Things you'd like to see fixed/changed in SPORE

[kattenijin]

Now that I've played the game a few more times, I'm not quite as upset as I was the first time I got into space, I was clobbered HARD! It seems that the starting conditions are random each time you reach that level.

However, there are a few things I'd like to see "fixed":

1) Ask an ally to STOP attacking another empire, not just start.

2) Ask ally to be ally with OTHER allies. The game I'm currently in has three of my allies each attacking the other, and my relationship score with each is dropping because If I help one, I'm attacking the other!

3) If a planet has the uber-turret object, and the three cities have maxed regular turrets, it shouldn't need you to repell attacks...

***SPOILER ALERT!!!***

If one of the goals is to reach the center of the universe, it's annoying as heck to have to back-track every time some planet is getting raided.

EDIT: And maybe I've just missed it, but is there someway to stop the cut-scenes from happening at EVERY event?

[SimJymm]

I'd like to see my creature evolve rather than having the ability to completely redesign it from the ground up. I know I can play my creature and pretend it's evolving. It would be nice if there were two modes available to play the creature, one being the sandbox way it's done now and the other where the creature randomly evolves and you are given some input on what direction you hope it would change.

[HystericalParoxysm]

Hit ESC to skip the cut scenes.

I'd -love- a "copy common parts" feature for buildings and vehicles. I hate having to rebuild something from the ground up every time - I wish it could just start me off with the exact same building - minus any special parts for that building type (like the video screens for entertainment, for instance) so I can just edit it as desired. Same with the vehicles - if I want to build a religious vehicle, take off whatever weapons I have on my military vehicle and just give me the template so I can slap on some of those horns or whatever they are.

MORE STUFF TO DO IN ALL THE STAGES. It's painfully obvious that a lot of it has been stripped out for expansions, leaving you with very little to do per stage. As soon as you get the hang of something and begin looking for more complexity, it's time to go to the next stage.

Oh, and the ability to skip stages (god I hate tribal and civilization).

[kattenijin]

I've been using the ESC key so much, if I have to hit one more time, I'll probably break it lol! (Then I'll need a new keyboard, and with my luck it'll use up an activation) I was hoping to nerf them entirely *sigh*.

[coltraz]

Hit ESC to skip the cut scenes.

I'd -love- a "copy common parts" feature for buildings and vehicles. I hate having to rebuild something from the ground up every time - I wish it could just start me off with the exact same building - minus any special parts for that building type (like the video screens for entertainment, for instance) so I can just edit it as desired. Same with the vehicles - if I want to build a religious vehicle, take off whatever weapons I have on my military vehicle and just give me the template so I can slap on some of those horns or whatever they are.


YES!
It's really difficult, too, to get matching windows on your buildings if you alter the default size of a window, then grab the same one and try and alter it the same way... it rarely works out perfectly, so you end up with several windows that aren't the same size by very slight measurements. There should be a way to copy one window and paste it.

[Cloudchaser]

Well, if you're just messing with the same building/vehicle, you actually CAN copy the parts. Hold down ALT and click and drag on the selected accessory and you'll get a copy of the thing as you've modified it.

[Safyre420]

I've played a bit in my friends game (ended up skipping tribal and civilization since they played those after I played cell and creature). I played Space age today and I like it the only thing I hate is that I have to skip around a system I want to go to so I can get close enough to get to it, ie from system a, go to system c then d to get to b.

[coltraz]

Well, if you're just messing with the same building/vehicle, you actually CAN copy the parts. Hold down ALT and click and drag on the selected accessory and you'll get a copy of the thing as you've modified it.

Orly?!!! thanks! :D will do that.

[Jovahna]

I agree wtih uber-turret thing. It's so annoying to travel all that way back to help that planet and basically just watch the uber-turret destroy all the invaders on it's own.

I also don't like when an ally calls on you to save them from the Grox and then after you've chased them off the ally gets mad because they were trying to make friends....or something. It's annoying.

Cloudchaser thanks for the copy parts tip, I had no idea you could do that.

[Delphy]

It seriously needs the ability to actually BUILD FLEETS. Seriously, one damn spaceship for an entire empire? I think not.

Even if you just make spaceships expensive, and have them under computer control and they ONLY defend planets... that would be fine. Becuase then it means you CAN go and explore the galaxy. Right now you get like 3 stars away and everybody is like "Onoes! We are under attack! Come help us!!" and it's annoying. It really detracts from the game.

