Tools are equipped utilities for spaceships in Spore. They are an integral part of the Space Stage equivalent of creature abilities.
The tool bar is located at the left corner of the bars and spaceship portrait. New tools will be added chronologically in the corresponding category of the tool bar. The collection of tools is found in My Collections representing every tool that is owned or not, as well as locked and hidden ones.
The majority of tools are locked and require certain badges to be available for purchase at empires of such philosophy, with price affected by philosophy and consequence ability. Other tools, particularly cosmetic ones, like Planet Sculpting and Coloring Tools, are exclusively found on random planets that can be scavenged like rares. Through evolution, the player may receive a unique tool from an inherited archetype.
Categories
There are roughly 184 tools in various categories available in the game. There are good chunk of tools that are hidden until the player obtains them.
- Socialization - Used for peaceful interactions between the player's empire and other empires or creatures. Charged tools are typically associated with creatures and creation.
- Weapons - Used for destruction and retaliation, such as creatures, spaceships, or buildings, but also protections like Shield and healing items like Repair Pack.
- Main Tools - Used to collect information about planets, as well as interact with them. Similar to Ship Tools, but more active than passive.
- Colonization - Used for colonizing planets and improving existing colonies with protections.
- Planet Atmospheric Tools - Used for terraforming.
- Planet Sculpting Tools - Used for directly adjust a planet's geography.
- Planet Coloring Tools - Used to change the color of any planet. There are 8 colors available; there are coloring tools for ground, water and atmosphere.
- Spaceship Ability - General tools that typically aren't utilized but improve the spaceship. Some like Abduction Abilities available at Cargo are used for abducting and storing creatures, spice, and rares.
There are also 3 types of tools affecting the usage of tools:
- Permanent Tools - Used at any time without being removed from use, albeit the majority consume energy.
- Standard Equipment Tools - Tools that are active at all times, typically doesn't have use but enhance the spaceship.
- Charged Tools - Consumable tools with limited usage in numbers, typically located beneath the permanent tools. Charged tools will have a small number in the upper right corner of their tool bin icon to indicate how many charges the player has of that tool.