Spored out of your mind?

[Lantyssa]

As for the Civ phase, you need to become an economic powerhouse so that you have more spice than you know what to do with.  Build as many vehicles as you can, claim all the spices nodes you can see right at the beginning, and open up trade routes as soon as possible.  If someone doesn't want to trade with you, send him a big pile of money and ask again.  Buy cities as soon as you possibly can, since they add their spice flow to your own.  Then, when you basically have spice coming out your ears, you can maintain good relations with everyone, even if they're all mortal enemies, by sending them presents.  You'll take a -20 from doing trade with their enemies and a +40 for bribing them to their eyeballs.

I started as Military because of the aforementioned Tribal phase.  I had to take over a city to get the option for economic victory.  At which point three other civilizations declared war on me, and I couldn't get them to back off.  It went downhill from there.

[Lantyssa]

List of Buddies I've gathered:

SpaceYoru
AezZea
driakos
MrBart
MisterNoisy
Lantyssa

Feel free to crib and add to the first page, Yoru.  Doubt even I will find it here on page four in the future.

[Samwise]

I move we start a new thread just for buddy IDs so we don't have to mod-edit new ones into this thread's first post to keep them in one place.

[UnSub]

On a side note, why couldn't they have made the game require a login to an account (ala mmorpgs) before playing?  Seems that would nip the [Securom] issue pretty quick, it works for WoW and the others. 

Because people complain about this too, especially for single player titles. DRM = any kind of copy protection players choose not to like. Hell, even looking stuff up in a manual to enter a code word would be considered DRM by today's standards.

[Sky]

Can't wait to see some f13 creations show up. I forgot my login for my original account for the creature creator, so those few guys don't show up on my spore page. But when it uninstalled I saved the critters and had my orcs show up on Meepthorp. Too bad the gang was full by that time, would've been cool to have a henchman of my own creation. I wonder if once you start making spacecraft if they show up as crash landing or abductors?

[Morfiend]

List of Buddies I've gathered:

SpaceYoru
AezZea
driakos
MrBart
MisterNoisy
Lantyssa

Feel free to crib and add to the first page, Yoru.  Doubt even I will find it here on page four in the future.

Could you guys try and add me, so far I cant find a single person by searching for their name. Mine is "Morfiend".

[Yoru]

The search function is dodgy sometimes; I find that new accounts often don't show up in search for several days.

I did find a workaround for this:

• Go to http://www.spore.com/sporepedia in your web browser of choice.
• Click on ‘log in’ in the upper-right corner of the screen.
• Log in.
• Put http://www.spore.com/view/profile/<sporename> into the address bar and hit enter.
  <sporename> should just be whatever your friend’s Spore Account Name (not email address!) is.
  So to get to my profile, you’d go to http://www.spore.com/view/profile/SpaceYoru
• When this page loads, there should be a yellow plus (+) symbol next to your friend’s Spore Name. Click on this. The plus symbol will disappear.
• If you navigate back to the Sporepedia page (click on it in the menu at the top of the screen), you’ll see your new buddy!
• Next time your Spore client updates (might require a client restart), it’ll download fresh new buddy content. Yay!

[Samwise]

AHA!  I was trying to figure out how to add buddies from the website and couldn't.  That makes things much easier, especially with the profile links in the other thread.   

Also, looking at Yoru's profile page has given me an idea.  Tonight I'm going to try to make a building or vehicle that looks like a  so I can set it as my avatar.

[Lantyssa]

Could you guys try and add me, so far I cant find a single person by searching for their name. Mine is "Morfiend".

I was able to get you from the in-game browser.

[Khaldun]

I ended up creating a new Creator name from my Creature Creator one, and what's really odd is that the creatures I made on my Creature Creator name have appeared in the current game, but that you can't see those creatures if you search for the profile of my previous name. Also there's a long lag time--stuff my daughter and I made last night up through Civilization isn't showing today in our profile.

[Righ]

So you can purchase and direct download the PC version but not the Mac version? WTF?

Is this what you're looking for?

As an aside, the Mac version also uses SecuROM DRM, except that because the game is 'ported' using the Cider/Cedega software that abuses the WINE open source project's code, its rather easier to remove once you are done with the game. You're still renting the game for three installs plus however many more you can wrangle out of EA during the time that they deign to 'support' the product.

