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13 Replies Last post: Jun 21, 2008 4:20 PM by Peter Cohen  
Click to view Macworld's profile News & Columns Bot 6,610 posts since
Nov 30, 2007
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Jun 20, 2008 4:20 AM

Having fun with Spore Creature Creator

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Click to view colinlaw's profile New Member 3 posts since
Nov 8, 2004
1. Jun 20, 2008 6:07 AM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
"donkeypunch"?? classy. did you explain to your kids where you got the name?
Click to view Plankhead's profile New Member 1 posts since
Jun 20, 2008
2. Jun 20, 2008 8:01 AM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
I've created three-armed creatures. Granted, the animation system can't handle an arm or hand that isn't "right" or "left" and it looks weird, but I've done it.
Click to view FV_Hip's profile New Member 6 posts since
Mar 31, 2005
3. Jun 20, 2008 8:14 AM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
Classy!
Click to view paploo's profile New Member 2 posts since
Jun 20, 2008
4. Jun 20, 2008 9:03 AM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
Too bad the author made JPEGs of his creatures instead of posting the PNGs that the program generates. Someone at Maxis was terribly clever and made the save files be a PNG of the creature with the game's data encoded in a meta data area. That way the PNG thumb of the creature is itself the save file. Had the author of this article posted those instead, we could all download the files right into our own creature editor and play with them. But, alas, this is one of those fine points that one doesn't realize until they spend the time to download other people's content from the website. :)
Click to view Peter Cohen's profile Macworld Editorial 4,221 posts since
Feb 5, 2003
5. Jun 20, 2008 9:12 AM in response to: paploo
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
Thanks. I'm quite aware of how to share files with other people and download their designs. Mine are all tagged in the Sporepedia with "macworld" if you want to find them yourself.

As far as your comments are concerned, two issues: When I sent this to edit, I included PNG files. We routinely convert to JPG when we embed graphics in our articles.
Click to view kresh's profile Member 160 posts since
Oct 11, 2005
6. Jun 20, 2008 9:48 AM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
<rant>

This could be the most fun game on earth, but I will not buy it. It is a Cider wrap of a PC game. EA refuses to develop natively for Mac OS X, but are supposedly working on an iPhone OS X version?

Is EA going to use Cider for iPhone games? If not, then why use the Cider wrap for Macs, but develop native apps for iPhone.

I refuse to spend money on games that are essentially PC games with a Cider wrap, especially when EA does not spell it out that this is a Cider wrapped game, but does everything possible to pretend this is a native game.

I immediately uninstalled the demo as soon as Little Snitch gave the audio warning that Cider was trying to access the internet.

</rant>


I am a stranger in a strange land, waiting on my King to come and establish His Kingdom. Even so. Maranatha!
Click to view paploo's profile New Member 2 posts since
Jun 20, 2008
7. Jun 20, 2008 10:24 AM in response to: Peter Cohen
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
I had a feeling that might have happened to your PNGs, but I thought it worth mentioning. :) (I think my tone in my last comment may have come across too harsh, which is quite the opposite of what I intended, btw.)
Click to view woode's profile New Member 22 posts since
Jun 6, 2005
8. Jun 20, 2008 2:22 PM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
Echoes of SimEarth, also by Will Wright, obviously. This time, seems like there's more control over the individual species than the grand global view in SimEarth. Check out the Wikipedia entry if you're curious.
Click to view Peter Cohen's profile Macworld Editorial 4,221 posts since
Feb 5, 2003
9. Jun 20, 2008 3:01 PM in response to: kresh
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
That's as valid a reason as any not to want to play the game, but I suspect most consumers who buy it for the Mac will just be pleased that it runs on their systems.

Most of us are perfectly content enough to eat sausages without understanding the intricacies of how they're made, for better or worse.
Click to view nominated's profile New Member 2 posts since
Jun 21, 2008
10. Jun 21, 2008 2:19 AM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
My dignity is hurt!! but I don't know what did it...
Can someone please explain what a "cider wrap" is?
Click to view Peter Cohen's profile Macworld Editorial 4,221 posts since
Feb 5, 2003
11. Jun 21, 2008 7:22 AM in response to: nominated
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
Kresh is taking umbrage with the fact that TransGaming's Cider -- a translation layer technology that enables Windows games to run on Mac OS X with some work -- is being used instead of truly "native" Mac OS X software development.

Which, quite frankly, given the state of Mac game development today, comes off to me like a starving man sending a cheeseburger back to the kitchen uneaten because the parsley garnish is too close to the french fries.
Click to view nominated's profile New Member 2 posts since
Jun 21, 2008
12. Jun 21, 2008 4:14 PM in response to: Macworld
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
I follow you, thanks. I too think that mac osX software developers should get this opportunity. alas...
Click to view Peter Cohen's profile Macworld Editorial 4,221 posts since
Feb 5, 2003
13. Jun 21, 2008 4:20 PM in response to: nominated
Re: Having fun with Spore Creature Creator
Well, my whole point is that TransGaming is a Mac software developer. They're the cook, and here we have complaints about the recipe they're following, rather than the end result.