The horrible problem with Cell phase is that once you have the opportunity to evolve to Creature phase you can no longer get any DNA for your cell, making any further play in the phase completely pointless.

This is an outrageously needless limitation on our ability to play around in the phase, which is so very painfully short.

The phase is so instantaneous that I don't have any opportunity to evolve my creature into anything near what I'd like. There are so many parts combinations I'd like to try but just literally can't, because I'm deprived of DNA at the end.

So my question is--is there a cheat to turn off this asinine block on DNA in the latter part of Cell? I know I could just cheat to hand myself DNA, but that defeats the purpose of playing the game. I want to get it by playing.

Also, can anyone explain a possible design reason for this limitation? If they wanted to limit the parts you had when starting creature, the complexity limit already does that. And this is also accomplished by just having the Cell parts not give you much bonus in Creature. I'm not even halfway up the complexity meter before I'm forced to move on to the next phase.

Honestly, this DNA limit is the most arbitrary and punitive way I can think of to kill any shred of a "sandbox" element to this phase. What is the point?
Cell is very fun for a fleeting moment, and then the hand of Wright comes down and rudely smacks you into the Creature phase....
You already have the option of advancing to Creature. Why force it??

Ideally, we could also slow down the time it takes to advance to the next size within Cell phase. Give us some control please.

Incidentally, there's a glitch in my Cell phase where my creature keeps switching back and forth from translucent to solid. I'll be in the editor, choose one color--translucent. Then another shade of the same color and the same pattern--solid. Then go back to the first color--solid. Then choose about 7 more colors--finally back to translucent. Not just the editor either. It continues into the game.

spongb6f1 wrote:The horrible problem with Cell phase is that once you have the opportunity to evolve to Creature phase you can no longer get any DNA for your cell, making any further play in the phase completely pointless.

Hmm, I was getting DNA after the fact. I went around making all the species of creatures extinct even after I was ready to evolve and I racked up some 5,000 or so DNA.

(Not checked on that since patch however, bur pre-patch I can say I did)

crypton wrote:

spongb6f1 wrote:The horrible problem with Cell phase is that once you have the opportunity to evolve to Creature phase you can no longer get any DNA for your cell, making any further play in the phase completely pointless.

Hmm, I was getting DNA after the fact. I went around making all the species of creatures extinct even after I was ready to evolve and I racked up some 5,000 or so DNA.

That's the creature phase.

You stop getting DNA in the Cell phase .

I've never been able to get DNA. Herbivore carnivore or omnivore, pre- or post-patch, as soon as I get the option to evolve to Creature--no more DNA to be found.

I think it is limited because it could be exploited as value carries over from cell to creature stage.

From creature -> civ you don't really have that issue so it was left open so that players could continue to develop the creature until they were satisfied.

As I indicated, that's not an actual problem, because the cell phase parts don't give you much benefit in the creature phase. And if they did....uhhh....change the values?? You know, with computer programming??

This a trivial objection to letting us play more in Cell, and should not have affected design decisions.

The problem is the 65 DNA points you can receive in the Cell stage. 100 DNA points - 35 DNA points you start with = 65 DNA points to gain.

That's not enough to build a half interesting Cell at the end of the stage.

So, any cheat available to keep the DNA coming???

...........Official response????......

jpfrostfox wrote:I think it is limited because it could be exploited as value carries over from cell to creature stage.

From creature -> civ you don't really have that issue so it was left open so that players could continue to develop the creature until they were satisfied.

Who the hell does exploitations effect but the only person playing?

If I want to ruin my game that should be my decision.

Just like if my kids want to have pizza AND french fries at school they should be able to, the school shouldn't be choosing for me what my kid can eat (That's an actual rule at the local school. You get one or the other. Yet at the same time they cut almost all of their Gym courses)

How about, wild idea here, they simply add it as a design mechanic, instead of making it a "cheat", ruining your ability to get any achievements until you delete the save.

spongb6f1 wrote:The horrible problem with Cell phase is that once you have the opportunity to evolve to Creature phase you can no longer get any DNA for your cell, making any further play in the phase completely pointless.

This is an outrageously needless limitation on our ability to play around in the phase, which is so very painfully short.

The phase is so instantaneous that I don't have any opportunity to evolve my creature into anything near what I'd like. There are so many parts combinations I'd like to try but just literally can't, because I'm deprived of DNA at the end.

Gotta agree with this. My cell barley evolves before it gets out. Also, there's no consequence for death in either cell or creature. At least in Tribe and Civ you have to start over. I don't know about Space though...

Maybe some things they can look into fixing in the next patch?

theultimateend wrote:
That's the creature phase.

You stop getting DNA in the Cell phase .

That went completly over my head oviously LOL - cheers Must have misread it as creature..

theultimateend wrote:

jpfrostfox wrote:I think it is limited because it could be exploited as value carries over from cell to creature stage.

From creature -> civ you don't really have that issue so it was left open so that players could continue to develop the creature until they were satisfied.

Who the hell does exploitations effect but the only person playing?

If I want to ruin my game that should be my decision.

Just like if my kids want to have pizza AND french fries at school they should be able to, the school shouldn't be choosing for me what my kid can eat (That's an actual rule at the local school. You get one or the other. Yet at the same time they cut almost all of their Gym courses)

Whoa man, don't blow an artery in your brain there.... I wasn't saying whether it was right/wrong or good/bad. I was only asserting my assumption as to why they implemented a limit on the cell phase. Games are often geared towards a certain balance, to keep balance limits and quotas are used, and that is why I believe it is the way it is.

Otherwise you could just keep going in cell stage, load up the organism with dozens of jets, fins etc, and then sell them off in the creature stage... thus leading to an imbalance in the game.

I am not sure what the big deal is here. The cell stage is SUPPOSED to be simple. Cell's are simple hence, the cell stage is simple. I can understand (to a certain extent) wanting a little more time to develop the cell. But for what? You totally change your creature in the transition to the creature stage. At least in the creature stage there is a purpose to play beyond filling the progress bar (ex, finding that certain part you want, destroying all creatures, gaining more DNA to create your creature exactly the way you want, etc.).

But what would be the point in extending the cell stage to accumulate endless DNA? There really isn't that many different combination of parts. It just seems like a trivial argument and not worth getting upset at...

Someone help me understand

I always wonder where those maxis cell creatures with spikes all over their bodies, multiple mouths, and jet movement parts coming out the wazoo get all their dna when I can barely afford to stick a single spike, 1 mouth, and a couple movement parts on.