Spore Talkback (Spoilers)

[Tash]

Well, this game was officially released today in the USA, yet there doesn't seem to be any real discussion about it here. That seems strange considering how much hype there was over it.

I'm personally enjoying it so far, but I don't feel that it really took advantage of everything it has going for it. To be honest, the first two parts of the game are basically a 3-D version of EVO: The Search for Eden, while the later parts just play as a shallow RTS. The big draw of the game was supposed to be the customization factor, but seeing it in-game is really no different than seeing it in the creature creator. All of the creature function essentailly the same, so there's little more than "oh, that monster's kind of neat" before you rip through it/befreind it. I really feel that, despite the space section being the most in-depth part of the game, they really should have just reduced the game to the second phase, and spent a lot more time expanding it. It would be fun to just have a sandbox Sims-style game with these creatures, where you slowly turn the world into exactly what you want it be. (instead of "you've done enough here, onto the next step")

That said, I am greatly enjoying the game, but I don't see it offering much more replay value than the creature creator alone offered.

[Charlie]

I've had more fun with building things than actually playing the game. But the game seems kind of; off. Its hard for me to explain, but it feels like Maxis made this really great creation device and had a brilliant idea for a God simulator. Then they spent a focus meeting where everyone silently sat trying to think up a way the game can be played and four hours later threw up their collective arms and just copied stuff from their previous games a couple others.

Don't get me wrong, a whole lot of detail went into the game. When I sent my first tribe over to give a gift to another tribe and the 50's instrumental music came up and giggled in my seat. The whole Primordial stage put a smile on my face. And the civilization stage (the one that I'm on at the moment) is handled very well and is so far my favorite part. But really after its all said and done and when I beat the game a few times I really have a hard time believing I'll be coming back. There's always going to be a better version of the smaller beta games you play. And that's Spore's main problem. Its a very elaborate copy with a really brilliant Meta Game as its main draw.

[Mavericker]

My criticism about it is that you still create aliens in forms we can relate to-they should let you make aliens in forms we don't recognize.

[TacoHunter]

Yeah, this was not as awesome as I was expecting it to be. I just hit Tribal phase when I decided to take a break. I was really expecting more...

I recall watching the tech demo of it a few years back, and thinking it was going to be epic. And while it ... kind of, delivers on what the tech demo said it would. I'm kind of left wondering, what's the point?

Its a jack of all trades. It does everything, but masters nothing. And at now I feel a bit more disappointed. I sure hope it is going to get better once I hit space.

Also I'm playing this on my Macbook Pro. And its a pretty nice machine, but this game runs...slowly. EA needs to better optimize their games, and Apple needs to make Open GL more uber then DirectX. I was so happy to see a new game being made for OSX and Windows, but to only see that...it runs like ass on OSX.

[R-Taco]

:confused:
I'm surprised at the reception here. I had been following the info on this game so much that I was worried that I'd already seen everything it was going to offer. When I actually started playing, I was very pleasantly surprised.

It's just beyond cool seeing the gradual evolution of a species from cell to civilization (which I just unlocked before finally going to sleep last night). My critter started out as a carnivore, until I figured that getting food would be a lot easier if I were an omnivore and so I became one. Then, over several generations, I added poison glands, camoflauge, hands (it was especially cool picking up a stick for the first time and using it to knock down high fruit that i couldn't reach before), and wings.

Now I've got a city of war-hungry, poisonous, green steampunk birds that walk on their hands and wear tophats. WITH GEARS ON THEM!

Oh, another crowning moment of awesome: When I was in the creature phase, I ran into (and was almost eaten by) an "epic" (kaiju-sized) version of one of my creatures. Later, in the tribal phase, a much larger enemy tribe was heading for mine when the same monster came out of nowhere and wiped them out. :D

[garfield15]

Now I've got a city of war-hungry, poisonous, green steampunk birds that walk on their hands and wear tophats. WITH GEARS ON THEM!

Oh, another crowning moment of awesome: When I was in the creature phase, I ran into (and was almost eaten by) an "epic" (kaiju-sized) version of one of my creatures. Later, in the tribal phase, a much larger enemy tribe was heading for mine when the same monster came out of nowhere and wiped them out. :D

And thus my reason for buying this game is officially set :)

[Anyone00]

O.K. after a few false starts (Your colony is being raped! (http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7245/sporelolcx1.jpg)) I finally manged to take a species to space (the Oll (http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=srch-oll%3Asast-500078395248%3Apg-40)) and slogged my way through to meet Steve and over all it's a pretty fun game. I enjoy it.

[R-Taco]

O.K. after a few false starts (Your colony is being raped! (http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7245/sporelolcx1.jpg)) I finally manged to take a species to space (the Oll (http://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=srch-oll%3Asast-500078395248%3Apg-40)) and slogged my way through to meet Steve and over all it's a pretty fun game. I enjoy it.

Speaking of him, I desperately want to find the planet he mentioned. :D

[Anyone00]

Speaking of him, I desperately want to find the planet he mentioned. :D

I did (actually before I met him) and then proceeded to do what any sane man would do: made a Godzilla knock-off, plopped it down, and hit it with the super-sizer.

[Anyone00]

I hope Scythemantis is reading this.

PC Gamer is running a contest:

WIN A FIGURINE OF YOUR SPORE CREATURE

You've coveted one for years, and now it can be yours! We'll be choosing 25 winners at random to have the good people at Zcorp turn their most-favorite Spore creation into a splendid piece of art that will look delightful on any desk, bookshelf, or car dashboard.*

TO ENTER: Send an email to contests@pcgamer.com (contests@pcgamer.com) with the subject line: CREATE MY CREATURE! Make sure you include the following info in the body of the email: Name, Address, City, State, and Zip. Entries must be received by October 20, 2008. For more details, please check page 107.

