Spore

first impressions not good: instant crashes before the splash screen even comes up: bit of googling hints it's the copy-protection and ea-download manager failing

Also, the ea download manager that installs with the game only gives you a login box, you have to search through the manual or google it to find a link to actually register for it...

it's only because i'm looking forward to the game (and online parts) so much that i haven't resorted to a no-cd crack yet :(

EDIT: crashes on vista64 and won't even install in xp64... looking like i may need to install a whole new OS to get this game going :(

Yeah I find it interesting as well that they tout the game as "evolution," but a game based completely on evolution would have no player involvement and thus not be any fun.

Hope no one creates Rimmer world.

Originally Posted by Mentai

Quote:

Originally Posted by impar
Greetings!

The author should have mentioned the three limited activations this game has.

I disagree, it's been covered enough and anyone who would care already knows.

This is the first I've heard of it. And suffice to say, IF I purchase, I'll make sure there's a crack available first. Not that I really care for fighting my games, so I may pass entirely.

I'm going to pass for a while, wait and see what the game plays like. How many people have problems with bugs and security problems. Doesn't really look like what I am looking for at the moment.

No problems installing or running the game.

Have reached the Space Age quiet easily, however it is at this stage my problems start. Was expecting to have a whole galaxy to explore, but end up every time I start defending my two worlds, which get destroyed every time. I'm finding it iimpossible to break out of this cycle, no income, no weapons, no time to gain income, always defending, the Galaxy remains unexplored.

Unless I can find a way out of this vicious circle, frustration will prevent me from from having another go. Guess I'll give it a break, try again another day when I can face defeat again.

Seems that I'm not the only one, judging by the EA Spore forums, which for some reason I'm unable to post on? My account already exists? New account disabled?

Time for a cuppa, chill, relax, load up Lock On instead.

Originally Posted by sotu1
sorry, I so couldn't help myself doing a little editorial there kenco!

shush
:)

It is currently not possible to activate the online aspects of this game if you bought the 'Galactic' edition

http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/spore-technical-support/334814-cannot-login-login-errors-server-problems-1.html

Yay, go EA! morons.

Originally Posted by cyrilthefish
first impressions not good: instant crashes before the splash screen even comes up: bit of googling hints it's the copy-protection and ea-download manager failing

Also, the ea download manager that installs with the game only gives you a login box, you have to search through the manual or google it to find a link to actually register for it...

it's only because i'm looking forward to the game (and online parts) so much that i haven't resorted to a no-cd crack yet :(

EDIT: crashes on vista64 and won't even install in xp64... looking like i may need to install a whole new OS to get this game going :(

What's the error you get on Vista64? I had some trouble getting mine going on 64 too, but I got it moving in the end. Got the 'key can't be authenticated' ****, but there are hundreds of people getting exactly the same (EA servers dead?) so nothing to be incredibly concerned with.

edit: Didn't intend to buy the game, but creating my own race of murerous.. things is actually a lot of fun.

I'm only up to tribal so far but every stage has just been a grind fest, you play for 1 min and you have played the whole stage, I did enjoy the cell stage though seeing a big giant monster thing chasing my little guy :D

I wouldn't be surprised to see this game making its way into high school curriculum for explaining animal behaviour or just dicking around. Definitely an educational application to be had.

Great review. I didn't read the article one bit.

Originally Posted by liratheal
What's the error you get on Vista64? I had some trouble getting mine going on 64 too, but I got it moving in the end. Got the 'key can't be authenticated' ****, but there are hundreds of people getting exactly the same (EA servers dead?) so nothing to be incredibly concerned with.

edit: Didn't intend to buy the game, but creating my own race of murerous.. things is actually a lot of fun.

Got it going just now finally after several complete re-instals.

was getting this error in the crash log each time:

[Instruction data]
01dbbba3 => DasmX86Dll.dll not found

Turns out the EA download manager is just plain broken on vista64, as spore will not start up if it's installed (and the installer installs it by default unless you explicitly tell it not to)

Its very addictive though, and i'm still only wandering around the 2nd stage part :)

I've not had any problems with EA Download Manager on Vista64, but then Spore was one of the first things I installed on my new install.

