Topic: Questions on Spore

[fdkotor]

These question I have found not to be answered anywhere clearly so I thought I would ask:

1. Can one create a planetary wide city like Coruscant and how would it actually work in-game?
2. Can you create a spacestation to house people like a transport rather than the UFO?
3. Is the option of domed cities underwater still available even with no water phase?
4. Can two sentients develop on a single planet?
5. If either your city/civ dies during civilization or your UFO/species gets destroy during Space what happens?
6. Is there a tool editor or do you have to use tools created by Maxis?
7. Is there a way to create your own star system in-game?
8. Can one create outpost in gas giants?
9. Since there is no Hut editor how is the hut going to be customized too a tribe?
10. Is there any updates on the release of the plant editor?

[smjjames]

1: I doubt it because of the way the cities seem to be designed.

2: I have no idea, but I think we can make colonies on other worlds, right?

3: I heard something about domed cities, but no idea.

4: yes because in tribal stage, the other villages you meet will be other species. You can also see this in the recent videos that were released.

5: No idea.

6: you'll have to use ones created by maxis as there is no tool creator.

7: No clue. We did see a protoplanetary system in one video, but  that doesn't mean that we can do that.

8: I don't think gas giants are even in the game.

9: We already know that you can choose a color for your tribe.

10: It was cut quite a while ago, but I think someone said that Will was planning on maybe having the flora editor be in an expansion.

[ScotlandTom]

1.  No.  Cities seem to be limited to circular areas with specific build points.  You can't create sprawling cities without borders.
2.  Since GDC 05 we have never seen any indication of any space-based vehicle or structure outside of your UFO.  My guess is no.
3.  No.  Domed cities can still be placed on planets with a toxic or non-existant atmosphere as colonies.
4.  In the tribal phase multiple sentient species will compete for dominance.  By the civ phase there will only be one sentient species.
5.  If your city/civ dies you simply restart at a previous point.  If your UFO dies it re-spawns on your home planet.
6.  No tool editor right now (so far as we know).  This could possibly be expansion fodder.
7.  Star system?  Not that we know of.  Terraforming planets is as advanced as it gets.  Again, this may be expansion fodder.
8.  Not so far as I'm aware.  Gas giants ARE a part of the game however, as we've even seen them in the most recent videos from E3.
9.  Color is the major indicator, otherwise it seems the hut editor has been cut.  Once more... expansion fodder.
10.  No updates.  This is yet another expansion possibility, but it will not release with the game.

[fdkotor]

What I meant by gas giants, smjjames, is a gas planet which I know exist i've seen them in vids.

ScotlandTom I was wondering was what if your home planet was also destroyed what happens then.

The flora editor I thought was going to be a free download or has that changed.

[heirware]

Gas giants definitely exist. you can see em in most videos, and it would make sense for the galaxy to be populated with at least some of them (going with the whole semi-realism with the space phase, nebula, black hole etc)

[smjjames]

huh, I haven't seen them then apparently, the gas giants that is.

As for the space phase, didn't we see a pulsar once? If they have black holes, there should be a couple pulsars.

I wouldn't be surprised if we encountered a supernova or two in space phase.

[ScotlandTom]

ScotlandTom I was wondering was what if your home planet was also destroyed what happens then.

The flora editor I thought was going to be a free download or has that changed.

Your home planet cannot ever be completely obliterated.  That can only happen with the planet buster weapon in the space phase, which (according to the recent Gamasutra interview with Soren Johnson) cannot be used by AI controlled species because it is a super power.

I have never heard of the flora editor being a free download.  It was simply cut at some point and I assume it could come back in a future expansion.

[azareon]

Actually, while your home planet might not be able to be destroyed by anyone else, you will probably have the power to mess it up severely.  In the Brian Eno/Long Now video sequence, Will terraformed his own planet to the point where it was uninhabitable.  I obviously don't know if you can still do this to the same extent, or what would happen if you did.  Either way, if only you can destroy yourself it could lead to some interesting storytelling and discussion.

