LadyCrimson

I've probably spent an hour or so. It's easy to play and I know you can get through all the stages very fast, but the first time through I don't like to do that, especially since once you leave a stage, you can't go back and explore w/out starting a new game..and I'm not sure how much I'll want to re-play, yet. Plus, I've only allied two tribes - and beyond that I've done nothing but gather food - yet the progress bar is half full. It happens so fast that I find myself delaying filling the bar because I want to explore the environment I guess. And I'm an omnivore. I got the omnivore mouth part in cell stage and put it on. I was rated a carnivore, so all the mouth parts since have been that, but luckily I never took off the omnivore mouth. So I have two mouths - the omnivore one looks like skinny horns and so I use them as a head decoration alongside a stat-giving carnivore mouth. :D

IThe different stages all have something different to bring to the table and they're all lovely and sparkly in their own way (except tribal and Civ which just plain sucks, both of them, sucks.). The reason most people say that the space stage is the most fun is that it is definately the most "harcore" part and will appeal to people who normally play lots of games. I'm finding I dislike Tribal stage enough to have a difficult time wanting to play to get past it, even tho it wouldn't take that long. I liked Cell stage because it's cute, but it doesn't have enough depth to make it a stage you'd want to play 10 times. Creature stage was more fun, but it's not deep enough to engage the mind for long, either - mostly it's fun because of finding parts and "designing" your creature as you go. Still, of the 3 stages so far, I'd re-play Creature stage far more than anything else. A big quibble that I personally have: No save/exit confirmation message, meaning that if you hit that green arrow by accident, you've lost your progress. On the positive side, I discovered that creatures you make in the editor and saved, have a random chance of showing up in your game as one of the AI creatures. When Tribal stage introduced the first "go befriend this tribe' example mission, I was startled when a creature I'd tinkered around with making popped out of the ground. I'd guess the same applies to the other stages. So if you love to make creatures/vehicles w/the editor, but don't use Sporepedia, at least you'll have some possible "variety" in the game (vs. only Maxis creations) that way.

I would say that applies to almost everyone, to some degree or other, not just "the media.' I noticed that as well. I think he did actually glance at him from the corners of his eyes, so to speak, a few times, but it was a very noticeable behaviour. Course, Obama hardly looked at McCain in the beginning either, but then seemed to get the hosts message about wanting them to talk to each other and occasionally tried to look at/engage McCain in face-to-face...which McCain largely ignored. That aspect of the debate became a large (and amusing) distraction for me...their actual 'debate' was hardly more than just them making speeches to the host. Obama is the better orator in general...but I haven't been very impressed with either of them and this debate didn't change that.

I'm at the Tribal Stage. The creature editor is creatively fun, but the game is so-so. Pretty, and fun for the first 10 minutes of each 'stage', but then repetitive and confining. I think the problem for me is that I was expecting a more...seamless?...concept of creature evolution, rather than these drastically different split up stages. I also didn't realize that eventually the game wouldn't be about designing/creature evolution at all, but rather the spaceship thing. I was also hoping for more of a 'sandbox' mode - the editor is one thing, but a playable sandbox would be nice. Question - the game booklet shows a 'progress meter' for the Space stage. Does it take a really long time for it to fill up, compared to the other stages? Or is it just as fast? Just wondering, since so many people seem to think space stage is the best stage/"real" game, or something. Do they just keep playing after the progress meter is full, or what?

Hmm....Breakout/Pac-Man on the Atari, which my dad bought. Don't remember what year/what age, late 70's/early 80's. Watched friends play arcade games but never played much myself. Nothing much after that. One day when we were bored, hubby and I bought one of those first Nintendos in the late 80's. Didn't buy many games and it last long. Still have it in a closet. Largely ignored electronic games for a while, despite going to a lot of computer conventions etc. I remember once getting hooked on auto-cad and spent hours designing 'rooms' with it...the precursor to my liking city-building games? heh...Then hubby came home w/a copy of Doom/Wolfenstein, which all his co-workers were playing, and that was that ... I was addicted to pc-games.

Slept too much. Housework. Fiddled around w/Spore. Played with cat. Dinner. Watched Ugly Betty. Now the internet. Pay bills. Then more Spore before I snore.

Question: Registering your game & making a Sporepedia account is how you can download creatures and buildings other people make...is that how you populate/encounter other worlds w/creatures not of your making? ie, let's say you didn't register (or just didn't download Sporepedia stuff)...would the space stage of the game then be really boring because of lack of variety in colonization, or something?

Trying to figure out the best way to build a casual but semi-permanent shelter for our lawnmowers/bikes and things that doesn't cross the 'can't build a perm. structure on the side of the house' line - and that can stand up to a lot of wind coming from one direction. They want way too much money for pre-built kits/thingies. P.S. I'm also moping around over the nearing of the big 4-0 birthday. Heheh

Like I said, there are certainly cultural/psychological and "traditional" biases, but actual stats on frequency of intermixed marriages depend a lot on location, as well as generational "tradition" gaps. There could be a whole interesting thread on that topic alone, from a psychological/pure stat standpoint. Didn't like your phrasing, but we all rant sometimes. I don't hate ya. heh Movies: I picked up "Married Life" in the rental store because Chris Cooper starred, and I love that actor. But the movie fell somewhat flat - it had some potential for being a milder more introspective American Beauty or something, in terms of it's topic and quirky/bizarre character motivations, but the plot itself wasn't great and they took it too seriously/arty so it felt kind of dull/lackluster. One of those films where you can't stop watching, but you're thinking "this could've been so much better" the entire time. Not one of Chris' better films.

