Spore! Tips and Tricks

Spore's initial Cell stage can be completed in a jiffy, but if you want options, consider spending some extra time hunting down all six special item badges. Not only will that give you a boost by equipping your cell with useful weapons, but finding the elusive Omnivore mouth is the only way to play as the dietary hybrid right off the bat (though you can eventually choose it outright by beginning at the Creature or Tribal stage).


It's good to be bad


Sure, Spore lets you play as a musically-gifted, vegetarian peacenik, but just like in the real world, that's not exactly the easiest way to make a living. If you're having trouble getting by, try playing as a warmongering carnivore. At nearly every stage of the game, aggression pays off. They don't call it survival of the fittest for nothing.


One epic battle


Having trouble with the "Epic Killer" achievement? It's a doozie, requiring you to take down an epic monster during the Creature stage. It's undeniably tough, but a little planning goes a long way. Take a cue from role-playing games and build a strong party -- win over some of those scary-looking rogue creatures and let them take the initial hits, while you pelt the beast with ranged attacks. And if you lure it back to your nest, others of your kind will join in the fun. Remember: a family that fights together, wins together.


Keep your friends close and your enemies far away.


Michael Corleone almost had it right. From the Tribe stage onward, negotiating with other species is tantamount to success. If at all possible, try to get your closest neighbors on your side early while you start building up your tribe/civ/empire. A friendly tribe won't suddenly turn on you and attack for no reason...although that's exactly what YOU should do once you feel threatened or decide you need more elbow room. Rude? Certainly -- but look what it did for the Godfather.


The power of prayer


Wish your religious society had a little more firepower? Then drop everything and focus on converting a nearby military faction to your cause. Once they join your ranks, you'll be able to create and construct military vehicles. Take that, nonbelievers!


Spice is nice


Trading might sound a bit boring, but it really is the best way to earn money in Spore's lengthy Space stage. Following the old "buy low, sell high" formula will most definitely pay dividends, not to mention finance that particularly sexy Mega Proton Missile you've been eyeing. All spice is not created equal, however, so if you want the really big loot, you'll have to diversify and multiply. Conquer or colonize planets rich in different kinds of spice, then spend a little extra time terraforming them to at least the T2 level. This allows you to build more colonies, which it turn enables more factories as well as the ability to store more spice at a time. A few well-mined planets can yield just as much as a gaggle of smaller colonies, cutting down the travel time without cutting into your income.


Do the time warp


Sooner or later, you'll come across the ability to dive in and out of wormholes. Identified as big, pulsating white star systems, they're immensely handy for getting around the galactic map...not to mention solving the game's final riddle of finding the center of the universe.


Death -- the only way to fly.


Be careful with those wormholes, however. A few jumps in, you might find yourself in over your head -- or worse yet, lost in space. While you can try to retrace your steps by toggling the Travel Trail option in the lower left menu, sometimes urgent matters like eco-disasters or homeworld attacks require more...extreme...measures. If you need to get home fast, sacrifice your spaceship to any nearby bad guys. Thanks to your civ's high-tech cloning system, you'll be back up and running at one of your worlds with plenty of time to spare. It ain't pretty, but it works in a pinch.