Lest we forget: SPORE

[Gus Smedstad]

I completely failed my patience resistance roll and purchased a copy at Best Buy.  It's installing (very slowly) as I type this, and no doubt SuckRom is busily raping my hard disk already.

The first four letters of my CD key were BUGY.  I consider this an omen.

 - Gus

[Lorelei]

SPORE "documentary" (about future Ice Age and Spore beasts like "spinx" mole-quails, giant bat monsters, "grassland rattleback" armored armadillo-snake-rodents, "carakilla" egg laying carnivore birds, "snow stalker" polar bear-otter-hyenas, "shagrats" sheep-rat-cow-buffalos, and "bobbakurry" primates)  / "making of" program on Animal Planet cable channel *right now.*

If this is pertinent to your interests, be on the lookout for repeat showings (none listed on MSN's TV Schedule guide, though).

ETA:
The Future Is Wild (& The Making of SPORE)
SUN 9/07 3:00pm EST, ANIMAL 55, 120 mins
Description: Time-traveling millions of years into the future to discover bizarre creatures.

[jsalemi]

I finally got on Twilight Torrents, but they no longer appear to have a Spore torrent.  So it's the long wait, or do as Gus did and just buy the damn thing.

@Gus:  Assuming it's like TS2 and doesn't actually install SecuROM until you run it the first time, you can get a no-cd.exe that keeps SecuROM off your machine.  Of course, you can't go online with the cracked .exe, but that's not an issue giving the informal sharing of creatures here and elsewhere.

[Skadi]

I can throw you an invite to funfile if you want.

Edit: spore patch is for creature creator only, not for the actual gameplay. http://www.spore.com/patch

[kewian]

OH I finally figured out how to get all 6 cell parts. IF you look at the name of the critter your attacking in the plasma it will have a shiny gold part in it , if you need that part. IF you dont have cillia attack an animal that has it.etc..

[Gus Smedstad]

Well, I bought it but it doesn't actually run.  It'll fire up SporeApp.exe as a process, but it just stops, with SporeApp using no CPU time.  I've gone through a large number of supposed remedies, such as re-installing or running as an administrator, none of which has had any effect whatsoever.

At this point I'm looking for a cracked version of the .EXE, but not having any luck.  I'm just not in the practice ARRRing things, so my weak google-fu only turns on a handful of Creature Creator cracks.  GameCopyWorld certainly doesn't have a fix.

So it looks like I shelled out $50 for a coaster.

 - Gus

[Zazazu]

GameCopyWorld doesn't host the cracked .exe, but they link to it at another site.

[lemmiwinks]

SPORE "documentary" (about future Ice Age and Spore beasts like "spinx" mole-quails, giant bat monsters, "grassland rattleback" armored armadillo-snake-rodents, "carakilla" egg laying carnivore birds, "snow stalker" polar bear-otter-hyenas, "shagrats" sheep-rat-cow-buffalos, and "bobbakurry" primates)  / "making of" program on Animal Planet cable channel *right now.*

If this is pertinent to your interests, be on the lookout for repeat showings (none listed on MSN's TV Schedule guide, though).

ETA:
The Future Is Wild (& The Making of SPORE)
SUN 9/07 3:00pm EST, ANIMAL 55, 120 mins
Description: Time-traveling millions of years into the future to discover bizarre creatures.

It was on last night on Discovery Channel (?). I mentioned it in #grah and got minimal response. I was underwhelmed by it.

[Hellyes]

I finally got on Twilight Torrents, but they no longer appear to have a Spore torrent.  So it's the long wait, or do as Gus did and just buy the damn thing.

@Gus:  Assuming it's like TS2 and doesn't actually install SecuROM until you run it the first time, you can get a no-cd.exe that keeps SecuROM off your machine.  Of course, you can't go online with the cracked .exe, but that's not an issue giving the informal sharing of creatures here and elsewhere.

I've been going online with the cracked exe and everything seems to be working fine to me (and SecuROM free!).  It's awesome when other player's creatures are invading your game btw. 


ETA:  You do have to own a purchased game to get a valid registration code to be able to go online though.

[SNUGGLES]

I've been going online with the cracked exe and everything seems to be working fine to me (and SecuROM free!).  It's awesome when other player's creatures are invading your game btw. 


ETA:  You do have to own a purchased game to get a valid registration code to be able to go online though.

Question:  Using a no cd crack...  It let you make a user name and password?  Are you able to use all of the online features and stay securom free?

[Hellyes]

I've been going online with the cracked exe and everything seems to be working fine to me (and SecuROM free!).  It's awesome when other player's creatures are invading your game btw. 