I may buy rent this, but I'll probably put it on my sacrificial Windows gaming notebook, not on a more important Mac. I'm pretty confident that I can un-hook the rootkit later - I'm more concerned about the limited installs, and by the sounds of it this is a game for now, not one I'll care about coming back to in a couple of years after EA have stopped supporting it. But can you imagine how bad it would be if SecuRom was on the now largely unsupported Alpha Centauri? Come to think of it, maybe I'll just play a quick game of SMAC first.

[Soln]

so you guys don't worry about the DRM?  Can you explain why? (i.e. you feel confident about removing it from the registry down the road etc).  Just looking for reasons to play.

[bhodi]

Can you explain why?

I'll be frank. No one is going to be playing this game in a year, much less 10.

It had some neat ideas; Creature DNA embedded into pictures, for example, but the game itself is extremely shallow and won't hold up very well over time. With it's extremely limited customization, it's got minimal replay value beyond playing with the creature creator.

[Righ]

so you guys don't worry about the DRM?  Can you explain why? (i.e. you feel confident about removing it from the registry down the road etc).  Just looking for reasons to play.

As far as the 'rootkit' implications of the DRM are concerned, I am fairly unconcerned. Although the behaviour of hiding the DRM libraries and drivers is unpleasant and merits comparison with malware, the software is not especially belligerent. It is there for the purpose of stopping the average consumer from trivially copying the game and giving it to their friends, not to undermine your privacy or to enroll your computer in part of a spam botnet. At worst, it could cause your system to be unstable, prevent some software working or reduce the lifespan of your removable media devices. However, since for even a a marginally technically minded individual with access to a search engine its possible to remove it, and since if you use a DVD drive so often as to tax the mechanism you'll want to upgrade it before it gets worn anyhow, its of no great concern. It's wrong that these idiots are selling software with this junk loaded, so its valid to make a stand and not buy the software out of consumer protest. However, its not of great risk should you want to play more than you want to 'send a message'.

The greatest problem remains the limited number of installs. Frankly this is probably of little concern for a game like Spore, where the replay value is low. Its more of a concern with a game such as Mass Effect. For that EA's management should die in a boardroom fire.

[Bzalthek]

Rumor is EA got both Amazon and Gamespot to nuke any Anti-DRM review.

[Prospero]

Looks like there are still 1700 1 star reviews.

[Bzalthek]

Odd, Amazon.com has over 1700, Amazon.co.uk has 15.

[schild]

Co.uk was deleting them.

[Sky]

Can we split the DRM conversation into another thread for people who give a fuck?

[OcellotJenkins]

So you can purchase and direct download the PC version but not the Mac version? WTF?

Is this what you're looking for?

Yeah I finally found that but it's really strange as of last night there was absolutely no mention of a mac version of Spore on EA's website.

[LK]

Frankly this is probably of little concern for a game like Spore, where the replay value is low.

I swear to god if you told me a statement like this a year ago, I wouldn't have believed you.

[Aez]

The installation limit is going to be hilarious if they ever release more than 2 expansions.

[OcellotJenkins]

The installation limit is going to be hilarious if they ever release more than 2 expansions.

It seems ridiculous to think they will really keep that limit in place.

[naum]

http://antispore.com/
Resisting EA’s War on Creationism

Is this for real?

[Sjofn]

My user name is - brace yourself - Sjofn.

[Rasix]

Durrrr

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=14416.0

[Azazel]

http://antispore.com/
Resisting EA’s War on Creationism

Is this for real?

it looks too heavy-handed to be for real. Must be someone's bad joke.

[Sky]

Especially since Spore is Creationist...

[Sky]

Lantyssa's Empire is my bestest buddies. But Shavnir's empire has declared war on us and Reg's empire stopped trading and is also probably going to declare war. You guys are so mean.

edit:

I restarted a new civilization due to being ganged-up on in Space.  It got annoying having to return to my home planet every two minutes to defend it from the three civilizations who hate me.

This. This is annoying, I guess this is where they try to add game for all the people bitching here about it not being gamey enough (and who wouldn't like it anyway). I want to do some trading, some exploring, some planet building and sculpting. Instead I'm dealing with Shavnir and Reg skull-fucking my 3-empire alliance because we haven't pumped out warships.

I know some of it is learning the tools properly, but it's a harsh introduction because my first space race is basically fucked while I learn how to play. Ah, well. Still mostly fun, and will be better when I can smack down the military aggressives with my hippy music and religion...

[MisterNoisy]

http://antispore.com/
Resisting EA’s War on Creationism

Is this for real?

