed to give the lil fucker a scorpion type tale and get it eating and digesting stuff!


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## Dravinian (Sep 5, 2008)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Heh have just er acquired an 'evaluation' copy of this for the DS, kinda fun so far, managed to give the lil fucker a scorpion type tale and get it eating and digesting stuff!



Yeah I got a version for hte PC.

Omg, what an amazing game.  I too made a carnivore, I have him on two legs, with arms that hit. a massive spiked club of a tail and I just added a big spike to his forehead.

Awesome fun, I am looking forward to starting again with a herbivore so I can do all teh friendly stuff, I pretty much eaten everything that is smaller then me so far.


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## Dravinian (Sep 5, 2008)

Oh I say forehead like he has a skull but I have not managed to find any skulls yet, so I basically boosted his highest neck bone so it became a bulbous lump at the top.  A place to stick the eyes and mouth.

I am not sure, I think maybe I jumped to two legs a bit early and should have stayed with four a little longer, perhaps until I found a skull, but he runs around quite happily and I can kill most of what I seen so far, so its not a bad design.

I did make a mistake and accidently create a water based creature that had no means of propulsion, it does warn you, if you paying attention, but I quickly mated and re-created the drive system.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 5, 2008)

I forgot about the DS version. Now downloading it... I'll probably have to wait until monday til the Mac version gets delivered. The DS version isn't the full game, is it?


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## cliche guevara (Sep 6, 2008)

I've had a good play with the DS version this morning (hopefully the mac one will be waiting at home for me this evening). It was a bit confusing at first, but I've got to grips with it now (should've read the tutorial first I guess). You just wander around befriending other creatures, or fighting them. Eat stuff to gain health, and find extra body parts and increased intelligence by completing tasks. There's a spaceship which crashed, and I'm supposed to find parts from it. I think.


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## dogmatique (Sep 7, 2008)

Loved playing it today, on a shitty rainy Saturday.  Mrs Dgmtq kept asking what the strange noises coming from the computer were - loved the cell and creature stages, though I ended up with the ugliest motherfucker out there.

I've absolutely no idea how to control the tribe bit though, and I might go back and be a creature again and try creating something less freakish, and as an omnivore...

I'm hoping that I can start a new game on a different planet and not lose the first one.

I'm quite fond of my ugly stalk eyed, double mandible, stag horned, feathered shouldered, arse gassing creation.  It's stripy too.


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## Dravinian (Sep 7, 2008)

dogmatique said:


> Loved playing it today, on a shitty rainy Saturday.  Mrs Dgmtq kept asking what the strange noises coming from the computer were - loved the cell and creature stages, though I ended up with the ugliest motherfucker out there.
> 
> I've absolutely no idea how to control the tribe bit though, and I might go back and be a creature again and try creating something less freakish, and as an omnivore...
> 
> ...



You can have loads on the go at the same time.

I died during the tribal part too, its quite difficult, I think you supposed to let your troops build up a bit, seems a bit micromanagement still though, as if you have to control each one, but lacks the controls of a good RTS.


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## The Groke (Sep 7, 2008)

Dravinian said:


> I died during the tribal part too, its quite difficult, I think you supposed to let your troops build up a bit, seems a bit micromanagement still though, as if you have to control each one, but lacks the controls of a good RTS.



Yeah, this is where I am struggling.

I have wiped out two of the other tribes, but the other two are giving me trouble.

I have upgraded outfits etc to give me better skills but still getting my arse kicked....

Not sure how you are supposed to "impress" rather than fight them either - I have lots of instruments but know idea how to use them.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 7, 2008)

I've finished the creature stage, but don't want to evolve to the tribal stage until I've collected as many parts and done as much as possible here first. I've got a hell load of DNA, and am at the most advanced stage of several abilities. Haven't managed to even get close to defeating an Epic yet though, has anyone done this? Who's in the tribal stage? What's it like? I'm loving this game


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## fogbat (Sep 7, 2008)

How demanding is it, hardware-wise?

This is a game I've been excited about for ages, but the best computer I can get my hands on is a year-old laptop with onboard graphics (Intel GMA 950?), 2gigs of RAM and a dual-core processor.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 7, 2008)

It's not that demanding at all, that laptop should run it no problems.


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## Dravinian (Sep 7, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Yeah, this is where I am struggling.
> 
> I have wiped out two of the other tribes, but the other two are giving me trouble.
> 
> ...



If you playing on the PC you have to press Tab this turns you from Aggressive to Pasive and then you can dance, sing, play instruments I suppose.


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## wiskey (Sep 7, 2008)

I seem to have been waiting for this FOREVER!

Just waiting for derv to remember BUY IT now


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## Chairman Meow (Sep 7, 2008)

If anyone has a spare serial to share, it would be most appreciated.


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## The Groke (Sep 8, 2008)

Dravinian said:


> If you playing on the PC you have to press Tab this turns you from Aggressive to Pasive and then you can dance, sing, play instruments I suppose.




Yep - I worked this out last night!




I am now IIIIIIiiiin SPAAAAaaaaace.