ETA:  You do have to own a purchased game to get a valid registration code to be able to go online though.

Question:  Using a no cd crack...  It let you make a user name and password?  Are you able to use all of the online features and stay securom free?

Yep! You can register for a Spore account as long as you have a valid registration code.  When you install the game, do not start it up until after you install the crack.  Then just start it up normally and you can go online and utilize the full features of the game, minus the SecuROM checks.  My computer still has no SecuROM on it. 

[SNUGGLES]

I do have a "store bought copy."  I got it as an unexpected gift.  I already have the game installed and a no cd in the proper location.  I just haven't done anything else yet til I find out what will get me securom infested and what won't. 

Registering it though will use up one of the 3 limited installs correct?

[Hellyes]

I do have a "store bought copy."  I got it as an unexpected gift.  I already have the game installed and a no cd in the proper location.  I just haven't done anything else yet til I find out what will get me securom infested and what won't. 

Registering it though will use up one of the 3 limited installs correct?

Right.  Each time you use the registration code counts as an install.  If ever you go past the three installs, you have to contact EA and provide your reasons for needing to install again.  I don't know yet if they give you a new one, or just allow your old code through or not.  Time will tell as people reach their limits and tell us what their experience is.

[SNUGGLES]

Is there any benefit from playing "registered"?   Are you missing out on things if you simply play offline with a no cd crack?

Sorry for all the questions.  I am off the philosophy that it is easier to look dumb and ask a question than to take the time to fix your errors afterward. 

[Hellyes]

Is there any benefit from playing "registered"?   Are you missing out on things if you simply play offline with a no cd crack?

Sorry for all the questions.  I am off the philosophy that it is easier to look dumb and ask a question than to take the time to fix your errors afterward. 

There is a noticeable difference when you play online versus offline.  For a few days, I was playing with an Arr'd version offline while awaiting the release day.  Today, as I obtained a legal copy, I uninstalled the Arr'd version and installed the legal copy, put the crack in, and went online quite smoothly.  Then, as I was playing, I was in awe at the invasion of the other player's creatures.  Plus, you can send your creations to your Spore page, and your game stats are added to your online profile, and so forth as well.

[Frally]

I've been playing for a day now and I have a problem - The Creature Stage gives me motion-sickness. I like the game but I can't play it through because the camera moves around way too much. I need a static "birds-eye" view type camera or I start dry-heaving. It's like watching Cloverfield all over again. Anyone else having this problem? Any remedies? I can haz Camera hacks plz?

[Gus Smedstad]

I'm using the No CD crack now, and it solves my problem with the game refusing to run.  So clearly the main thing that SuckRom does it prevent legitimate purchasers from playing the game.

You can indeed go online with a cracked copy if you have a valid registration code.  I've noticed quite a few creatures credited to players.

I'm up through the Tribal stage, and so far I'm pretty underwhelmed.  There just isn't very much to the gameplay, and what's there is very, very repetitive.  In fact, despite the fact that you control multiple creatures, not one in Tribal, and you buy clothing for bonuses instead of body parts, it feels only trivially different from Creature mode.  Hunt for food that you only need sporadically.  Find nearby nests, and either kill everyone or charm them with a Simon game.

Despite what was said earlier in this thread, I'm finding the peaceful route is much, much easier.  Unless the creatures are absolutely hostile - some are flagged that way in Creature mode - it's much easier and faster to run through the Simon game than to attack.  In Creature mode, there's a pretty good chance you're going to get mobbed and killed immediately, though you can sometimes avoid that by picking out an outlier.  In Tribal mode, either is viable, but charming them takes a lot less time.

This game needs more possible interactions and more goals.  Kill X Creatures / Charm X creatures / Domesticate an animal isn't very much.

 - Gus

[Hellyes]

I've been playing for a day now and I have a problem - The Creature Stage gives me motion-sickness. I like the game but I can't play it through because the camera moves around way too much. I need a static "birds-eye" view type camera or I start dry-heaving. It's like watching Cloverfield all over again. Anyone else having this problem? Any remedies? I can haz Camera hacks plz?

If you press Ctrl + Shift + C to bring up the cheat console, you can type "help" for all the commands.  There is a cheat you can type in to use the free cam mode.  I don't know if that might solve your problem, but it can't hurt to try.

[J. M. Pescado]

In Tribal mode, either is viable, but charming them takes a lot less time.

Charming them takes a lot less time, but on the other hand, the option may be less feasible if they are already ATTACKING YOU. The implacability of hostile enemies tends to increase as you move through the game. While I've been told that even hostile tribes can be buttered up with a simple present of food, civilizations and beyond tend to be largely implacable.

