I'm one of the lucky bastards who got the game before Maxis put the hold on retailers, and opened a thread at Poly with heaps of screenies and info. :)

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=180182

Any questions just ask away.

Oh, and the game F***ING ROCKS!!!!! :D

I really hate you :p

I wish I had the game already... :(

I am effing jealous. :mad: Cool screens, thanks for posting.

Are the brain increases automatic? (i.e., after x generations, you're forced to become sentient whether you like it or not) I was looking at some live spore streams, and I didn't see anything where the player was adding brain cells.

Are the brain increases automatic? (i.e., after x generations, you're forced to become sentient whether you like it or not) I was looking at some live spore streams, and I didn't see anything where the player was adding brain cells.

Brain increases come automatically at certain milestones through the phase. For instance, for creature phase when you charm/destroy a couple of tribes you "accumulate the knowledge of those tribes" to increase your own intelligence. Same with Tribes. Your brain needs to reach a certain size for evolution to become available.

Whilst the brain increases are automatic, the evolution process is not (changing phases is called evolution).

Are the minimum specs pretty accurate? Its going to be really disappointing if I cant play Spore for another 4 months..

Are the minimum specs pretty accurate? Its going to be really disappointing if I cant play Spore for another 4 months..

Dunno, to be honest I didn't even bother looking. I got a high-end Centrino Duo, Nvidea 8800, Vista Home Ultimate with Gigs of RAM. :D

But I will say this, it runs damn smooth, even on the highest graphics setting. :goodjob:

Gah. Ive only got a P4 2.4ghz and a X1650 Pro. It seems that it should run on minimum at least.

Cripes I would love to be playing. I like how your own tribe splits off into factions. Are those just the guys on your continent or is the rest of the world just your species?

Cell == ocean
Creature == region
Tribe == continent
Civ == planet
Space == universe

So you only need to control the size of the area required to progress.

Your Tribe doesn't split into factions, they are other creatures who evolved into tribes. ;)

Brain increases come automatically at certain milestones through the phase. For instance, for creature phase when you charm/destroy a couple of tribes you "accumulate the knowledge of those tribes" to increase your own intelligence. Same with Tribes. Your brain needs to reach a certain size for evolution to become available.

Whilst the brain increases are automatic, the evolution process is not (changing phases is called evolution).

So that means the Creature Stage is limited then in how long you can play it? (i.e., after 5 generations, you become sentient whether you like it or not) I hope a creature can be evolved longer than that once the space stage is reached (i.e., taking control of a creature on a terraformed planet).

So... lemme see if I have this right...

- No water stage (obviously confirmed eons ago, but may be in an expansion pack)
- Brain size upgrades automatically (Does this imply forced sentience? That would be a major drawback for me, IMHO. I was looking forward to the creature stage.)
- Gas giants aren't really playable (from what little info I gathered in the SPORE gameplay stream chatroom)

And can planets be created from scratch by smashing asteroids together?

Maybe my expectations were too high way back in 2005 with the 2005 GDC...

1. Sort of. Each phase has certain levels/generations/parts. But you can play for as long as you want. Just don't evolve. :)
2. Cell phase is the water phase. You start in the water, and the end of cell is landfall.
3. Partly correct. Whilst brain increases are automatic, evolution isn't. You click a button when ready after you met the requirements. So you can continue playing a phase forever if you want.
4. No idea yet.
5. I believe there's the planet designer yes (haven't explored that bit yet).

I have posted another 30 pics on my apolyton thread. All from the Civ phase. :)

So I was right. It is an Aussie thing to get games earlier than release. What do they all fall off the truck at the store or something, eh m8?

:)

I'm one of the lucky bastards who got the game before Maxis put the hold on retailers, and opened a thread at Poly with heaps of screenies and info. :)

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=180182

Any questions just ask away.

Oh, and the game F***ING ROCKS!!!!! :D

'poly says that the server's too busy right now. :(

Should be fine.

Plus I've posted more pics, this time from some of the other areas of the game such as the Sporepedia, creaters, and I have some fun with the aircraft designer. :D

Says that registered people get priority, so we're stuck on the sand.

