I'm starting a new thread on this because the other one on the front page is more about tech help than the actual game.
First impression, wow, this is really cool! HEY! STOP TRYING TO EAT ME!
Cell stage was fun, and a nice introduction to the world of spore, and creating your creature. (I never downloaded the creature creator, I wanted to wait till I had the full game.) A single play through of the cell stage was all I really needed, I probably won't go back unless I get the unhealthy desire to get all the achievements.
Creature stage, again, fun, but a little dull. You can't stack attributes, so building your creature boils down to min/maxing your stats to get the best combat or social abilities depending on your play style. This realization was a bit of a letdown for me, I was hoping I could stack wings to make an herbivore able to pluck fruit from the tallest trees. I wish I could make a quadruped, or sextuped, and get blazing speeds. You can't... lame.
Tribal stage, this is where I start to get really let down with this game. How the hell do I convert an angry tribe into a friendly tribe? Every time I go to offer food as a gift, I get thwomped, or I accidentally try to steal food instead. It's frustrating, and there is no clear way to convert them into a more sociable tribe. Is it just not possible to win this stage without killing off a tribe or two? If so, that's really really lame. And what the hell are domesticated pets for anyway? You can't ride them, they just stand around in the little pen behind your hut, and that's about it.
Civilization stage, I gave up on winning with a social victory in the tribal stage (on my first play through) so, the civilization stage boiled down to nothing more than 1. Amass an army, 2. Crush other tribes, 3. Replenish army as they die. I didn't have to fight at all to maintain a steady resource flow here. I flew through this stage, and I feel very unsatisfied. I know the hype for this game was astronomical, but this part of the game I had the most hope for. I was praying for Civilization, what I got was something far more basic.
Space stage, here is where my love of the game is starting to be rekindled. I enjoy the exploration, and the sheer amount of upgrades and miscellaneous other bits of entertainment. Finding artifacts is kinda fun, and interacting with other species is entertaining. I haven't gotten very far into the space stage, but I have hope that it will be the best part of the game.
Overall, everything up to the space stage was a total letdown. Cell, fun once. Creature, fun, until the creature limitations set in. Tribal, confusing and lacking depth. Civilization, absolute dismal letdown. Space, might actually be worth the price of admission. The games concept and execution are amazing, I will admit it, but where they excelled in innovation, they failed in depth. I like sim games like this, where nearly every bit is customizable. I really like making my own creatures, buildings, and ships, but this game really just makes me want to dust off my copy of Sims 2, and make another soap opera with miniature versions of my friends.
Yeah, now that I mention it, that sounds like way more fun.