[maxon]

I completely failed my patience resistance roll and purchased a copy at Best Buy.  It's installing (very slowly) as I type this, and no doubt SuckRom is busily raping my hard disk already.

Me too - sigh.

I've been playing for a day now and I have a problem - The Creature Stage gives me motion-sickness. I like the game but I can't play it through because the camera moves around way too much. I need a static "birds-eye" view type camera or I start dry-heaving. It's like watching Cloverfield all over again. Anyone else having this problem? Any remedies? I can haz Camera hacks plz?

Crap - I tend to that too.  First person viewpoint games are a complete no-no for me.  PLEASE post any solution you find.

[Zazazu]

Maxon, I get motion sickness from most first-person games like Oblivion. This game doesn't bother me one bit. The camera does not move independently. I almost wonder if Frally accidentally switched camera modes.

In Tribal mode, either is viable, but charming them takes a lot less time.

Charming them takes a lot less time, but on the other hand, the option may be less feasible if they are already ATTACKING YOU. The implacability of hostile enemies tends to increase as you move through the game. While I've been told that even hostile tribes can be buttered up with a simple present of food, civilizations and beyond tend to be largely implacable.

In tribal, it's easy to get them away from not attacking you once you've gotten your tribe set up. I found the key is to have everyone gather until you can spawn your extra babies. Then put two on gather and have the others get instruments. Send them with the chief to do socials. As soon as new tribes pop up, hover over them on your map. If they are ambivalent, ignore them in favor of a hostile tribe. Send a gift to the hostile tribe and socialize them to an ally. If you make a hostile ambivalent and leave them for long enough, they will start to hate you again. Get the Swiss last. Your ideal number of musicians is two per available instrument.

Civilization was definitely a challenge for me. My group was Religious. I don't see how you could play that out nonviolently. It was a bloodbath, and a lot of the blood was mine.

Space...I don't 100% get Space yet. I'm still getting used to the controls, for one. I made fast friends with one group but was careful not to ally yet. Some Deer clan hated me on site and was extorting me for money. Then I took a mission that I didn't realize was in their territory, and they killed me. A lot. Oops. Before that, I was a complete failure at my first terraforming mission. I couldn't get it from T1 to T2.

[jsalemi]

Yep! You can register for a Spore account as long as you have a valid registration code.  When you install the game, do not start it up until after you install the crack.  Then just start it up normally and you can go online and utilize the full features of the game, minus the SecuROM checks. 

Good to know; I'm going to die of old age waiting for the thing to download, and may just buy it (~40% when I left this morning).

[Quill]

In Tribal mode, either is viable, but charming them takes a lot less time.

Charming them takes a lot less time, but on the other hand, the option may be less feasible if they are already ATTACKING YOU. The implacability of hostile enemies tends to increase as you move through the game. While I've been told that even hostile tribes can be buttered up with a simple present of food, civilizations and beyond tend to be largely implacable.

This is only sort of true, in my experience.  By the time you reach civilization stage in the "peaceful herbivore" track, you've got several special abilities that let you persuade recalcitrant cities that they like you.  Also, it's entirely possible to build up enough religious vehicles to convert a hostile city even if they're firing on you.  I wouldn't suggest taking on a powerful warlike neighbor first thing if you can avoid it, but once you've got more than one religious city it's fairly easy.  

Economic power acts almost the same way except that it isn't seen as a threat; send enough trading caravans to a semi-friendly city and they'll offer to sell out in a few minutes.  The econ track also has a "make friends" special ability, I think.  I'm not at home at the moment so I can't check.  The only problem there is when another neighbor takes them over with military or religious power before you can buy them out!  

Admittedly I haven't played on the hard level, which Pescado has probably leaped right into, so our experiences may differ slightly!

While the peaceful route is easier so far, it's also sort of boring.  Simon game over and over and over again.  Once I got to the space mode I was enjoying myself for a while but then found that every five seconds I was being asked to go fight pirates or attackers on any of my allied planets, which got to be a bit much!  Doesn't anyone else have a spaceship?  At that point being warlike might be a lot easier, as you get fewer pirate attacks.  Defeating them isn't hard, but I seem to be defending planets constantly and never being able to play any of the other parts of the game.  

[SNUGGLES]

Thank you for all the info. 

[maxon]

Maxon, I get motion sickness from most first-person games like Oblivion. This game doesn't bother me one bit. The camera does not move independently. I almost wonder if Frally accidentally switched camera modes.

Thanks - that's good to know.  I didn't get as far as Oblivion, Morrowind made me barf big time.  I just got the email to say play.com posted my order.