So... this is the one?

Yes.

The insertion was successful?

Don’t you trust me to do my own job?

I’ll take that as a yes.

It will be soon.

Excellent. Shall we release the specimen?

Correct.

It is done.

*****

A great, solid mass of dust and ice hurtled through the depths of space. For the eons since its unknown formation, it had followed its orbit steadily. However, its long, lonely sojourn was coming to a close.

The comet was reaching its fastest point, as it tumbled towards its star. Passing through the outermost reaches of stellar atmosphere, a flare burst out. A brilliant, thick tail extended from the comet as it swung around the brilliant yellow body. Now blasting away, the comet began to shudder. Countless orbits had weakened it, and at last, the fissures had become too great. With an inaudible crack, the great, frozen mass began to disintegrate. In the distance was a faint light. As the fragments came closer and closer, the light revealed itself as a planet. As it came ever and ever closer, the planet grew greater in size.

http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/3475/sporexg4.png

The comet’s remains shuddered one more time as they entered the atmosphere. Most were deflected away from the planet, many were caught in orbit- and a small few maintained their paths.

A screaming noise called out as the comets fell ever further downwards, ripping through the thick air. Some shards disintegrated altogether, but the largest stayed intact.

If they had possessed eyes to see, they would have seen emerald water before them. A rich sea, approaching at breathtaking speed.

With a quick succession of shattering explosions, the surviving fragments smashed into the ocean, and began to sink, ever deeper into the gloomy abyss.

Following this!

*subscribed*

This looks interesting! I'll be following this.

Darkness. Cold. Dry. Timeless sleep.

Then heat. Light. Movement.

Shock!

The great heat quickly cooled, and water floods everywhere. The last fragments of the meteorite begin to scatter apart, and as they do, a cluster of crenated creatures are exposed. Some drift off, all vitality all since disappeared. But a few begin to twitch. One’s simple light receptors activate. Its flagellum twitches, its simple jaws snap open. Facing upwards, it wriggles towards the light.

Life has begun once again.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/6744/spore0tf8.png

Millions of generations pass, and the minute descendants of the meteorite impact have spread throughout the world. The oceans are overflowing with life.

One small, nameless creature continues to wriggle its way through this primitive world. Its strength is its adaptability- its filter feeding apparatus, predatory beak and multipurpose saclike gut allow it to consume anything it comes across.

The creature is slow, and many are eaten by larger faster, predators. However, its population is growing despite this.

Great things await the descendents of these tiny beings. But for now, our protagonists do not think of such things. Food, fear and reproduction are the only things of any concern.

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/8504/sporeuz2.png

Time passes in an instant for those who cannot think. Billions of years passed as life continued to thrive and spread. The descendants of the small, unnamed creature branched out in many directions, but one lineage thrived above all. Growing ever and ever larger, this creature propelled itself by jets of water, steering with its flagalla, and, as always, feeding with the two-mouth system which had made them so wildly successful for so long.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6619/spore0jo6.png

These new creatures are swift, powerful, and versatile- but that is not their sole source of strength. For something incredible has happened within their simplistic nervous systems. A bundle of nerves, used to command the movements of the creature, have developed beyond a threshold- out of the region in which they have existed for so many millions of years. What had been for an eon simply a serious of biological machines had come across a breakthrough. Their nerve bundles had become things worthy of being called brains- they could dedicate mental effort to something other than their own basic function, they developed what might even be called a mind- an utterly simplistic one, but a mind nonetheless.

To be simple, the first spark of intelligence had developed.

In the distant future, the remains of this fossil species would be named ‘Tenace’, but that is not a story for now.

A story for now would be the many trials and tribulations faced not by the species, but those faced by individuals with said species. With such success, the Tenace ruled the seas. Some lurked in the darkest depths, others prowled the surface waters. Those of interest to us were to take a very different path- one which would soon see their simple bodies lurch out, for the first time, onto dry land...

Hooray! The first Spore AAR!

Spore is nowhere near as good as it's hyped, but this AAR seems interesting enough.

Spore is nowhere near as good as it's hyped, but this AAR seems interesting enough.

How completely rude and off topic. To those of us who have followed Spore for a long time, like Iggy and I have, Spore is still a very good game.

To those of us who have followed Spore for a long time, like Iggy and I have, Spore is still a very good game.