Really starting to get the hang of the building tools now - my first few buildings and vehicles were pretty lame, but there is a surpirsing amount of depth to the creation system once you start to realise how to exploit it's full potential.


My Roflwasp ship is great.





*Ok - this is important:*

Can you all post your spore account names so we can add each other to the buddies list and enjoy/laugh at each other's creations in game.

I am *The-Moog*.


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## The Groke (Sep 8, 2008)

fogbat said:


> How demanding is it, hardware-wise?
> 
> This is a game I've been excited about for ages, but the best computer I can get my hands on is a year-old laptop with onboard graphics (Intel GMA 950?), 2gigs of RAM and a dual-core processor.



Not that harsh really.

TBH although the art style is great, the graphics are pretty low quality - lots of pop in a low Poly models.

I am a little irked it has no in-game anti-aliasing or anisiotropic filtering options and I can't seem to force them on with my NVIDIA control panel or Nhance either.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 8, 2008)

Dravinian said:


> I have not managed to find any skulls yet



Me neither! It seems that there are a few parts which I simply cannot find. I'm reluctant to "evolve" into the tribasl phase without a skull... Am I doing something wrong?


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## Dravinian (Sep 8, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> *Ok - this is important:*
> 
> Can you all post your spore account names so we can add each other to the buddies list and enjoy/laugh at each other's creations in game.
> 
> I am *The-Moog*.



Pay for games? 

Are you unwell, have you got a fever?

To be less faceitious, I am thinking about buying this game.

Unfortunately, I just got in a Star Wars kick, just finished Jedi: outcast and Jedi Academy (which I did in a single day wtf) and just started Knights of the Old Republic, then I got KoToR2 to finish cause i am halfway through it.
Then I am hoping that Star Wars: Force Unleashed should be released on the PC by then, it is due on Xbox/PS3 end of Sept.

So probably buy this in about a month or two when I binged out on Star Wars.


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## Dravinian (Sep 8, 2008)

cliche guevara said:


> Me neither! It seems that there are a few parts which I simply cannot find. I'm reluctant to "evolve" into the tribasl phase without a skull... Am I doing something wrong?



I don't think there are any skulls, I not seen any.  I think if you want a head, you just enlarge the highest Neck bone until it gets big enough to be classed as a head.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 8, 2008)

Dravinian said:


> I don't think there are any skulls, I not seen any.  I think if you want a head, you just enlarge the highest Neck bone until it gets big enough to be classed as a head.



There must be, there's a space for them in the creature creature, and the pre release creature creator had them?


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## cliche guevara (Sep 8, 2008)

It seems that people aren't massively keen on EA's DRM: http://www.amazon.com/review/RK9RKIUMYF757/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RK9RKIUMYF757


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## Dravinian (Sep 8, 2008)

cliche guevara said:


> It seems that people aren't massively keen on EA's DRM: http://www.amazon.com/review/RK9RKIUMYF757/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RK9RKIUMYF757



Yeah and I don't understand the point, am I and others not playing this game, despite the DRM?

Yes.  So the only people they are pissing off are paying customers?

Whats wrong with just having an online identification system to stop people playing online with cracked versions of the game and throwing the DRM and the rest of it out the window, it clearly isn't stopping anyone cracking the game and distributing it for people to play.  So why bother?


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## The Groke (Sep 8, 2008)

Dravinian said:


> Pay for games?
> 
> Are you unwell, have you got a fever?



heh - these days I tend to download games on a genuine "extended evaluation" basis.

If I like them and think they are worth the money, then I pay - both on PC and Xbox 360.

The other thing with Spore is that I wanted the chance to experience all the weird and wonderful user-built creations in my games - they are all streets ahead of the Maxis default stuff.



Can't say I have had any issues with DRM either - mind you I bought a digital download direct from EA US.


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## The Groke (Sep 8, 2008)

Dravinian said:


> I don't think there are any skulls, I not seen any.  I think if you want a head, you just enlarge the highest Neck bone until it gets big enough to be classed as a head.





cliche guevara said:


> There must be, there's a space for them in the creature creature, and the pre release creature creator had them?



Yup - no skulls per se, as far as I can see and I have played through into the space phase now.

You create heads from shaping your starting blob and adding mouths, eyes etc etc.


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## The Groke (Sep 8, 2008)

My Spore page and creations...


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## dogmatique (Sep 8, 2008)

fogbat said:


> How demanding is it, hardware-wise?
> 
> This is a game I've been excited about for ages, but the best computer I can get my hands on is a year-old laptop with onboard graphics (Intel GMA 950?), 2gigs of RAM and a dual-core processor.




It runs very smoothly on my little Asus Aspire One, which was quite surprising...  So you should be fine.


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## FridgeMagnet (Sep 8, 2008)

You may want to think twice before buying a legal copy:



> I was EXTREMELY excited about this game... Then I got on Amazon and noticed that a large number of the forums devoted to Spore were complaining of something called "SecuROM." I did a little digging and discovered that SecuROM is a piece of [DRM] software that is installed along with the game to prevent you from installing the game more than three times, in an attempt to combat piracy.
> 
> I was fine with that. I then read further through the forums and the Wikipedia article and discovered that SecuROM does a number of other things too, including sending mysterious packets of data back to the company from your computer (identity theft, perhaps?), prevents you from using certain programs, such as DVD and CD burners, makes it impossible for you to modify your root drive and, worst of all, will NOT uninstall without the help of a third party application. So I canceled my order...


http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/09/08/gamers-vent-spore-drm-frustrations-amazoncom-reviews

Or, you know, you could buy it and then use a pirated version.


