Spore Technology Bug

from GalCiv2 Forums
Wow do I love the super abilities. Anyway, I was a super diplomat making the galaxy dance to my tune. I started Sacking Korath colonies and was surprised when I managed to snag the Spore Technology. So I started cranking out Spore ships and sure enough they worked!

1) Not sure if this is a bug, but it does seem overpowered that I can steal acquire another race's super ability.

2) I saw the Korath cranking out lots of spore ships, but no transports. Spore ships are kind of useless without transports (sure you get a new colony, but a new colony where everyone is dead).

3) I saw a spore ship make a beeline for a peacekeeper unit. It eventually deviated from that path, but it seems strange that the AI would want to suicide itself in this way. I have a Save Game available if the devs are interested in this. I have a Save Game available for this

4) When I spored a planet and moved colonists on it, the previous starport project was still being worked on (Example Korath Defender). I had to select another starship type (I couldn't just cancel or select nothing), and THEN select Nothing.

5) Sporing a planet was kind of underwhelming. No explosion, or sound effect, just the planet becomes your colony. Sure its powerful, but I was hoping to hear screaming or something

Hope this helps

Dano
4,439 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Perhaps an animation on your first "spore"?
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've created a couple of posts that have shared similar views about spore ships (Spore ship tech steal exploit and Re-populate posts). (EDIT: just noticed you posted in one of them Dano13  )

Also the planets graphics don't change to reflect the planets now toxic status (dark blue planet I think from memory). This should be changed.

An animation would be cool I wonder how busy stardocks artists are though, new Korath and Krynn logos would be my priority personally.
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
What the hell is a spore ship, what does it do, and how can it be used strategically?
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Korath super ability. They can research a tech no one else can that gives them a nasty germ warfare weapon (though it can be stolen). Use a spore ship on an undefended planet, and the population is wiped out, the planet becomes yours (with a tiny population) and the world turns into the toxic type (the Korath start with toxic planet colonization techs, but other races don't).

Strategically, it means that you can take over planets painlessly, with perhaps the only requirement is that you cart along colony ships or transports to repopulate the planet. You don't have to go through any invasion defenses at all.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Its clearly a bug. You can also get the other super abilities, i just got 'colonize barren worlds' by conquering an enemy planet.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i just got 'colonize barren worlds' by conquering an enemy planet.

That can be researched by any civ.

Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Spore Technology Bug


No, no, spores are vegetable matter, not insects!   

Seriously, though, I think it is a bit much that some super abilities can be stolen or traded like any other tech (Korath, Iconian, Korx) while others are non-transferrable.

Plus, it seems that any other race that employed the spore tech to exterminate a planet should immediately lose all of their alignment benefits if they are not evil or permanently lose diplomatic standing with all other races if they're already evil. Or some other form of suitable punishment.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Use a spore ship on an undefended planet, and the population is wiped out, the planet becomes yours (with a tiny population) and the world turns into the toxic type (the Korath start with toxic planet colonization techs, but other races don't).


These should only be employed on "habitable" planets, "domed" colonies should not be affected.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
These should only be employed on "habitable" planets, "domed" colonies should not be affected.


Obviously the spores are also highly corrosive when in contact with metal or transparent building materials and melt through the domes.

Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Highly corrosive germs? Cool. So how can the planet have population after that?   Wait, I know, the sewer system! People live underground, hence the smaller pop and the growth rate literally going down the drain    
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
No, no, spores are vegetable matter, not insects!


Don't forget the fungi! Now *that* would be a really alien AI species...smart 'shrooms. That could work with Super Hive. If I'm not mistaken, the largest known organism in the world right now is a single fungi system woven around the roots of a large patch (2,000+ acres?) of Oregon forest. That species also seems to live a *very* long time. If it's fruiting bodies were mobile & networked for sentience...

Re the OP, I'm pretty confident that the devs will figure out a way to keep the spore tech linked to the Super Annihilator ability. Seems like just a variation on how you can't steal wrong-alignment techs.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Highly corrosive germs? Cool. So how can the planet have population after that? Wait, I know, the sewer system! People live underground, hence the smaller pop and the growth rate literally going down the drain


You see? The logic is iron clad!  
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wait a minute, where is the Spore technology?? I just played around with Super Annihilator and researched Planetary Invasion, and I don't see a Spore module, Spore ship, Spore technology on the tech tree, nothing.

???
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Its got it's own tech prerequisite, germ warfare. Its got nothing to do with invasion technology.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ah, there it is.