I wonder what it is about following a game for a long time that makes it seem better to you.

I wonder what it is about following a game for a long time that makes it seem better to you.

Time and energy spent must be rewarded after years of negligence.

Subscription post.

Spore is nowhere near as good as it's hyped

But what game ever is?

Anyway, following this story. Are we going to see a gritty fight for survival in the Creature phase, or are all the animals going to dance and sing like in the Disney movies?

I wonder what it is about following a game for a long time that makes it seem better to you.Cognitive dissonance. ;)

As for creature phase... who knows?

I intend to move out onto land today.

Millions of more years pass, and the Tenace continues to rule the seas. However, the intense competition in the seas has triggered an explosion in the variety of life. Our narrative will now begin to follow a descendant of these dominant sea creatures...

The Renace, in its twisting manner, swam desperately towards the shore. Its stalklike eyes spun around to watch the terrifying figure chasing it.

Almost there! The terrified creature made one last desperate lunge towards land. Tentacles seized its body, and dragged it back, thrashing, into a great, set of mandibles, tearing it into lifeless flesh in seconds.

Its comrades however, were luckier. Scrambling onto a sandy beach, they quickly scampered out of the range of the fearsome predator.

The Emerald Sea was no longer a safe place for this species. The vast, unknown and massively varied expanses of land were to be more than a safe haven- they would become a home.

Though still capable of sea travel, the Renace is much better suited for life on land. In terms of shape, it is quite similar to its ancestors. The most obvious differences are the jets- which have atrophied to near nothingness, and the limbs, which are solidly-structured and muscled derivatives of the flagella which once helped to maneuver and propel this species through the wild oceans.

Simple lungs still require moisture to work, and the thin, membranous skin must remain damp at all times. However, with each generation, the Tenace is further and further cutting away its relationship to the sea.

The conquest of the medium of land is just beginning.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7977/sporefk7.png

@Lord Iggy, I was hoping you would post something like this. It seems you’ve been quiet for a while since you got the game :) I’ve seen your spaceship and vehicles that you’ve shared online. Is this from the same game, or are you starting something new?

My first game was ‘special’, until I got to the Civ stage. I’ve played some of the space stage and started other games, but I’ve been too focused on Spore’s faults since then. I think role-playing and storytelling like this is going to be the way to get the most out of Spore.

Also, I maintain that I had the first AAR, with my sequence of postings in the 'so close' thread :p

Also, I maintain that I had the first AAR, with my sequence of postings in the 'so close' thread :p

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I had the first AAR, starting from the day after release in Oz (2nd Sept).

Cell: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=290045
Creature: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=290052
Tribe/Civ/Space/Other: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=289518&page=2

Following this. :)

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I had the first AAR, starting from the day after release in Oz (2nd Sept).

Cell: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=290045
Creature: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=290052
Tribe/Civ/Space/Other: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=289518&page=2

Good point.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I had the first AAR, starting from the day after release in Oz (2nd Sept).

Ah well I can't view that thread on my slow connection (unless I wait half an hour) :p

Will be reading this.

Lord_Iggy, where art thou?

@Lord Iggy, I was hoping you would post something like this. It seems you’ve been quiet for a while since you got the game :) I’ve seen your spaceship and vehicles that you’ve shared online. Is this from the same game, or are you starting something new?

My first game was ‘special’, until I got to the Civ stage. I’ve played some of the space stage and started other games, but I’ve been too focused on Spore’s faults since then. I think role-playing and storytelling like this is going to be the way to get the most out of Spore.

Also, I maintain that I had the first AAR, with my sequence of postings in the 'so close' thread :pThis is a new game, and I write as I play.

Lord_Iggy, where art thou?I've been very busy, doing a lot of homework and participating in a 56 kilometer walk/run. Hopefully I'll get a bit more up shortly.

Hooray, you are using the kilometre measure! :D

I am Canadian...

I am Canadian... ... from Yukon

Only a couple thousand more kilometers and you'll be near some kind of civilization!

Seriously, it's the first time I talk to someone from Yukon (or any of the territories). Were you born there? Are you in Whitehorse? Is there any other place to be? hehe. Anyway, it's awesome that there's someone from Yukon on Civfanatics, after all there ARE only like 30,000 people there, which is the size of a small-medium city anywhere else in the world ;) . Do you get high speed internet up there? I ask because even around here you don't get it when you go a bit too far.