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## XR75 (Sep 9, 2008)

Why would you buy it then pirate it,that's stupid because your supporting EA sticking rubbish like this in games.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 11, 2008)

Anyone else bored yet? Civilisation stage is crap. Tribe was pretty shit too tbf.


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## ruffneck23 (Sep 11, 2008)

yeah im a bit bored of it , still evolving but not that fussed to get to the tribe stage


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## cliche guevara (Sep 11, 2008)

Wow, you're on the best bit too. It's a good game, but I find that it's attempting to encompass all genres at once, and failing. It could be brilliant, but it's lack of specialisation lets it down massively.


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## wiskey (Sep 12, 2008)

I keep being eaten


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## The Groke (Sep 13, 2008)

cliche guevara said:


> Anyone else bored yet? Civilisation stage is crap. Tribe was pretty shit too tbf.





ruffneck23 said:


> yeah im a bit bored of it , still evolving but not that fussed to get to the tribe stage



Yup.

Really enjoyed progressing through all of the stages to see what would happen, have reached the space bit and have now had enough.

Can't say I am inspired to go back through it again and create new designs either - mostly because your designs are really only cosmetic and don't affect the way your creature/houses/cars work to any meaningful degree.

Oh of course you get the attributes and stuff for your parts, but they don't seem to stack properly IMO - i.e a creature with 6 legs isn't significantly faster than a creature with 2 and having 8 eyes, 2 at your rear, does not imbue you with any meaningful advantage/bonus etc, etc, etc. 

Same with houses and vehicles.

Shame really - wasted opportunity.




FridgeMagnet said:


> You may want to think twice before buying a legal copy:



The direct download copy I bought doesn't seem to have SecureRom attached - certainly I couldn't find it lurking anywhere.


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## White Lotus (Sep 13, 2008)

My son is mad keen to get the full game (got the creature creator a while back) but all the stuff I'm reading about DRM worries me.  Any suggestions?

(We have Macs and a laptop running Vista.)


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## The Groke (Sep 13, 2008)

White Lotus said:


> My son is mad keen to get the full game (got the creature creator a while back) but all the stuff I'm reading about DRM worries me.  Any suggestions?
> 
> (We have Macs and a laptop running Vista.)



Buy it online and download it?


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## wiskey (Sep 15, 2008)

I feel a bit let down  I thought this would be great and actually its quite pretty but a bit dull.


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## RicardoOP2SG (Sep 17, 2008)

this is only the beginning of overly-intrusive DRM.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 17, 2008)

The DRM is ridculous. Three installs? You might as well be renting it.

e2a: Welcome to urban! Are you Firky?


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## RicardoOP2SG (Sep 17, 2008)

what?

and yes the industry is a shower of cunts.


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## cliche guevara (Sep 17, 2008)

You probably aren't Firky, don't worry about it. You'll learn the legend of Firky soon enough if you stick around.


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## Dandred (Sep 17, 2008)

So is this game worth it?

After the hype it seems to have gone dodo......

I don't see any reason to actually get a pirated copy after looking at independent reviewers sites........ 


Oh well, EA fuck up another cool looking game


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## cliche guevara (Sep 17, 2008)

Dandred said:


> So is this game worth it?
> 
> After the hype it seems to have gone dodo......
> 
> ...



It's definitely worth playing, don't know about buying though. It's an awesome concept, but seems to have missed the point a bit.


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## Stigmata (Sep 17, 2008)

The gameplay isn't anything special, but the customisation and sharing of designs is great. I really feel like this game could benefit from an expansion pack or similar, and since it's made by the Sims people no doubt there are a few dozen in the pipeline.


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## Mooncat (Sep 18, 2008)

Its made it to Zero Punctuation so that's pretty much the kiss of death for me http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/218-Spore


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## fishfinger (Sep 19, 2008)

I do like Zero Punctuation's reviews - looking forward to seeing this one


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## AndrewNumLock (Sep 19, 2008)

I'm playing it and at the Civilisation stage, nothing to write home about yet, will it pick up?


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## fishfinger (Sep 19, 2008)

Not really. I still like the first stage best.


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## AndrewNumLock (Sep 22, 2008)

You're right, I'm now in the space stage and the whole game just hasn't been satisfying - such a shame, I was looking forward to it so much!


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## pk (Mar 18, 2009)

*Spore!!*

Spore!

What a top game!

I generally don't do computer games, they usually bore the fuck out of me within half an hour, but Spore rocks!

Anyone else play this thing??


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## Crispy (Mar 18, 2009)

Whatcha know?


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## pk (Mar 18, 2009)

I'm running six planets in various stages of evolution at the moment, it's so damn addictive!


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