Helpful little hint. Before starting survival mode, either have 5 blasters on each spore or have a HUGE line of weapons to hold the line. Oh yeah, make drones. Lots and lots of drones.
Whatever you do, DO NOT let one of your survivors make a new religion. My survivors kept doing mass suicides and so I lost with only 1 building left to reclaim.
The game is very annoying. Some levels are a breeze to get through and some levels seem impossible. When I tried level 3, I died maybe 30 times. Keep trying new weapons until you find one that fits you and you should be able to beat it.
Want to know how to get the highest morality rating in this game? On the first level, punch boss in the face, kick him in the stomach, and then take the little boy and his family to North America.
The spread does work. Try standing on the opposite side of the map and try shooting at them with a weapon with and without spread. You'll see the difference.