Spore revisited

[Space Voyager]

I'm starting this thread because I used to be thrilled about what Spore promised to deliver. Now it seems that every new piece of info brings a new dissapointment to me.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong, but so far everything except the creator (for creatures and vehicles) is very mediocre.

 

You start as a cell, that's fine. You have to eat your way out of the primordial soup, that's fine. This seems like a mini-pre-game which doesn't bother me at all.

 

Than you go to tribe and city and you suddenly play a RTS game except that (from what I have seen) it is a very simple RTS. Definitely nothing that could compare this part to other RTS games. So it's a mediocre part of the game.

 

The end is when you create UFO and begin your galactic conquest. What the hell? You build a SINGLE UFO and conquer the galaxy? So this part looks like a bad real-time space strategy game.

 

What is the point of this game really? What part are you guys excited about? Can a mix of mediocre parts make a great game? Am I just seeing it all wrong and there are some great things in these parts that I simply don't see?

[Kernel]

I'm still excited about Spore and definatly looking forward to it.

 

I think what will make this game great is the same thing that made The Sims great. It's the fact that you are playing with a creature/person that YOU created, not something that the creators of the game have simply given you. As Will Wright says, it's the fact that you yourself are creating the story, not the game creators themselves, is what makes it fun.

 

The RTS game that is the Tribe and Civilision part of Spore is simple because it doesn't need to be complex. They are but a small part of the game, they arn't supposed to be played on their own like a game of C&C or Warcraft.

 

The Space phase is more like a God game where you can do anything you want. If you don't want to conqure the galaxy then you don't have to. If you want to stay in your little corner of the galaxy and teraform the plants around you and settle them peacefuly theny ou can. If you want to destroy every other creature in the galaxy then you can. It's your choice, do what you want.

 

A great game can be made of mediocre parts as the XCom games shows. On it's own the tactical game isn't that good. On it's own the geoscope part isn't a good strategy game. But combine them and XCom becomes a legendary game.

The "player creating the story" part of Spore also exists to an extent in the XCom games. They are YOUR soldiers that you've taken through the game, it's your base you've built up as time goes on. You're telling their story as you go through the game, and you feel for them when they get injured or killed. Just as it will be with Spore.

[Gimli]

I'm not hyped about it. Back when I saw it, there were a few things that bothered me (not that I could remember what they were). If it's good OK, if it's not, OK. I think you cut out the part in between the cell and the tribe though. Where you're an animal of some sort.

[Space Voyager]

I'm not hyped about it. Back when I saw it, there were a few things that bothered me (not that I could remember what they were). If it's good OK, if it's not, OK. I think you cut out the part in between the cell and the tribe though. Where you're an animal of some sort.

Yeah, you are right. But that part plays (from what I say) mostly the same as the cell stage. Except that you have more cells.

 

@Kernel; I don't think X-COM parts were mediocre at all. It is true that none of them would stand as their own great game, but the parts were well thought out and made - and it took a decade or so to make any of those elements better in another game.

Geoscape was something never seen before. It can't be a game in itself but it is a GREAT part of the game. It did what it was designed to do and it does it well, not mediocre.

 

I wouldn't mind if Spore lacked ANY RTS element, really. I don't need it in a game. But it has one and it is far worse than the same element in other modern games. THAT bothers me.

 

BTW, Lionhead tried something like that in Black and White 2 and it wasn't much of a success.

[Strong Bob]

Spore always struck me as sorely lacking in gameplay, but it was always hyped to such an extreme.

 

Frankly, it's hype seems to stem from the fact nothing like it was made before. And uh... Nothing else. For a while, people were hyped about the concept of "Starting from a cell, then becoming a creature" even though none of us had any idea how the game was actually going to be played. At the time, only a brief teaser existed of cells eating one another. What made that neat, was that it looked uber realistic, as though looking under a microscope, but it was all real time gameplay. But still, there didn't seem to be much indication of how the game played, or even what was happening all that much.