[Cloudchaser]

Exactly. . . fleets and defense. Space is the real meat of this game, and being called in to defend every little raid is annoying. It also really takes away the feel of having an "empire" if you can't have underlings to command.

Another tweak I'd very much welcome in space phase is easier access to information. To see how much spice a planet has, you have to physically go to that system and enter the system view. Why isn't there an empire-wide planetary status display?

[SimJymm]

It seriously needs the ability to actually BUILD FLEETS. Seriously, one damn spaceship for an entire empire? I think not.

Even if you just make spaceships expensive, and have them under computer control and they ONLY defend planets... that would be fine. Becuase then it means you CAN go and explore the galaxy. Right now you get like 3 stars away and everybody is like "Onoes! We are under attack! Come help us!!" and it's annoying. It really detracts from the game.


Probably will be done as an expansion pack!?

Here's an interesting article that gives "8 Things 'Spore' Needs to Do Better"
http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=10172706

[miss_name_hater_SC]

3. Most of the adornments in Tribal Phase clash wildly with the creature anatomy. My creatures all ended up with face masks clapped to their backsides and loin-skirts dangling from their spindly legs or arms because the parts don't jibe with your creature's physiology. I realize there's no easy way to make one-size-fits-all regalia for such a potentially multifarious range of critters, which is why skirts and shields and masks ought to go, and smaller bits like a whole range of shamanic jewelry would work better here.

THIS! It really irritated me during the tribal stage.

I want evolution to actually matter, more depth to each stage and the ability to skip cut-scenes.

[Cloudchaser]

You can actually skip most cut-scenes with the escape key.

[SimJymm]

You can actually skip most cut-scenes with the escape key.
True, but it would be nice to have an option to toggle them on and off.

[Delphy]

Cloudchaser, an Empire wide status screen would be great. Unfortunately, though, unlike in games like Moo or GalCiv, each planet can have multiple cities in different stages of development, whereas in those other 4x games they are 1 planet alone.

Even so, a screen that shows all your colonies with maybe a toggleable list of how many buildings vs max, spice production, etc would be great.

Oh and one other thing - it would be nice if trade routes actually did something. Right now they only seem to allow you to buy a star system - but thats not what a trade route is! If they actually brought in money that would be great.

I'd also like to see the ability to "beam" or "transport" spice from one planet to another. It'd add time onto the spice generation, but it would be nice to collect it from a single planet thats a spice "depot" rather than having to fly to every.single.planet.you.have just to collect it. If we couple the depot idea with the fleets for defense and the trade routes actually making you money idea... well then it starts to feel like a galactic empire.

Right now it's just one spaceship flying around and no sense of scale in terms of what you build

[cooljyl_SC]

Delphy and Cloudchaser, I agree, defending planets is really a huge pain. I just bought the wormhole key, and while I was in deep space exploring, my colony was attacked by my enemy. Thankfully, I was a shawman.

[Safyre420]

Even so, a screen that shows all your colonies with maybe a toggleable list of how many buildings vs max, spice production, etc would be great.


I totally agree, but I'd take it a bit further and have it show what plant/animal species are there, what is needed to stabilize the ecosystem. I'm currently terraforming and I've started making a spreadsheet(which I admit should have started as I got to space age) and it's quite the task now since I have to fly to each on of my 11 star systems and visit each planet individually just to see what I need and what not. You'd think that being a space faring civilization that you'd keep actual records that you can access anywhere(instead of just on that planet) of each of your planets and even planets that you've visited.

[Delphy]

Yeah I agree Saf, there where a number of times terraforming when I'd forget to pick up X herbivore or Y plant and end up not being able to populate the planet properly.

I think a lot of these things fall under the statement: "If this really was an empire, they wouldn't be doing it like this!"

[Cloudchaser]

I recently tried out the Ecologist trait and its "Safari Vacuum" ability.

I really liked the shaman's Return Ticket, but the ability to suck up two of every species on a planet with a single click REALLY makes terraforming more convenient. Even if it does have a kinda longish cooldown.

[kattenijin]

In the cheat box you can type "SetConsequenceTrait Space_xxxxx" where xxxxx is:

Warior
Wanderer
Scientist
Bard
Trader
Diplomat
Shaman
Ecologist
Zealot
Knight

This will change the special abilities.

[Jovahna]

I recently tried out the Ecologist trait and its "Safari Vacuum" ability.