[/off-topic]

Born and raised in Whitehorse, we got high speed 2 years ago, and I'm currently in a College just outside of Victoria- however, I have full intentions to return to the territory when my formal education is complete.

The progress then?

Surprisingly fast, actually.

As expected. I find the new development of some social behaviours to be most promising.

Social? It only developed a single symbiotic relationship with a smaller animal- you consider that to be sociality?

Optimism is not a crime yet, Jeshay. Now please, let us return to our real work.

Indeed.

The Venarace let out a grating cry, and set into its prey. Simple, beaklike jaws tore off large chunks of flesh, which the creature chewed briefly and swallowed. Its primary eyes were firmly set upon its meal, secondaries scanning the surrounding area.

Life was difficult, but the Venarace was well prepared for it. The creature was an omnivore, with just something of a mean streak. It would certainly tolerate other species, even form symbiotic relationships with a select few, but this was not its main way of life. The Venarace was a wanderer, feeding on whatever plants or prey it came across. As a grazer, it was quite effective, its two tentacle mouthpieces quickly defoliating plants. Its skills as a hunter are considerable- one of the most important developments has been a strange organ developed between its eyes, capable of launching toxic projectiles against both predators and prey.

Finishing off the body, its eyes swivelled around again. Setting off towards some promising trees, the creature hopped off in its loping, tripod gait.

The creature lived a simple life, and with what limited mental force it possessed, it was happy. It lived as its ancestors had, wandering far and wide in search of food.

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/3766/sporezt2.png

This lifestyle would be interrupted on a predictable basis. A time would come when the Venarace would feel an irresistible compulsion to return to its home, to the place of its progenitors, to breed. There was not love, simply an act of reproduction. As soon as the young were hatched, the creatures would go their separate ways once more. Of the new generation, many would die, but the strongest would survive, to return and complete the circle of their lives.

For now, times are good.

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9723/spore0ag6.png

Looks so much more beautiful than on my comp :(

Cool stuff, and I like your creature :) Its original without being ridiculous like so many are.

The first planet I played on was blue like that, but had many dense forests and giant mushroom-shaped rocks. Any strange landmarks nearby in your game?

Cool stuff, and I like your creature :) Its original without being ridiculous like so many are.

The first planet I played on was blue like that, but had many dense forests and giant mushroom-shaped rocks. Any strange landmarks nearby in your game?

You can spot a huge rock formation in the background in the first pic of the latest update.

Looks so much more beautiful than on my comp :(

Amen to that, my compy is brutal on this game...

Nice work Iggy

Lets keep this going!

The world shifts. Continents morph and alter themselves, mountains rise from the seas. The air whips around at a whirlwind pace, the oceans continue their eternal, tidal pulse.

And the Venarace perseveres.

Of course, the creature does not go on unchanged. Its senses continue to develop, its acid spitting enhances, its simple, bony jaws start to change into a more developed mouth, and a carapace has begun to develop around the animal’s torso- but most dramatic have been the changes to its rear leg.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9122/sporejc3.png

At first its rear hoof began to articulate. What had once been a simple mass of bone at the end of its leg began to split up into multiple, mobile parts. The most interesting result of this, however, was one line of the species, the Fenukacia, which began to lift this articulated hoof into the air to knock down high-hanging fruits. This massively successful behaviour soon became exaggerated, as the Fenukacias spent more and more of their time balancing on their front two legs, and developing their rear into a functional arm.

Millions of years and many epochs have passed. The Fenukacia is more intelligent than ever, and now it is finally capable of manipulating the environment around it.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8224/spore0nu4.png

It is exactly as I had predicted then, no?

It is. Their development has been accelerating at a... dare I say it... a frightening rate.

Frightening? You fear these imbecilic beasts?

I fear what they might become.

You would be a fool to think that the experiment could even prove to be a slight threat to us, Tesho.

I am farsighted, partner Jeshay. Caution is always necessary.

Caution holds you back. The experiment will continue as planned.

The experiment has already strayed off the plan. We must intervene before this behaviour becomes out of control and ruins everything.

Which behaviour?

The violence! Tesho, just watch! What had been, many cycles ago, peaceful, resered, omnivorous animals have now become pack hunters. Their feet are no longer hooves, they are killing claws. They are more- much more intelligent than you continually imply in the reports. The pack leader- it has even been using a stick as a weapon!