 

To be honest, it seems like the kind of game only an artist could appreciate. Being a game of creation, not any real type of interaction. It's new and original, but doesn't seem fun.

[Pete]

I think you guys may be over-simplifying it somewhat, but I guess we'll only really know for sure when there's a demo of the actual game and not just an editor.

[Slaughter]

E3 2008 Trailer is out.

[Space Voyager]

And a preview of the space stage. I am not impressed at all. Just not my kind of game I guess.

[Space Voyager]

Heh, I was right! Well, or at least this REviewer says it's exactly as I predicted...

 

https://pc.ign.com/dor/objects/735340/spore...iew_090308.html

 

That is what you get for trying to fit 5 games into one. Not only would five good games be too demanding from the developers, they would also be FAR too demanding from most players. Not because they couldn't play all these games but because they don't want to. Some people just don't like all genres.

 

Written review;

https://pc.ign.com/articles/907/907454p1.html

 

8,8 and even that for accomplishments other than gameplay, that is mostly all that interests me in a game...

[FullAuto]

9/10 from Eurogamer.

 

Sounds good. Won't buy it though, as my PC can't run the bleeder.

[Slaughter]

9.1 CVG

[Space Voyager]

8.0 from Gamespot.

 

The bad:

 

* Individual gameplay elements are extremely simple

* Early stages aren't very engaging.

[Space Voyager]

Will Wright's comments on complexity of Spore and how it is made for a casual gamer... Which kinda tells me that I shouldn't buy this game. I don't like Sims and I wouldn't like Spore.

[FullAuto]

Repro of an article from GameIndustry.biz's newsletter on Eurogamer.

 

The reason it's uplifting is because Spore is, in a very pure sense, a videogame. Where other games that excite great public attention - Halo, Grand Theft Auto and their ilk - owe huge creative debts to other media, most notably movies, Spore's genesis and creative evolution is the story of an experience that simply has no parallel in any other medium. It was born, developed and is now being finally released as an interactive experience.

 

What this represents - to me, at least - is a clear example of this medium's own voice. It's a phrase spoken clearly and distinctly in the language of videogames, largely free of loan words and borrowed phrases from other creative media - a form of expression unique to this new medium.

[Space Voyager]

Interesting. All the articles that praise Spore do it for things I couldn't care less about in a game. Your quoted part is a nice example of that...

Spore's genesis and creative evolution is the story of an experience that simply has no parallel in any other medium.

So what, does this make it a good game?

What this represents - to me, at least - is a clear example of this medium's own voice. It's a phrase spoken clearly and distinctly in the language of videogames, largely free of loan words and borrowed phrases from other creative media - a form of expression unique to this new medium.

Yeah, you go on listening to voices, I want to play a great game. That is why I buy... A GAME. When I'll want voices, I'll buy a radio.

 

Sorry for being a cynic.

[Kernel]

Game arrived on the doormat a day before UK release. Started playing early that evening and next thing I knew it was 1am in the morning. Did the same thing the day after. Last time that happened to me was when I first played Civilization.

 

It does have it's flaws but damn it's addictive.

[Slaughter]

Bought it myself today. Installing now. Takes forever. I don't like the DRM (nor EA), but I do wish to show support for the few innovative games out there. Will Wright is one of the few developers out there that still dares go other ways. Will let you know what I think when/if I find time to actually play it.

[Slaughter]

First impression is quite good. Had a good laugh or two swimming around in the first pool as a cell hunting and eating others. The creatures are amusing, and it's all very well done. Just started the first stage on the ground. Still got no arms...

[FullAuto]

Suing over Spore DRM.

 

"...Nowhere in any of EA's discussions, responses or explanations of its DRM did EA disclose that the Spore disk contained a separately-installed, stand-alone, uninstallable DRM program..."

 

The plaintiff and class seek damages in the amount of monies paid for Spore games, legal fees and other damages that in total amount to over $5 million.

 

EA is accused of violating the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, unfair competition and interfering with property.

 

Can't blame them for trying...