I really liked the shaman's Return Ticket, but the ability to suck up two of every species on a planet with a single click REALLY makes terraforming more convenient. Even if it does have a kinda longish cooldown.

An easy little terraforming tip is reuse your plants and animals. I carry around 1 of everything I need to take a planet from T0-T3. As soon as I beam it down to the surface and it shows up on the food web I beam it right back up. I repeat over and over again on every planet I colonize. What I lack in variety I make up for in speed. This method makes terraforming incredibly quicker.

I know that's a bit off topic so...

I wish it were possible to eventually befriend the Grox. Right now I have no idea how to defeat them, seems quite impossible. They're attacking my colonies nearly non-stop which is, needless to say, incredibly annoying and off-putting.

[Safyre420]

I managed to improve my relationship with them on my way to find Sol, and I got 1m sporebucks off the mission they gave me, but I got lost and passed through their territory again and they started attacking my ship and my ship blew up on of theirs, now they're at war with me XD

[Delphy]

The whole "constantly attacking colonies" is very offputting. If I build a ton of turrets *and* have the mega turret, why do I personally need to go to every single planet under attack and fight them?

[kattenijin]

The only problem with befriending the Grox, is that EVERY other race there is will be against you lol!

[AndaleTheGreat]

Let's see.
1 - My lizardmen look ridiculous in tribal so I stopped there with that species.
2 - My thing I wanted to make into a crab I can't cuz expanding means getting fat when I want to be wide.
3 - I still don't know what "theme"s are for. I hear they make it so you can set a group of critters you want on the planet, but I don't know how to make/find a theme.
4 - Auto-skio of cutscenes I can live without, but seriously, let me turn off the pop-ups. Maybe I missed a setting, I will look again.
5 - More stuff doesn't seem to add up. I used those little tentacle things to make a bearded dragon, but it was still a charm lvl 1 with like 6 sets on him.
6 - I feel the complication meter is too small sometimes.
7 - I think that from egg to egg you should have some limit on what you can change. I got bired yesterday between eggs and turned my spider into a cat.

Now that I know about tribal I plan to enjoy my critter til the end of creature, then turn them into upright bipeds (or variant) before I go into tribal. I lose the feeling of that same creature tho. Seriously, I loved my gecko/scorpion that attack AND picked fruit with his arm/tail. :)


+8 - Why aren't palmfeet (hands for feet, ie "simians") useable as hands too? I figure it probably is hard, just sucks cuz I can't make my western dragon.

[That Other Guy]

spore could use an optional early civ/medival stage, so like tribal it's just infantry, and your actions with oters, and what buildings you make influnce civ stage. and the ability to build fleets in space stage, and designate what type of ship is made ie, you and allies make up 1st fleet, do what ever, the second fleet is economic, and the 3rd fleet is home defense. so you perform all duties until the fleets are built, then, when an apropriate event happens a fleet is sent, and you have the option to assist, for badge points ect, when at war, you can rally the fleet to help you take a world, ie maintain air cover while you bomb the cities. wow, i talk alot. Later

[sims3king]

There are many things I would love changed.

For starters, I hate that damn camera in Tribe Stage! Its so jumpy and crazy! First time I played, I was lost with that camera. Speaking of Tribe Stage, they need to make it more clear as to how and what you are to do. Once again, I was lost, 100% clueless in Tribe Stage.

They need to add more human-like parts. I know the whole point is to create odd, weird creatures, and not humans, but I'm still eager to play as a human in this game.

I would love it, if it was easier to terraform. I hate how if you are terraforming a planet, and then have to go do some stuff, and you come back to see its dropped from T2, to T1.

The Grox. They need to make it so we can become friends with them a hell of a lot faster. You do nice things for them, and they still blow you up. Its painfully hard for me at least, to get to the center.

And some other minor things, like making the Tribe Stage longer, as its my favorite one, and bringing back those cell parts they took out of the game.

[JackalRiot]

I agree with most that has already been stated. But also I would like a greater variety in the music that is being played in the space stage. The current music creeps me out s:

Another thing is the planets you get to choose from. I realize that if you blow one up, another one will appear. But I'd like to be able to choose which kinda planet I want it replaced with - I really can't stand the reddish ones s:

They need to add more human-like parts. I know the whole point is to create odd, weird creatures, and not humans, but I'm still eager to play as a human in this game.

I actually managed to make a pretty believable human, I think. Only thing is the whole 'neck deal'. It's so wobbly, so if they e.g. in tribal stage decide to jump, their heads go into their chests s: