Spore!

[dauer]

I'm really excited about this game. I keep drooling on myself thinking about it. It takes evolution from the point of a single-celled organism to having god-like powers and intergalactic travel. This is their website:

http://www.spore.com/

It's by the guy who did the sims and has been in production for a long time. It allows you to design your own species. This is a two-part video about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCfAd2fcOlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVuI6TLIlM

If you search there are longer videos but I think they're all from older versions. The creatures created get uploaded to a database where they're used to populate other players' worlds. In the video above one of the things he shows is how global warming can be simulated one at the intergalactic level by pumping co2 into the atmosphere. I'm probably going to have to get a new computer before I buy it but mine's a bit old anyway. I want to make an herbivore evolve to the top on its planet and a carnivore that, instead of attacking, defends itself from predators and kills them, then feasts on their bodies. And I want to make a creature that resembles Mr. Peanut just because.

Dauer

[Faithfulservant]

oh yeah this sounds really cool hehe

[I, Brian]

Damn - there's another of my ideas gone.

[17th Angel]

Awesome! Downloading that one

[dauer]

This is a more extensive video of the game and its features, just about 35 minutes, but it's of an older version. It's very obvious if you look at the graphics.

YouTube - Spore 35min Demonstration from The GDCe

This shows more about the different stages and shows the tribal and civilization stages which the other video skipped over.

[Faithfulservant]

hey Dauer ... Im bumping this thread because I think I saw this game at Frys and I thought of you! Have you played it yet? Is it any good?

[dauer]

The game is not out yet but a release date has been set. It's coming out in September. The creature editor will be released for free a month or two in advance. This is a good article on some of the intricacies of gameplay. It focuses on diplomacy more than fighting which is a path I will likely take first.

Preview: Spore - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

[Alex P]

My bandwidth waits with baited breath to download it.

[gp1628]

Let us know. This is definitely my kindof game. I have developed an above average understanding and interest in mutations because my son is one (he is unique and part of the genome database). I would totally enjoy playing this game.

[dauer]

I have been watching the news updates here: Hooked on Spore - A Spore fansite

And I'm subscribed to the news on the official site. One they release the creature editor I'm going to pre-order a copy. Hey Alex, you might be able to play Spore soon. I forgot about this:

Spore and Dead Space At SCI-FI London | Rock, Paper, Shotgun: Pagans repent! The Endless Bear is your true God

If you scroll down on that page you'll see that there'll be a playable version of Spore in London at the SCI-FI London Film Festival in about a month. Oh and everyone in Europe will get their copies of Spore a few days earlier because pc gaming is bigger there.

gp, the creatures won't quite develop on their own. You'll have to find different limbs etc and then edit your creature. You'll have various points that can be spent in different ways. In that sense imo it's not really a true evolution game but because of the level of customizability and the use of procedural generation and, and, and I think it will still be one of those games that changes gaming. This is the guy who brought us The Sims. I didn't like that but it broke a lot of ground. I think Spore will break even more ground.

[Faithfulservant]

Im anxious to try it.. Spore that is..

and I totally love the Sims..

Its like playing house for grown-ups

one of my favorite things to do is drive around and look at houses.. I love architecture and I imagine how people decorate their houses... then I go home and create the house I saw... and make it better!

Sims also has a large creative fan base that create objects and skins for the game you can download them and put them into your game to use... and its free and neverending.

Its kind of dorky but its a great way to get your mind off things.

Sims 3 is coming out in 2009 cant wait for it

[Pathless]

I used to like to play Sims, too. I like that it's non-violent, and I like that people pee themselves. I like other things about it, too. Swimming, for example. And gay marriage.

Originally Posted by Faithfulservant

I
one of my favorite things to do is drive around and look at houses.. I love architecture and I imagine how people decorate their houses... then I go home and create the house I saw... and make it better!

I like this kind of activity, too. When I'm out walking, if I walk by a house and I can see in the window, I glance in. Not to look for naked people or dogs or anything, but to kind of check out what the inside is like. I like to check out other people's spaces, how they've laid it out and what that might say about what their lives are like. It's kinda creepy, I know. You might want to close your blinds.

[dauer]

I do that in Second Life. I go exploring for different things that people have created. Some of it is really incredible. I found a model someone made of escher's stairs. You could change the rotation of different pieces of it to make it look different. There's a lot of very kinetic artwork too. I walked up to one piece and broke apart into many pieces. I found some mushrooms and when I walked up to them they changed shape. There was an audio exhibit with music created based on the actions of the people who came to see it.

[gp1628]

Second Life is my idea of the future of online social worlds. You can do more than you can in SIMs (well basically you can do anything) and its gotten really interesting there. It has a higher learning curve than something like SIMs or World of Warcraft but the effort isnt wasted since you can make real money at it if you want to.
Second Life: Official site of the 3D online virtual world

[dauer]

Yeah. One of the developers for the combat:SI melee system no longer has to work outside of Second Life. Two of the others are putting themselves through college. I used to be involved in more serious activities in SL including an intentional community and a Jewish sim. At one time I was holding ecumenical 20 minute silent sits 6 days a week via Second Life. I've been there for about 2 years now. If any of you do sign up, feel free to drop me an IM and I can help you get acclimated. I'm Malachi Rothschild in SL.