Originally Posted by cyrilthefish


Turns out the EA download manager is just plain broken on vista64, as spore will not start up if it's installed (and the installer installs it by default unless you explicitly tell it not to)

Its very addictive though, and i'm still only wandering around the 2nd stage part :)

No problems with it on Vista 64 here either, and that's not with a clean system.

A great review once again. I only played around with the creature creator but this looks fantastic. I MUST get this game lol.

Odd, as mine is an essentially clean install too, not much more than steam, firefox and AVG installed so far

Is anyone else here finding the last 2 phases of the game rather un-amusing compared to the first 3?
I'm loving Cell/Creature/Tribal phases(that might be due to my heavy Hack'n'Slash addiction), but as soon as the Civ/Space phase hits, the controls/objectives are just totally wacko and I lose the entire feeling of being connected to my what my critters are doing. >_<

EDIT: i found out what they are doing... as it turns out, when you're exploring,there is no "governor" AI, so everything remains unbuilt unless you build it... Kinda lame, to think you have to hold 30 planets like that >_<

EDIT2:I seem to totally not understand how to keep in control during the space phase ^^
I mean, the first stages are self-explanatory, but the Space hits you and you have to keep on top of like TONS and TONS of functions/vitals troughout an ENTIRE galaxy PER planet :(
+1 vote for a Galaxy Phase/Outer space Phase/Divine Race phase ... Becuz damn, for me it's just too much info at once :p

But it's amazing, as i don't lose out on anything since I can just play my favourite phases over and over! I literally spent 5 hours feeding my cell-critter with bigger monsters XD *Zap,stingsnout combo coolness*

TBH its quite boring i mean yeh wow you get to create your own stuff but its boring as feck

It is an "intelligent" design simulator, which is annoying.. but then again so is that entire side of "god" gaming.. unfortunately the principles of evolution don't lend them selves to an interactive experience.

Will I be able to run this game with all the bells and whistles on a 256MB DDR4 2600XT? You went into things about the settings etc, but didn't actually put any of it in context with some frame rates. I can tell a 4870X2 is going to be extreme overkill, but it would be nice to know the lowest end machine it takes to max out all the settings with 30fps at some standard resolutions... especially on a game like this which the "Integrated masses" might want to pick up.

A fresh start, and the Space Age is far more accomodating now, my humble empire is growing without being ripped apart by angry aliens, it paided to be a bit more friendly with my neighbours, even if it means having to visit them and listen to their petty problems and grips, a bit like real life?

I was suprised how quickly the 'eveloutionary stages' went by, considering all the hype about them, and now I'm left with the Space Age or Galactic Civilisations II+ [the game].

Mind you, I'm having fun with Spore. So long as I get my monies worth judged by my standards, then I have no grounds to complain :-)

Originally Posted by Neoki
TBH its quite boring i mean yeh wow you get to create your own stuff but its boring as feck

I agree, there's nothing to the game.

By the way, Woolworths is selling it for £29.99, which is where I got it. Really not bad! Go Woolies!

Game wise, I'm having fun with it, but I'm getting the feeling they've got this brilliant concept and really quite ingenious selection of progressive, user-desgined systems, and struggled to wrap it in particularly deep gameplay. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it, but it's definitely casual aimed and there's the worry that after a month or so I won't pick it up again. But for £29.99, it aint half bad.

does anyone have the "spore galactic edition"?
I'm just wondering what is in the "Exclusive 100-page Galactic Handbook" that comes with it.

http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&SiteID=ea&Locale=en_US&Env=BASE&productID=97353300

I got the Galactic Edition.
To me, it's well worth the extra fiver. The "How to build a better being" DVD is quite basic, but absolutely fascinating.
I haven't watched the Making of Spore DVD yet, but the clincher is the Art of Spore hardback book - it's quite interesting, definitely!

To answer your question Chris, the Galactic handbook is basically a how-to guide, which goes in depth into each stage, and gives tips on the bonuses you can get for how you play the game.