No

But the Bible teaches us that God was not done with man. For we were His creation and He then spoke to Noah in Genesis 8:21-27 after the flood.
“21. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never gonna give you up.
22. “Never gonna let you down.”
23.”Never gonna run around and desert you.”
24. “Never gonna make you cry.”
25. “Never gonna say goodbye.”
26. “Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.”
27.”Never truly believe anything you read on the Internet. There will always be cases of Poe’s Law.”

It’s these teachings that I’ve spent my life learning, believing and becoming, that have made me the woman that I am today.

[naum]

Ah, I see, the Rick Astley good book...

http://antispore.com/
Resisting EA’s War on Creationism

Is this for real?

No

But the Bible teaches us that God was not done with man. For we were His creation and He then spoke to Noah in Genesis 8:21-27 after the flood.
“21. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never gonna give you up.
22. “Never gonna let you down.”
23.”Never gonna run around and desert you.”
24. “Never gonna make you cry.”
25. “Never gonna say goodbye.”
26. “Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.”
27.”Never truly believe anything you read on the Internet. There will always be cases of Poe’s Law.”

It’s these teachings that I’ve spent my life learning, believing and becoming, that have made me the woman that I am today.

[palmer_eldritch]

Lantyssa's Empire is my bestest buddies. But Shavnir's empire has declared war on us and Reg's empire stopped trading and is also probably going to declare war. You guys are so mean.

edit:

I restarted a new civilization due to being ganged-up on in Space.  It got annoying having to return to my home planet every two minutes to defend it from the three civilizations who hate me.

This. This is annoying, I guess this is where they try to add game for all the people bitching here about it not being gamey enough (and who wouldn't like it anyway). I want to do some trading, some exploring, some planet building and sculpting. Instead I'm dealing with Shavnir and Reg skull-fucking my 3-empire alliance because we haven't pumped out warships.

Um, is it possible to build warships?? That would help a lot of it is possible. I thought it was just the player and their fleet (the ships you get from allies).

I find being at war with more than one empire at a time is a real pain. It seems to be generally possible to keep them sweet if you start off on the right foot, though. Say hello when you first enter their space, give them some cash, do a mission to them and you're fine. Later on you can blast them with a happy ray which makes them like you more, or put an embassy on their planet.

Simply going to talk to them and trading with them every so often seems to make them like you too.

[Lantyssa]

Lantyssa's Empire is my bestest buddies. But Shavnir's empire has declared war on us and Reg's empire stopped trading and is also probably going to declare war. You guys are so mean.

Which one of mine?  I'm so proud of all of them, but I'm curious.

I've got Meeps all over the damn place with the Floranna.  Ran into them in creature stage, on the tribal map, and it seems every other planet.  No sentient ones yet, but it's only a matter of time.

[Reg]

I'm shocked that my guys would declare war on anybody. I've made two races and they're both peaceful, friendly herbivores! I use Meeps as one of my standard animals to spread around when terraforming and am best buddies with the Floranna. The Floranna have great ships. They're only ally I have that doesn't die instantly in a fight.

My worst enemies are the Freedom Sharks. Do they belong to one of us?

I was having a lot of trouble with the space stage of the game. I just can't get the hang of the radar so when I get sent to kill off the 5 glow in the dark animals to avoid ecological catastrophe while a timer counts down in the background it causes me massive frustration.  I cured that by completely ignoring such things. After a few species go extinct there's a final mission that tells me to stabilize the ecology by restocking the planet. I fly over, dump a load of Meeps and bask in the admiration of my allies. :)

Another sometime buddy is the Cenophite Empire. Is that one of yours Aez?

[Sky]

Floranna, and they have a ship in my fleet, too! You'll also be happy to know your empire is that atrocious awful loud pink :) Mine is a nice dark Murple.

My Meepship pretty much sucks, I was just in a hurry to explore space last night. Decent HPs, though, I guess.

Reg, I did try to bribe your Bortax but they jumped Lantyssa's empire and took over an arm of her territory, so she kept asking me to join the fight. When I did you started to whomp both of us with a big fleet. Either I'm slow or the AI might cheat a bit, since everyone seems to have big fleets and tons of systems, I've got two ships in my fleet and three systems.

I am getting the hang of it finally, I restarted before the big war (didn't save on exit) and so far it's still a border skirmish. Trying to make nice with Shavnir's Seren empire, too.