Template:Phases
Spore can be roughly divided into three distinct game-play segments, themselves again divided into phases. An outline of these divisions is as follows:
- Evolution Segment
- Characterized by direct control over a single creature, with the game-play aims of inter-species competition, that is to say, survival, accretion of 'evolutionary credits' by way of acquiring food, and access to the Microbe Editor or Creature Editor.
- Cell Phase
- Simple single- and multi-celled organism in a two-dimensional 'petri dish' surrounding. The creature editor of this phase seems limited in scope to addition of parts to the original organism, rather than shaping it directly.
- After sufficient accretion of evolutionary credits, this eventually gives way to the
- Creature Phase
- Ostensibly beginning in the sea after sufficient evolutionary credits have been spent to increase creature size. Land and aerial creatures are possible as well.
- By pouring a significant amount of evolutionary points into the Brain category, the creature eventually achieves sentience and the game enters the
- Social Segment
- Characterized by relinquishing control over a single creature in favor of controlling groups of creatures, with the game-play gravitating towards intra-species competition with AI-controlled groups. The Creature editor no longer accessible, however, once the player unlocks them the tool, building and vehicle editors become available.
- Tribal Phase
- In this phase, food is still a relevant resource. Its acquisition pits the player-controlled tribe against AI-controlled others. However, since the evolution aspect of the game ends with the transition to the Tribal Phase, evolutionary credits give way (conceptually, not game-play wise) to cultural credit, represented by the Simoleon icon in the status bar. Simoleons are hereafter used to progress your tribe into civilization through purchasing tools and other items.
- City Phase **This segment has been completely removed from the final game**
- Though mentioned as having a distinct style of game-play associated with it (the SimCity-like aspect that, this being a Maxis game, was bound to be included in some way), it is yet unclear how the transition from City Phase to Civilization Phase is defined or triggered. The transition from solely centering on your city to having diplomacy and trade with other cities is likely linked to the discovery and/or use of vehicles.
- Civilization Phase
- The Civilization Stage is the last planet-centric phase, as the intra-species competition culminates in the quest for cultural dominance over the home planet. This phase is characterized, unsurprisingly, by having a Civilization-like game-play.
- Sandbox Segment
- Characterized by complete control over all aspects of the game that have previously been sequential in nature. All editors are accessible and new ones unlocked during this segment with the appropriate knowledge, such as genetic engineering, cybernetics, etc. Game-play culminates in the "T-bar", that is to say, branching out into mini-games and -challenges rather than providing a concrete final objective for ending the game.
- Space Phase
- Space-faring begins when the player accumulates enough cultural credit, ie. money, to afford buying (or building) the UFO, the "Swiss-army knife" of the later stages. This marks the begin of the exploration and colonization of space, beginning with the home system of the creature. The discovery of the Interstellar Drive then eventually leads to the a full sandbox game-play.
- The player is free to roam the galaxy, making contact with other species by either peaceful or warmongering means.