*We don't actually recommend that you put it on your dashboard. The figurines are breakable, and it's kind of dangerous to have stuff obscuring you vision while you drive - even cool stuff like a Spore figurine. Spore may not be exactly as depicted.

CONTEST RULES
No purchase is necessary. Only one entry per household, per month, will be counted. Anyone can enter, but only U.S. residents are eligible to win prizes, and the offer is void in FL, RI, Puerto Rico, and where prohibited by law. Entrants must be at least 10 years of age. Your chances of winning depend on the number of entries we receive. Failure to follow the rules will result in instant disqualification. Canadian law prohibits those readers form entering.

[Charlie]

So how many penises do you think the winner's creatures will have? I'm guessing five at least.

On a completely unrelated note my mother started playing the game, and it figures that the universe would put 4 separate lewd creatures inhabiting her world. One of which was a "epic" wang with legs

[garfield15]

So how many penises do you think the winner's creatures will have? I'm guessing five at least.

Butt-face, no less than 4 penises



On a completely unrelated note my mother started playing the game, and it figures that the universe would put 4 separate lewd creatures inhabiting her world. One of which was a "epic" wang with legs

I'm dying of laughter while typing this. You must tell me the reaction.

[Charlie]

I wasn't in the room when it happened. I was chopping some vegetables to make some pico de gallo to go with dinner only to hear a loud "Oh, god!" followed by laughter. Later she found a tribe of super-tiny ones, then a creature that spelled out the f-word with its spine, and then a creature that looked like a tree with what I think was a black guy hanging on it. The worst part was that she thought I had made all of it.

I swear, kids these days.

[garfield15]

I wasn't in the room when it happened. I was chopping some vegetables to make some pico de gallo to go with dinner only to hear a loud "Oh, god!" followed by laughter. Later she found a tribe of super-tiny ones, then a creature that spelled out the f-word with its spine, and then a creature that looked like a tree with what I think was a black guy hanging on it. The worst part was that she thought I had made all of it.

I swear, kids these days.

...

Yeah, if this is the norm, I'm not sure if I feel up to buying this game anymore

[Anyone00]

Huh it's funny beacuse I haven't run into any obsine creatures in any of my games (unless you count my swamp hags floopy boobs).


...then a creature that looked like a tree with what I think was a black guy hanging on it.


Hanging from what?

Oh, btw, what's yours and anyone else's Spore account name: I want to put you on my buddy list.

[Charlie]

Its isn't, it really isn't. Its just the universe playing silly-buggers with my existence. I've made a few worlds and not once ran into anything bad like that, and my mother as well has only seen lewd stuff the first time she played. She's on her fifth planet and hasn't seen racist-rape-monsters since.

I'm guessing the game really is geared to more of a "casual" crowd. I had fun with it for less than a week. How ever I'm having to wrestle my laptop out of my mothers clutches every time I need it to work. And she isn't one to like video games much.


Hanging from what?
Its kinda hard to explain what it looked like. A leg was used as the trunk and was extended upwards, then the spine was made to go sideways to look like a branch of sorts, then the spine sort of extended down to help make the person. There where arms on the top with a few leaves on them. It wasn't that well made and took me a bit to realize what it actually looked like.

[jph139]

Huh it's funny beacuse I haven't run into any obsine creatures in any of my games (unless you count my swamp hags floopy boobs).

Same here. I've expected to need to conquer SOME form of crotch monsters, but so far, nuthin'. I'm almost disappointed.

So far, I've made a handful of creatures... I'll put them in spoilers, for those with bandwith problems and such.

http://ll-880.ea.com/spore/static/image/500/054/880/500054880638_lrg.png

My first creature, the Jomullo. Well, the first I played through with, anyways. They were carnivorous as the start, but ended up economic and are traders in Space... I WOULD have updated them, but I like their Tribal look so much, I couldn't bear it. :Dhttp://ll-296.ea.com/spore/static/image/500/045/296/500045296790_lrg.png

My second creature, Casstug; omnivore. I like him. Still haven't started the Tribal stage with him, though, so, not much to say about that.http://ll-161.ea.com/spore/static/image/500/063/161/500063161957_lrg.png

Next up - the Wusubla. I wanted a humanoid creature that I could jump into the Space Stage with. Wanderers, of course. I've gotten far with them, though... done lotsa cool stuff.http://ll-567.ea.com/spore/static/image/500/077/567/500077567505_lrg.png

Finally, the Brinkum. Herbivore, Religous, all that jazz. Ended up as a Shaman. Wanted a "nice" creature to finish the trilogy of those that grew from the sea. Lotsa fun.

Name's, predictably, johnny139. You can see my profile HERE (http://www.spore.com/view/profile/johnny139). I have a distinct lack of buddies, so, you know, I'm up for additions. :D

[R-Taco]

I haven't encountered any obscene critters either. Quite a few "creatures riding other creatures", though.

Oh yeah, and my Spore Account name is KurlyFry.

[Anyone00]

Oh yeah, and my Spore Account name is KurlyFry.

Ah, so I got it right. My profile name is Targ_ (http://www.spore.com/view/profile/Targ_) .

Oh and Charlie I tried to make something that would help remedy your Mom's problems (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNhWN0ietVw) when she gets to the space stage (she's probably been there long already but whatever) but the closes I got was this:
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/9090/psedodoznw3.jpg (http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psedodoznw3.jpg)