Thanks for the info. Sounds at least helpful, but then of course it limits you to what 'style' you'd choose to play. It's been nice to see the good/bad viewpoints in this thread...my initial enthusiasm isn't quite as high, but I think I still want to check it out before too long.

You mean a download, or some reward type bonus for doing something in the game?

Community/jr. colleges are definitely a cheaper way to start out than going to a University right away, but nope, they're not free. I bought a giant bag of unsalted peanuts-in-the-shell and am having a grand ol' time tossing them out into the yard and watching the squirrels come down and bicker over them. Squirrels are just too cute. I know, I know, they're rodents w/fluffy tails - but there's something about 'em.

First time I was aware of a guy having a crush on me was...um...y'know, I'm losing track of how old I was when a lot of this kind of stuff occurred. Probably when I was 9 or 10. A guy I hung out for quite a while who suddenly wanted to "go steady", tried to give me a ring and kiss me. If there was anyone else before then, I was oblivious. :D

That's an absurd way to refute TrueNeutral when your own statement could easily be taken as hostile, or at least insulting. I'm Asian, and my husband is "white". I know many Asian women with "white" spouses/boyfriends, as well as Asian men with "white" women, including my own family. It's true that there can often be deep cultural clashes/biases in this area (not just w/Asians either), but to suggest that Asian women who are w/a white guy means she was abused as child, or whatever - is quite offensive to me. If you were rejected by some Asian women in your life, I can understand your romantic frustration, but really...if you're going to stereotype in such a rude fashion, expect that not everyone is going to react in a friendly manner.

The Forbidden Kingdom - 2.5 stars out of 5 Watchable youth kungfu fantasy, but not what I was expecting at all. Action scenes fun, but the plot was like a cross between The Last StarFighter and Karate Kid.

Does college-town = big live-in campus communities? Because I can't think of any "college towns" in the greater Bay Area at all (that's many different cities)...we just have colleges that happen to be located in one city or another. Very true about the non-coast smaller city/town vs. big cityish aspect tho. Still, people have to work/school here too....or move out of state.

Sounds similar to what hubby's life was like when I met him...except he only had one roommate in a ratty 2bd room apt and I think his share was more like $300 (22 years ago). It's pretty hard to find a room for rent for less than $500-$600 here, in most areas, now. Usually it's somewhat more. Roommates, as I said, are pretty much a given. Credit cards are where many people make up the slack, I guess.

I missed the premiere, but I saw the episode from last night, after House. I wasn't impressed - the mad scientist character is interesting/entertaining, but the female lead felt lifeless and didn't seem to have much chemistry w/the other leads. I couldn't connect with her at all. I might try to catch another couple episodes, but if that aspect doesn't improve then ... meh. P

Yes. :/ Guess I'll continue to hope for a patch then.

In all honesty, I don't really know how people survive on entry-level retailish jobs while trying to do something like school, either...combine increased living costs with increased education costs and it at least feels like it must be harder now than when I was 20ish. But I suppose it also depends greatly on where you live. I can't imagine anyone here being able to live on their own on $9-10/hr w/out at least one roommate to share rent. Perhaps a job with tips - waiters or food delivery etc. - would often mean more average income per hour and make it a bit easier? And this morning I woke up and started planning some trips to home improvement stores for some stuff I'm working on...but when I walked outside I realized hubby had taken my car to work again, so here I am. One day it'd be nice if he had a vehicle I could actually drive, too.

Some review I read mentioned that aspect, which is the main reason I haven't rushed out to buy it like I thought I would. Does it interfere with exploration/colony fun horribly, where it becomes tedious to have to 'go home' all the time? I guess I'm hoping there'll be a patch before too long that allows you set a slower rate for those, or something...I prefer my sim/building type games to allow me to follow my own pace at least most of the time, rather than someone else's pace most of the time.

Perhaps it's a way to transition from Arnie's familiar-faced Terminator to the "new guys" face...I mean, if you're going to have a guy who looks kinda like Arnie play Arnie's famous role, seems sensible to have an early plot cameo to help audiences accept someone else in the role...maybe? I had no clue Christian Bale was going to be John Connor. That increases the odds that I'll see this new Terminator film by, oh, 6%, for a grand total of a 13% chance.

It's called multiple roommates, top ramen/peanut butter/spaghetti till you puke, and that free sofabed & wobbly table you picked up from the sidewalk/relatives.

Playing with the table-saw. Feeling glad it's fall-cool and cloudy but hoping it won't actually rain for another month or two yet...

I don't think I could remember who was my very first, but I started having vague crushes in 1st or 2nd grade. Kids from school, older guys from youth camps and all that. By 5th and 6th grade I was in a state of constant girly-"crush." :D