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/9503/sporecz3.png

You are a coward, Jeshay! We too were once violent, but we have transcended those ways. Hunting and cooperation are necessary to develop intelligence- species do not become sentient by eating grass and leaves. If you would deny these creatures this right, you would ruin the entire experiment.

Perhaps, but cooperation can be achieved in so many better ways! Collective defense against predators, organized fruit-gathering, anything! But simple, mindless violence? Look at the leader, he kills more than he can eat-

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/6475/spore0wb2.png

He kills more than he can eat so that his family may be fed as well. This is not mindless violence, it is calculated planning.

I... I dearly hope that you are right, but I believe you to be wrong, Tesho.

You shall come to my way of seeing things in time, old Jeshay.

Perhaps- what is that ship?

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8193/sporely6.png

Ship? What is a ship doing here?

There’s no one here but is. It must be- it’s- it’s... my god, no.

No! Send the alert! Send the alert now! We’re found! They’ve found us!

Get out! Get out! Get out of the system now!

Evasive!

Fae was not typical of his species. He was a clever hunter and a particularly strong creature- this was not at all abnormal, as he was a prime example of one of the dominant species of his world. However, he had what many others- if not all others- lacked. Vision.

He opened his mouth and let out a warbling, clicking and only slightly grating cry. The rest of the pack emerged from the nest and surrounding areas, gathering behind him. A series of further cries were made. While many would have taken this to be no more than animal calls, Fae and the others understood it as language- a very primitive and simple one, but language nonetheless.

In his simple dialect, he communicated to his fellows. He told them a story... a story of a dream. A great calling he had felt, to go to a shrine. A massive place it was, of stacked rocks which refused to fall. They had to follow him to the place in his dreams, and there would their path be revealed to them.

Most did not understand at all. However, some did grasp at what Fae spoke, and all followed him. Thus began the great travel.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, but Fae and his followers traveled onwards, until at last, a great rock spire appeared on the horizon.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1530/sporerk1.png

“The shrine from my dreams is here!” cried Fae. He staggered onward, weakened by long exertion and starvation.

The group haphazardly made its way along the home stretch. The shrine was surrounded by a veritable feast of plants and animals. Ravenously, Fae’s people set upon them, and the landscape was stained with blood. While they rested, a light rain came and washed the ground back to its original clean blue.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/7145/spore0io2.png

They slept well that night. Fae rested beneath the rock spires, and was swept into a world of chaos and confusion within his head. And out of this chaos, came his dream. A voice echoed out from the peak of the highest spire to him alone.

“Fae.”

“Yes?”

“You have completed your journey well, and your people are ready. Take stone from my home and strike it upon itself, upon a bed of sticks and dry leaves. When you have harnessed the power granted to you, set out upon the world- it is yours for the taking. Reach for the sky, and search for the horizon.”

With that, Fae was violently thrust back into the waking world. With a shout, he rose from sleep, calling his comrades around himself as he sprinted into the shrine.

“My brothers and sisters, our long travels are over at last, but soon, we shall be setting out upon a greater journey. The dream has come to me again; we are commanded to harness the powers given to us by the world! We shall strive for the world, searching and spreading, never stopping. Upwards, to the Boundless Skies! Onwards, to the Infinite Horizons!”

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/2042/sporelo0.png

Very cool :D Onwards to civilization!

I like that spaceship too, any idea who made that one?

Surely you recognize it... well, if you don't, it will become clear in time.

Hey this is great ! Thanks for that.

After reading a lot about Spore, I'm not sure I'll get it, but your story made me think about it again. I'll see when I'll get my new PC.

A great story, i believe there is a Spore story forum at the official spore forums now.

I love it. I tried to make a creature just like that. Keep Going!

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5903/sporeoy4.png

Fae looked at the end of his Staff, eyeing the wriggling fish with an air of contentment and accomplishment. Placing it into his crudely-woven basket, he set out back towards the village.

This was a time of great changes, and Fae knew it more than anyone else. Many of his people had come to live in the village, swelling its numbers. A round, wooden hall had been constructed for shelter and comfort, and an altar to Seileen, the Voice of the World. Upon it rested the village’s store of food, to receive the blessings of the Voice.

