Replayability, really?

[The Hereafter]

Hello there everyone, I just have a quick question that will be vital to my decision regarding whether or not I'm going to buy Spore!
I've read a LOT of reviews, and quite a few posts around here and I still can't seem to understand if how Spore's replayabilty factor is. I'm a poor student and the games that I buy NEED to be played hours on end in order for me to consider them a good buy, so if anyone could tell me from personal experience if they can see themselves playing this game for a long time that'd be great.


Cheers!

 

[Dale]

The number of iterations of this game are:

((Number of planets in galaxy) - (Number of unhabitable planets in galaxy)) * Number of creatures posible.

A . .. .. .. .ing big number in other words.

 

[The Hereafter]

Yes, obviously I could create a jillion and a half creatures till my eyes bleed, but would it really create a different experience similar to changing your win type in civ?

 

[Dale]

Yes there quite a number of paths you can take. For instance, you could be a massively aggressive carnivore, or a trading herbivore, or religious omnivore, or any other combination. Also the types of creatures you meet along the way help to influence your creation as well. So ultimately, there is a lot of replayability.

 

[Ball Lightning]

There are many different ways to play as Dale has said, and once you get through the first 3-5 hours and you are in the space stage then it is going to be very different every time, like in civ. The civ and tribal stage will be pretty similar compared to the creature and space age, but still provide a a way to lay differently up to about 6 times. And the cell stage i think was made intentionally short as it is pretty similar each time.

 

[GoodGame]

Reference: http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/spore/908134p1.html

 

[Shackel]

"((Number of planets in galaxy) - (Number of unhabitable planets in galaxy)) * Number of creatures posible."

- You forgot the Genesis Device. (Number of planets in galaxy) * Number of Creatures possible

 

[Ambler]

I've found it's pretty replayable so far, simply because of the different stages that you go through, including spending time in the various creators.

I haven't spent too much time in the space phase (relative to the rest of the game), but I find I'll enjoy cell for a time, spend 10 minutes in the creator, get to creature and spend a good hour or 2 there (broken up with, what 5-10 spurts in the creature creator), tribal starts with another trip to the creator for costumes, civ starts with up to an hour or more in various creators for buildings and vehicles, well I think you get the idea of my playstyle! And don't even get me started on the space phase, which is huge (I almost made it to the centre of the galaxy once, and let me tell you there are a few surprises along the way!)

It's good because I'm not min-maxing (especially in the creature phase) but rather going for aesthetics (for example my handless herbivores, as seen here).

 

[GoodGame]

Having now played it 1/2 day, I have to say it's very replayable. The Cell and Creature stage are very replayable because it's not easy to get all the parts in a reasonable amount of time. I find the tribe stage kind of tedious. Hard to get into it except to tweak one's favorite creature.
The Creature to Tribe movie was the best part of Tribe overall.

The Civ stage was a bit off-putting, because I started as religious, and it's less obvious to know how to win, and the other civs are very aggressive. Not having an autosave to reboot makes it fun though, when you wish you could reboot. It forced me to finally figure a crooked path to victory.

Space stage is sort of infinite. I sort of feel that it's not exactly playable, but more obsessive. That makes it fun to start new Cells and Creatures, after the colonization/missions start to become a bit tedious.

 

[Abaddon]

I'm not sure if the question can really be answered until a month or so's time

 

[Ball Lightning]

I'm not sure if the question can really be answered until a month or so's time

I agree. I also think this will eventurally will have one of the biggest modding community as there is so much to mod, yet we wont know how it will end up as there has never been such a type of modding as there is in spore.

 

[sourboy]

Spore has basically 5 games in 1. The space one alone can make for hours of play. The others are playable really for fun initially, or if you want a custom alien in your space (which by then really doesnt matter).

Also, no multi-player really hurts. You will be most satisfied if you like starting as a spore and genetically building your alien, then upgrading it to a race, a civilization, then the fun space stage. It's progression.

If you like pacman (think super-ultra deluxe pacman), the Sims, generic Civ, and a good space game -- yes, you'll be happy. If you like complex Civ4 and the likes, probably can wait for sale price.

 

[Patroklos]

This game has no replayability whatsoever.

Most of the parts you can add to your creature do nothing, the rest are mostly trait duplications with different graphics, and most of those traits are worthless. In other words, you get to play three different ways, omnivore/herbavore/carnivore. Unfortunetly the play differences between the three are near nonexistant.

This game fails at every level, and you know this before you even get to the creature phase.

 

[Chieftess]

Having now played it 1/2 day, I have to say it's very replayable. The Cell and Creature stage are very replayable because it's not easy to get all the parts in a reasonable amount of time. I find the tribe stage kind of tedious. Hard to get into it except to tweak one's favorite creature.
The Creature to Tribe movie was the best part of Tribe overall.

The Civ stage was a bit off-putting, because I started as religious, and it's less obvious to know how to win, and the other civs are very aggressive. Not having an autosave to reboot makes it fun though, when you wish you could reboot. It forced me to finally figure a crooked path to victory.

Space stage is sort of infinite. I sort of feel that it's not exactly playable, but more obsessive. That makes it fun to start new Cells and Creatures, after the colonization/missions start to become a bit tedious.

Does getting new parts carry over to new saves? (i.e., eventually, you could have all the parts in the game) Or, are the Cell and Creature stages the only chance to get parts for that save only? Is it possible to start as a new lifeform from the current space stage and get parts that way in your main game?

 

[Lord_Iggy]

@Patroklos- It is extremely irritating for me, someone who still lacks the game, to hear someone complaining about a game with no replayability.

Put your money where your mouth is- I can give you an address to send it to, so I can play the game (it'll probably be quicker than waiting for EA to send me my pre-order). You don't lose anything- after all, there's no replay value.

 

[Rub'Rum]

Does getting new parts carry over to new saves? (i.e., eventually, you could have all the parts in the game) Or, are the Cell and Creature stages the only chance to get parts for that save only? Is it possible to start as a new lifeform from the current space stage and get parts that way in your main game?

The parts you unlock are attached to the current game/save. They sort of represent what you have done. If you eat vegetation and meat in the cell phase, you will only find omnivore parts. I noticed things like... if you use your "strike" ability a lot, you will find upgrades for your "strike" part. Was I dreaming that?

 

[Ambler]

... if you use your "strike" ability a lot, you will find upgrades for your "strike" part. Was I dreaming that?

To me it seems like you are more likely to get upgrades for parts you have used in your creature - so if you put a certain 'base' hand or mouth on it, you should find 'upgrades' for that part.

 

[The Hereafter]

Thanks guys for all the advice! After much consideration I am indeed going to purchase Spore!

@Ball Lightning- I have have heard nothing of Spore being Modable...by modding do you mean creating different creatures/buildings/vehicles via the creator or is it really possible to mod Spore?

 

[SpurnSpore]

Some people already are. a guy in another fourm has made a liilte program to give you multiple uses of certain weapons, while in the space stage-
Link is here
http://forums.facepunchstudios.com/showthread.php?p=11645353#post11645353

 

[Patroklos]

Put your money where your mouth is- I can give you an address to send it to, so I can play the game (it'll probably be quicker than waiting for EA to send me my pre-order). You don't lose anything- after all, there's no replay value.

Honeslty, I have pretty much already put the game down, not sure if I will pick it back up. The Tribal stage was as challenging as a game of minesweeper on easy, and only 1% as fun.