CCSF 2012 Day 5: Daily Comic by Pirate-Rob

Created by Pirate-Rob

Many are overjoyed with the recent release of a new Norn breed, but it looks like the older Norn breeds might be in for a bit of a surprise in this latest Creatures comic for the CCSF!

CCSF 2012 Day 5: Creatures 1 COB Limits

Written by Jessica with CrEd32 Created by Kinnison

Although Creatures 3 and Docking Station have the greatest number of agents and add-ons, the first creations began with Creatures 1. These Creatures objects, most commonly known as COBs, allowed players to create and use a myriad of different items and updates. Yet the one feature that has often plagued these COBs is the limited number of times each one may be injected. Not a great way to use these add-ons indefinitely!

Fortunately, there is a solution! Actually, there are multiple ways to address this problem, but I wanted to share one of the easiest methods of alleviating this problem. Special thanks go to Malkin and Ylukyun for recommending this method. The Creatures community has some very knowledgeable players who are always willing to lend a hand. Thanks again! This all centers around the Creatures Editor 32, or CrEd32, which offers the following features:

• COB Editing: COB Editor, Class Calculator, and Replenish COB Stocks
• COS Editing: COS Helper and Dynamic Injector
• Creatures Options: Inject a Creature, Select a Creature, and Norn Autopsy
• Gene Editing: Gene Editor and Gene Mapper
• Macro Commands: Check Creatures, Do DDE Command, and Script Xtractor
• Map Editing: Generate Map of Albia and Convert BMP to Map
• Sound Options: Sound List and the Norn Phrase Book
• Sprite Editing: Sprite Viewer, Create New Sprite, and Compile SPR File

Who knew all this could be hiding out in one seemingly simple program? Most of the features are really informative, such as the Norn Autopsy, which truly gives an autopsy-style report when a dead Norn is detected in Creatures 1. The one pertaining to this discussion is the Replenish COB Stocks option. Using this sets the limit of all C1 COBs to 255, and also removes date protection, which is a rarely used COB option that forces it to expire on a certain date. In the end, this means that C1 COBs can be used indefinitely, so long as the limit is reset via the program every now and then! I highly recommend trying out the Creatures Editor 32 for both new and old players.

Be aware that sounds play when the program starts up and shuts down... It all should be familiar, though!

Download the Creatures Editor 32 (640 KB RAR File)

From Jessica: "This program has something for pretty much everyone! I had no idea it existed until Malkin and Ylukyun mentioned its name. It may not be perfect for every application, but just the Replenish COB Stocks option is enough to enjoy it! Kinnison did an excellent job with this program, and I hope that other C1 players find some value in it. I highly suggest trying out the Norn Autopsy option at some point, too!"

IMPORTANT: The Creatures Editor 32 was created by Kinnison long ago. Its only known download is via the internet archives, so its inclusion here is simply to ensure that it is not lost. The original Readme states that one file must be placed in the Windows/System directory, but this program may work simply by moving all files to a single directory. This program is designed to work only with Creatures 1.

CCSF 2012 Day 5: Creatures 1 Review

Submitted by Malkin

With well over a decade since the original Creatures game was released, some of the early media content has been lost or completely forgotten. Luckily, this early review of Creatures 1 has been recovered! Read through this informative two page document to find out what Computer Gaming World had to say about the game!

Download the Creatures 1 Review (600 KB PDF File)

From Malkin: "This is a PDF of a review of Creatures 1 from November 1997 (likely a US publication: C1 came out in the US at that time). Reading through it, I had the thought - The more things change, the more they stay the same. It reminded me a lot of my own experiences with C1, and of the C1 Norns at Discover Albia."

CCSF 2012 Day 5: Shee Religion Excerpt

Written by Sam999

The mountainous world featured as today's theme contains multiple data caches, including an excerpt about Shee religion! Although we have seen some glimpses into the culture behind this mysterious species, the interpretation of who they are and how they act is still up for debate. This excerpt provides insight into some possible information behind the Shee religion. Read more about this interesting side of the Shee!

From Sam999: "This is a guide about the three religions of the Albian Shee (Cyberlifogenis Genoformattis):

Entry - Wikipedia Galactica
Sentient Species - Shee
Culture - Religion

Shee have three primarily practiced religions, not counting the now-extinct Caos Mages, following their summoning of the Borland, which drove all those present insane¹.

• The Church of the Grand Stvye, which worships a relatively typical monotheistic entity who "wrote²" the universe into being with the aid of the Cybreoulyth³, a race of demigod-like entities. The primary commandment of the Grand Stvye is to continue to improve upon his/her/its creation.
• Eggism, believing the universe has yet to truly be born, or rather hatched, and that its egg can be found hovering above the eastern sea⁴ of Albia.
• The Menders have the idea that any gods, if they exist, are at fault for poorly designing the universe, and are therefore not to be worshiped as much as blamed. They separate this viewpoint primarily due to the inexplicably disc-shaped nature of Albia⁵, which has historically limited the Shee living area.

SEE ALSO
Sentient Species - Shee - Primary Page
Sentient Species - Shee - Culture
Sentient Species - Shee - Biotechnology and Biology
Semi-Sentient Species - Norn - Primary Page⁶
Planet - Albia - Primary Page
Planet - Sphericus - Primary Page

¹ Or possibly more insane, considering they had just attempted to summon an eldritch abomination via the ritualistic sacrifice of a Doozer.
² Some documents refer to this process as having “coded” the world.
³ Some documents refer to them as the Creatauri-Labeth.
⁴ A gigantic statue of an Eggist priest in full ceremonial egg-tooth mask has been erected below its location.
⁵ For further information on the intriguing phenomenon of Albia’s flatness we have absolutely no credible idea.
⁶ WARNING – Said page has been known to trigger cuteness overload. Do not view if you or your species is vulnerable to said hazard.

CCSF 2012 Day 5: A Mountain Path

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

My mind was abuzz with information, now that we had our first real Norns aboard. The genetic testing was fascinating, with clear indications that the original Shee creations had adapted to survive. I was so caught up in running another set of data, that I nearly jumped when my assistants tapped me to point out the window. The spacecraft had found another planet, and my hyper-focused mind had completely tuned out the notices. With a trusted cup of tea in hand, I watched the vessel slowly disappear as it hurtled toward the world below. Preliminary scans indicated enormous mountain ranges, which all seemed too steep to support any ground dwelling critters. I drummed my fingers on the console board, and then stopped. I was excited. My serious demeanor was somehow drifting away out here in space.

It was a rather disappointing homecoming when the exploratory vessel indicated no signs of life. Surprisingly, it had discovered several caches of data scattered around the planet. I deduced that this had been the home of an advanced species long ago, or it was simply a world where ships often crashed. As if thinking the same thing, my assistants jumped to the controls and decided to bid the mountainous planet farewell. I had so longed for another great discovery, yet the Ettins and Norns we had already brought aboard were thrilled to be the center of attention. I wondered just how they would be treated once they were brought to my home world.

From Jessica: "The space journey continues on with an interesting planet dotted with enormous mountain ranges. Many may remember the purple mountains from the original Creatures 1! Today will feature a few different sorts of releases, so be sure to stop by for news and updates! The data caches referenced by the Shee may just hold some important information about Creatures and related topics."