The village was not the only place of change. Fae contemplated the changes in his own people. Shortly after his revelations, and during the construction of the hall, his people had titled themselves ‘Faecua’, the people of Fae. Their leader, personally, considered this to be entirely unnecessary, but his followers were insistent. Extending on this, each villager took a name of their own, partly out of a desire to be like Fae- who had titled himself early in his life simply out of an immature desire to accentuate his uniqueness- and partly out of necessity, to clarify communication.

Visibly, the villagers had begun to clad themselves with various objects. A cloak of shed shells was worn by each, for protection and warmth. Some skilled hunters placed trophies of their successes upon themselves- Fae himself had the skull of a rampaging beast which had once threatened his tribe bound to the end of his staff. Finally, all of the population wore two wooden amulets, one between the eyes and one atop of the mouth, each blessed by the Voice.

Any further contemplations were ended as Fae re-entered the village. A young child, Tapai, smiled up at him, and Fae fluttered his eyes in greeting. Placing the food on the altar, Fae called to several others standing around the fire. The waters were dropping, and soon fish and other animals of the coast would be stranded, and easy to catch.

Thus did daily life go on, in the village of the Faecua. However, Fae had no doubt that things were going to continue to change. Some of his foragers reported a strange bit of the forest, where the trees walked and spoke. Many rich tales were woven around the campfire, and Fae knew that there was some amount of truth in all of them.

Just how much, however, remained to be seen.

Awesome :) I think you've managed to create something truly unique there.

Verae smacked his lips appreciatively, his tentacle-like out-tongues cleaning scraps of fishmeat off of his mouth. It had been a good meal… Verae allowed himself to doze off, to the drone of stories around the fire.

Suddenly, a cry. The Faecua fell silent, Verae roused himself from slumber. The cry called out again, indistinctly.

“Who is it?”

Verae recognized the voice as that of his brother, Serae. He leapt up, grabbing his hunting spear, and ran off towards the sound. He was quick to find it.

Before him was a party of many-limbed beasts, bearing weapons. Below them was the dead body of Serae. Verae’s eyes dilated at the sight. With a feral scream, he flung himself towards the nearest beast, which raised its spear in defense. Verae spat at his enemy at the last moment, then hurled his spear. It struck the beast in the leg, and it reeled back, with a roar of pain. Verae leapt, his talon-like feet landing in the creature’s soft side. Blindly, he kicked and hacked and spat, thinking of nothing but destruction. A thrown spear glanced off of his hard cloak, but the maddened Faecua paid it no heed.

Now, the other Faecua were arriving, some with their spears in hand. Crying out as well, they joined the fray. Spears soon exhausted, they fell into a brutal melee. Talon and claw, tooth and spit flew, and after a few chaotic moments it was over. The invaders were fallen- one last injured survivor made a futile roar, and fled. The Faecua screamed back at him, waving their spears and stomping.

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4866/sporeqi5.png

It was now that the losses were realized. Serae lay dead in the distance- his brother was sprawled much closer, spear still in hand. Cries of rage turned to cries of grief, as the group gathered around the bodies. It was now that the elderly Chief Fae approached the site of the battle.

“Fae!”

“Sir!”

The cries for an answer went unheeded, as Fae dropped to his knees to check Verae.

“He is gone…” spoke Fae sadly. He looked upwards over the carnage, eyes trembling.

“What will we do?”

The entire tribe looked plaintively to their leader, needing an answer.

“Gather the bodies. Those lost are to be consumed- they will strengthen us for the future.”

“The future? What shall happen then?”

“We will do to these beasts what has been done to us. Fraes, Tisae- follow the tracks of these invaders- capture or kill those who escaped. Find their origin, and return to us.”

“Yes Sir!”

“Then…” spoke Fae, very slowly, “We will move against these evil creatures, and destroy them.”

A mixed reaction traveled throughout the village. Some were fearful, others vengeful, but all united in their trust of Fae. The Faecua prepared for war.

Thanks, Iggy.

I'm outraged just reading about this brutal attack. I trust that you will exterminate the enemy tribe in a suitably punishing manner!

PS: Great stuff once again, I really like how you've created a unique and realistic looking race.

Nice start. Planning on finishing? :please:

I'm planning to continue, I'm just going through a really busy stretch of the International Baccalaureate right now.

great story. I might try one of my own maybe ;O