by Tim Peters

Created on: December 13, 2009

One of the most ambitious and expansive god games ever made, Spore can be an intimidating game to play despite its very casual tone.  Your job is to take a microscopic being and lead it through five stages of evolution over billions of years, toward its ultimate form as the dominant species of the galaxy - no small feat!  But there are plenty of things you can do to ensure that you stay ahead of the pack.

GENERAL TIPS

- Save often!  While Spore has gone through a number of patches, the game still has a tendency to crash at the most inopportune moments.

- Start with Easy difficulty.  The game can be tough on Normal, and unforgiving on Hard.  Learn the mechanics of the game on Easy, then apply them at the tougher difficulty settings.

- Plan ahead.  Take a close look at the bonuses that you can receive at the end of an evolution stage, and shoot for the ones you think will help you the most throughout the game.

- Play nice with others.  Especially if you're not familiar with the game, it's always preferable to get ahead by peaceful means than violence.  And when the time does come to beat down your foes, it's always best to bring as many allies as possible to the fight.

- When all else fails, start over.  There are some situations where no matter what you do, you simply can't get out of the nearly impossible situation you end up in.  The best thing to do when that happens is just make a fresh start, whether with the same race or a new one.

CELL STAGE

The goal of the Cell stage is to lead your multi-celled organism from primordial ooze to a beach.  You advance through the stage by eating, whether it's plants, meat chunks, or other cells.  Some cell configurations are easier to use than others, but it's possible for any cell to advance to the Creature stage with enough effort.  There are a few strategies that will keep you swimming longer, however:

- One eye will do.  If you're strapped for DNA points to evolve your cell, stick to one eye or pair of eyes and save your points for more practical cell parts.

- Press "T" to check your timeline.  If you're shooting for a specific bonus, check your timeline frequently when planning your next move.

- Collect all the parts!  You can collect Spikes, Jets, and Poison starting at level 2, Cilia and a Proboscis at level 3, and Electric at level 4.

- Trade up your Flagella to Cilia as soon as possible.  Cilia cost the same as Flagella, but offer

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