[ENG] Spore - Gameplay and graphics improvements

¡Welcome! The purpose of this guide is to improve Spore graphics and gameplay.

Introduction

First of all, this is based on paranoid_modder[davoonline.com] guide.
I also translated it into Spanish here.

• The guide focuses on the Galactic Adventures expansion, so certain mods may not work without it. (I recommend to make backups with each change on your game).
  
• To use everything mentioned in this tutorial, you need a computer with a 64-bit Operating System, 4GB of RAM and at least a 2GB graphic card to avoid crashes or stuttering while playing.

1. 4GB Patch Installation

Details: Patches x86 executables in order to let them have 4GB (Instead of only 2) of virtual memory on x64 platforms, necessary to avoid crashes / freezes / stuttering while playing.

1. Download 4GB Patch[ntcore.com]
   
2. Run it and indicate the location of the SporeApp.exe
   
3. Spore default path:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\Sporebin\SporeApp.exe

4. Spore Galactic Adventures default path:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\SporebinEP1\SporeApp.exe

5. At the end, click OK and continue.

2. Installing 60fps patch + Graphical improvements.

Details: Removes the 30fps cap, and adds graphical enhancements to lighting, shadows, and reflections.

1. Download the patch[drive.google.com]
   
2. Extract it and place the files at the following path (Replace or make a backup):
   
3. Spore:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\Data\Config

4. Spore Galactic Adventures:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\DataEP1\Config

3. Installing Sneky Graphics mod

Details: Increases the game LOD field and keeps texture levels high by default, reducing or removing muddy textures.

1. Download the mod[drive.google.com]
   
2. Extract it and place the files at the following path:
   
3. Spore:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\Data

4. Spore Galactic Adventures:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\DataEP1

4. Installing Groxxy's HD Textures mod

Details: A mod that upgrades all textures in the game to High Resolution, including meshes, details, shadows, and creature parts. This is best suited for powerful PC's, as lower-end videocards are probably not supported.

1. Download the mod[drive.google.com]
   
2. Extract it and place the files at the following path:
   
3. Spore:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\Data

4. Spore Galactic Adventures:
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\spore\DataEP1

5. NVIDIA control panel. (NVIDIA users)

Details: To get the best possible quality, users with an Nvidia videocard can configure the control panel as shown here:

1. Go to Manage 3D settings -> Program settings and select SporeApp.exe. (Do not confuse the Spore (Vanilla) executable with the Spore (Galactic Adventures) executable.
   
2. Settings:
   

6. Comparison & Screenshots

• Modded (←) - Vanilla (→)
  
• Comparison of textures in Creature Creator.

• Modded (↑) - Vanilla (↓)
  
• Background texture comparison of each empire. (Space Stage)

• Screenshots with High resolution textures

7. Special thanks

• Thanks to paranoid_modder, for inspiring me to make this guide.
• Thanks to Mrs. White, for making the graphical mods and screenshots.
• Thanks to Insane grox for developing the high resolution textures mod.

[死f]

It should be working perfectly with the GOG version, just like EA, even with the 4GB Patch.

[†KØZÃK†]

What about GOG version

[polocatfan]

@Koyuze that version doesn't work online so there's no point in using it.

[polocatfan]

error code 51...................

[Koyuze]

I was able to get the 4GB patch to work. but you need to install use the spore mod API launcher to use it on steam. You also have to download the old 2017 galactic adventures version to use the API. To do that Press Win + R, type in steam://open/console/ . When that open up type in the console download_depot 24720 24721 7407510787032991484
This will download the old version, it will be located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\content copy the SporeApp.exe and replace the old file in the spore folder in SporebinEP1. then using the 4GB patcher use that on the Sporebin SporeApp.exe (not the SporebinEP1 folder). Its a bit complicated but I was able to get the 4GB RAM to run these textures without crashing. hope this helps!

[死f]

Steam has a built-in system to check the integrity of game files, and seems like now when the 4GB patch modifies the executable, it triggers a mismatch, resulting in the error code 51. It seems that this only happens with the Steam version since a couple of months, as the EA version of the game works perfectly with the patch.

[Krelpy]

Same issue here with the "error code 51"

[Владимир Депутат]

any guesses on code 51? got it as well and couldn't find anything yet

[SkulkingRogue]

The 4GB patch is giving the "error code 51" crash before the game even launches

[ijsbeer]

thanks!