1. Sort of. Each phase has certain levels/generations/parts. But you can play for as long as you want. Just don't evolve. :)
2. Cell phase is the water phase. You start in the water, and the end of cell is landfall.
3. Partly correct. Whilst brain increases are automatic, evolution isn't. You click a button when ready after you met the requirements. So you can continue playing a phase forever if you want.
4. No idea yet.
5. I believe there's the planet designer yes (haven't explored that bit yet).

I know you need to click a button to evolve. :p What I meant was, is there a set number of evolutions before becoming sentient? i.e., 10 evolutions before becoming sentient. I know in SimLife, there were 15 "generations" (IQ levels increased by 6. I was hoping to have a long evolution path of say, maybe 20 generations (evolutions) or more.
Also, I wasn't asking about the Planet Designer, but in the actual game, if you start colliding asteroids together. I was also seperating cell and water as two seperate things (it was called water - or at least Ocean Stage back in GDC 2005).

Ahh okay. No there's no seperate water phase, but there is water (ships, etc). You can even have your creature swim out to sea. :)

As for evolving, yes there's a set number of stages before you reach the next phase. So in the Civ level for instance, you need 10 cities to move onto space. And in creature, you need to extinct a certain number of species to move to tribe. And so on.

I haven't seen anything about colliding asteroids together yet. I haven't finished Civ level. Just made it to flight. :D

Says that registered people get priority, so we're stuck on the sand.

I'll post the pics here too then. :)

http://rtw.apolyton.net/images/spore/sp1.jpg

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Excellent pictures. I'm likin' your vehicles! :goodjob: I wish the CC let you design buildings and vehicles and stuff! :(

sweet.....

Wait till you see the NEXT set! :D

I just finished the war with green, by nuking their cities. :D

http://rtw.apolyton.net/images/spore/sp91.jpg

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Says that registered people get priority, so we're stuck on the sand.Well, it took me about 50 seconds to register...

I know you need to click a button to evolve. :p What I meant was, is there a set number of evolutions before becoming sentient? i.e., 10 evolutions before becoming sentient. I know in SimLife, there were 15 "generations" (IQ levels increased by 6. I was hoping to have a long evolution path of say, maybe 20 generations (evolutions) or more.
Also, I wasn't asking about the Planet Designer, but in the actual game, if you start colliding asteroids together. I was also seperating cell and water as two seperate things (it was called water - or at least Ocean Stage back in GDC 2005).You could achieve sentience in SimLife? I played the game when I was ten, but always preferred SimEarth.

Im salivating just looking at those. The game looks amazing.

And nice job on your victory. The whole fight looked pretty chaotic. Is it really like that or is it just the screenies that make it look as such?

Well, it took me about 50 seconds to register...

I don't like to register for things just for one-time things. It's just a thing with me.

Dale, the pictures are awesome, but spoilers would be nice. :)

What I'm looking for is one of these lucky Australians who got the game, and have decided to make detailed reports on this game.

What I'm looking for is one of these lucky Australians who got the game, and have decided to make detailed reports on this game.

We're all playing it. :D

Be glad of screenies. ;)

Now onto some space screenies. Hmm.... let's build a tie-fighter! :lol:

EDIT:
Also, there isn't really anything needed for detailed reports. What do you want to hear? That it's a great game? It is. It's fantastic! That each phase is a full game in itself? They are.

Each phase isn't that complex. Remember, it was designed by the man who made Sims. It's simple, yet a full game. I don't know what detailed reports you want? :)

Im salivating just looking at those. The game looks amazing.

And nice job on your victory. The whole fight looked pretty chaotic. Is it really like that or is it just the screenies that make it look as such?

It's an RTS style battle. Select a group, point and click. :)

http://rtw.apolyton.net/images/spore/sp122.jpg

http://rtw.apolyton.net/images/spore/sp123.jpg

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It's BEAUTIFUL! :cry:

http://rtw.apolyton.net/images/spore/sp141.jpg

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Thanks Dale, those are whetting my imagination.

You. Are. So. Lucky.