[Branko]

They writed in one article that some things  cut out will be for free dovnload.

[Spore-addict]

The ai cant use planet buster weapons....

The ai cant use civ super weapons....

Is there really a need for an easy play option...how the hell can it go wrong?

I guess the ai can kill your cities with normal spacecraft attacks but just spam anti air defence!

Can the ai put down land units to attack your city from an spacecraft?

Hopefully some modders can make the ai be able to do some of the more powerfull things...

Oh well a nice sandbox time and that is it.

[Crowster]

The ai cant use planet buster weapons....

The ai cant use civ super weapons....

Is there really a need for an easy play option...how the hell can it go wrong?

I guess the ai can kill your cities with normal spacecraft attacks but just spam anti air defence!

Can the ai put down land units to attack your city from an spacecraft?

Hopefully some modders can make the ai be able to do some of the more powerfull things...

Oh well a nice sandbox time and that is it.

Exactly, because RTS games can never be challenging unless you give the AI a "you lose now" button, and the ability to literally destroy the player's cities and planets with the single use of a weapon. Surely, giving the AI the ability to progress at a faster speed, getting access to new units and weapons rapidly, isn't the mark of a high level of difficulty. Neither is an AI that knows how to pinpoint your weak point and exploit it. It's all about putting an unstoppable tool in its hands that can effortlessly destroy you.

Honestly though, I don't know why people were even expecting a "hardcore gaming experience." The name Maxis is synonymous with the sandbox experience. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single game that they have ever developed that actually had a structured goal. Maybe they weren't all piss easy, SC4 is actually quite the challenge ... but it's not a hardcore gamer challenge. I was actually surprised when I found out that they were even going to HAVE difficulty levels. I mean, there ARE plenty of hardcore RTS challenges out there, for those who want to partake.

I don't know how difficult the "hard" setting will actually be. I have a feeling it isn't going to pose too much of a challenge to a real RTS veteran. I'm not trying to say that Spore is going to be "teh hardcorez" or anything, just that ... not giving the AI some kind of uber godly ability should, in no way, be the indicator.

[Gungnir]

Is there really a need for an easy play option...how the hell can it go wrong?

Listen to the interview with the guy from the Civ team. Or read it...I dunno, It may have been a 1up podcast. Anyway, easy mode is for people who have never played RTS's, or those who want sandbox gameplay with no interference. Normal is for people who would like some challenge, but still want to play it mainly as a sandbox. Hard is for people who want a tough game.

I think the titles are misleading, though. They should at least carry explanations for casual gamers who don't know much about difficulty levels.


And on the topic of planet buster/civ super weapons. It's no FUN! Seriously, think about it for a few seconds. You're going along nicely, although you may be struggling slightly to gain an advantage..and then BAM! All your cities have converted to your enemy's religion/their economic system, or they are all dead. Not fun.

[Crowster]

And on the topic of planet buster/civ super weapons. It's no FUN! Seriously, think about it for a few seconds. You're going along nicely, although you may be struggling slightly to gain an advantage..and then BAM! All your cities have converted to your enemy's religion/their economic system, or they are all dead. Not fun.

Exactly. These super items aren't part of your normal RTS weapon roster. It's not like you're playing Civ 4 and the AI isn't allowed access to mechanized infantry or something. This is, quite literally, keeping a "win" button out of the hands of the AI. It's really kind of a no brainer that these weapons shouldn't be given to the AI.

If you ask me, the "hard" difficulty level should do the opposite. Instead of giving the AI access to the superweapons, it should, instead, take them away from the player, or at least put some kind of crazy limitation on them, and to be fair, we don't know that they HAVEN'T done that. All we know is that the AI can't use them.

[greyarea]

UFO destroyed = respawn on home planet

http://www.gamingsteve.com/blab/index.php?topic=13487.0

[Lippy]

gas giant screenshot

The gas giants have a procedural shader on them that animates the surface of the gas giant naturally.  It should be great.