Now that I'm in space, and starting to get into the open modes of space, I might jump back and start a new planet from cell. :)

There's lots of things I want to do different, now that I've done my first creature right through.

At least play a bit aand tell us what the Space Phase is like! :p

I'm one of the lucky bastards who got the game before Maxis put the hold on retailers, and opened a thread at Poly with heaps of screenies and info. :)

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=180182


Hi,

I tried the link, but its not working. Is that site down right now?

Wow... I'm torn between continuing to read this, and trying to avoid spoilers... I think I'll keep on watching. Great stuff Dale!

Everyone who looks at this says its so great, but for me its having the exact opposite effect actually.

The screenshots look terrible - the movies and snaps I'd seen of the game, vehicles, creatures and buildings were VERY RICH and unbelievabely textured. Those screens look like crap compared to the shots I've seen on youtube and review sites.

I hope to god that its because you have all graphics turned lower and that planets and creatures can in fact look breathless as I'd previously assumed.

It might also be compression. And he did say that those are medium graphics. Im sure if you do very high it will look amazing.

They're compressed, and either jpg or bmp, so don't expect great quality from the images.

Its not so much the compression as the quality of the graphics - if that makes any sense.

Anyway considering this game's been in development for so long I suppose its only fair if we give it a chance. And like you say the game may look amazing on high settings.

I've been playing on medium graphics setting. High does look a lot better. :)

Say, can you go into one of those gas giants and upload some screenshots of it? And have you met any fellow CFCers creatures yet? :D (I wonder where my Pike Gator will show up -- my latest creature. Granted, it's from the demo, so it's a carnivore - they all are!)

Are you having lag on high? If yes, what's your video card, if I may ask?

Yeah I was getting a bit of lag on all high settings.

Nvidea 8800 512, with 2 gig ram, vista home ultimate. So there is some room to move for the graphics. But it was really only lagging when lots of animation on screen (eg: lots of creatures and lots of depth of field). After reducing shadows and field of depth to medium it picked up quite a lot. But that's not unusual for this sort of game.

Say, can you go into one of those gas giants and upload some screenshots of it? And have you met any fellow CFCers creatures yet? :D (I wonder where my Pike Gator will show up -- my latest creature. Granted, it's from the demo, so it's a carnivore - they all are!)

I didn't spend long in space phase. I started again from cell on a new planet.

But when you meet a new creature the creature card shows who made it, so it's easy to tell what you've met. So far I've met 30 custom creatures (not Maxis ones). You can tell because when you meet them they download into your local sporeapedia and you can look them up (or block them if need be).

Yeah I was getting a bit of lag on all high settings.

Nvidea 8800 512, with 2 gig ram, vista home ultimate. So there is some room to move for the graphics. But it was really only lagging when lots of animation on screen (eg: lots of creatures and lots of depth of field). After reducing shadows and field of depth to medium it picked up quite a lot. But that's not unusual for this sort of game.

What kind of 8800. GT? GTS? I have a GTX and I think that should hold me for another couple of years but I'm concerned.

Not sure, but it's a true Nvidea for a Toshiba laptop. So probably not the fancy one. :)

Ah then I should have nothing to worry about on maximum settings. :D

Also somewhat on topic, you can now see stuff from the full version of Spore on Sporepedia like military and economic vehicles and buildings from the lucky Aussie's that got it early!

Not sure, but it's a true Nvidea for a Toshiba laptop. So probably not the fancy one. :)
8800GT Mobile. Anyone who has a 8800GT or above for desktop will be able to run it on high at minimum.
3 more days left till release here!

I guess my 8600 GT won't :(

No it'll work alright. You might not be able to run it at the highest possible settings though. Or maybe just at a lower resolution.

That's what I mean. I won't be blazing on high rez. :(

I guess my 8600 GT won't :(

I have a 6600GT and it works fine... not as high as I would have liked, but it is certainly playable.

Thanks Dale, the screenies were awesome, and they definitely tipped the scales in the right direction for me.
I'll wait for my new PC to buy it, But I sure will.

More! We needs more screenies, precious!

I'll get some of Cell and Creature up today. :)

*Gollum!*

Nice Dale, bringings us pictures!