Fable 3

[Murdoc]

Has Peter M ever put himself in one of his own games? I'm thinking a future Fable with him as the protagonist would be great. You'd traverse the land attempting to convince people of your awesome power or something.

I think that's what fable already is, the only problem is it's programed to love you so it's not as entertaining of a premise.

We'd need a third party to develop the game to create a realistic slide for comedic effect. But really a game that is fablesq where you actually play PM in the real world trying to convince people of your awesomeness would be pretty outstanding.

[Nachimir]

Heh

The Divine Right of Kings leads through aeons, all the way to... Peter Molyneux. Black and White could have followed a similar progression.

[Irishjohn]

^ In just two words, a long term overview of the progression of many franchises.

I'm most bummed out by the "need" to sell more than five million copies set out on that slide.

I fell in love with Fable but never really figured out why, and just couldn't fall in love with Fable 2 at all even though I considered it a drastically improved game over the original. I just can't get excited about Fable 3 at all, at least not this early.

But anyway, despite Fable 3's clear potential for massive, massive sales, I just don't like seeing games being given such ambitious numbers that they "need" to hit.

[Murdoc]

I fell in love with Fable but never really figured out why, and just couldn't fall in love with Fable 2 at all even though I considered it a drastically improved game over the original.

Actually can we talk about this a little, because I haven't been able to pin point this out myself yet.

I liked Fable 2, but I'm with irishjohn here in that I couldn't fall in love with it. I've just been refering to Fable 2 losing the charm of Fable 1... but I want to know other peoples thoughts on this so we can narrow it down to what that quality of loss is?

I mean, the art and direction of Fable 2 was better, the themes, were better, gameplay, etc... like john mentioned; did removing the tired cliched fable bits lose the charm? They were replaced by others, so I dunno.

The world just felt more dull and lovable; I'm having a really hard time grasping why that is... from what I see in F3, it seems to be progressively losing the quality of the first.

[Irishjohn]

Yeah, I find it really hard to put my finger on it... Part of the reason for me is that somehow, despite all the Molyneaux uber-hype, Fable felt like the little game that could, to me. It was fun, it had character, and I liked the story even if it was predictable. Fable felt like a good example of a game doing the same old thing but doing it really well.

The more that Fable 2 tried to set itself up as genuine RPG of sorts or even include some open world elements (the job system and so on) my standards rose further than the game did. Finally, the evolution of the gameworld between games just felt like a disconnect for me: I genuinely liked Bowerstone and the surrounding areas, but in Fable 2 it all just felt a bit weird. There was more stuff to do, more going on, it looked great, but I just didn't care.

[Nachimir]

I felt very much the same about the second one. Part of it was the ambition of attempting systems for everything, like interior decoration and gestures, etc., that weren't that great.

I thought also that it got very, very caught up in its own fiction, and while it was great to, for instance,

see Oakvale in ruins and infested with wraiths

, all of the lore and explanations and plot just seemed to detract from the pleasant fantasy world that the first let me project stuff onto. Maybe I'm just looking back on the first with less intact memories of it though?

[Murdoc]

Bowerstone and the surrounding areas, but in Fable 2 it all just felt a bit weird. There was more stuff to do, more going on, it looked great, but I just didn't care.

Again, I think the world in fable 2 was going in a really cool direction art and concept wise, but yeah I agree with Bowerstone; maybe because of the smaller size it felt like more stuff was going on? Hearing the shops open in the morning, the children playing, and the walking in during a class and disrupting it with my awesomeness was the pinacle of "character" to me.

Maybe it was the "darker" or more "real" elements in the new one that crushed the spirit of the first? But then I think of its inspiration; sleepy hollow, Im not sure why they couldn't achieve what they were aiming at and still keeping it goofy fun.

[DrStrangepork]

I pretty much fell in love with Fable 2. Never played too much of the first one so I can't comment there. Yet even so, I agree a bit that the game "could have been more". Talking to Ossk and Fuzzy the other night, one of them mentioned that it would've been nice if your evil/goodness affected the plot and also the attitudes of people in your party. Maybe a bit of a riff on Dragon Age there but it would have been cool.

I really enjoyed the uber cheezy mini-games of interaction with the townspeople and their voices and comments were unbelievably great. Even so, it would have been cool to be more integrated into the goings on in the towns somehow.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the fable III thread. I think it could build a lot of cool crap on its starting point, and I hope it does. Maybe conflicting factions or kingdoms whose sides you can take would make you feel more of a participant in the world.

[Garple]

Check out this Video game lord: http://kotaku.com/5521647/new-fable-iii-screen-adds-a-touch-of-dapper

[Murdoc]

Check out this Video game lord: http://kotaku.com/5521647/new-fable-iii-screen-adds-a-touch-of-dapper

At least the hero(I hope?) characters look a little more well done then previous screens. Getting back into that Fable 2 proportions, which is good(because I think they hit a decent style with their characters in f2 opposed to f1)

Still I remain hopefully by with a skeptical eye on this iteration.

[Fuzzy Lobster]

I wonder if the female hero will be an impossible beefcake in Fable III like she was in Fable II.

Few things in that game entertained me more than a level 5 physique and a bunch of meat pies on that female character.

[Murdoc]

I dusted off my copy of Fable 1 this weekend, but never got around to turning on the noise machine... I have this Fable itch, but the linear sequence I've done countless times in 1 makes me hesitant and I really enjoyed 2, but it just didn't feel like it had that wonderment or sense of arc from childhood, crappy hero, good hero, to epic legend.... ah well.

Anyway this might not be the best place to post this, but I didn't really want to start a dedicated Molyneux thread but:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28841/Molyneux_Current_Rapid_Innovation_Will_Make_New_Genres_Happen.php

"Thirdly, you've got us as software engineers and designers and creators actually saying, 'Hey, we can make emotional experiences," Molyneux said. "Games like Heavy Rain give you a true emotional roller coaster ride."

When did Molyneux go so wrong? I got into the games industry because I loved games, but the people that influenced the hell out of me when I wanted to be a designer were Will Wright and Peter Molyneux. I loved how their games were about systems and being able to start, build and explore those systems in an enjoyable and sometimes hilarious way.

Wright is still on the ball, but when did Molyneux go completely nuts and do a 180 from what I precieved his previous work to be about?

[elmuerte]

I think that happened when he started on Fable

[Sleepdance]

uLRPpMEqCGQ

I'm scared.

[Murdoc]

I'm scared.

Three things.

1.

2. How did a puppet get to interview the head of MS europe?

3. How is Molyneux scared of puppets yet he loves\created Milo.

Edited June 21, 2010 by Murdoc

[toblix]

MILO IS A REAL BOY

[Kolzig]

Milo is Molyneux's love child so why would he be scared of it?

If Microsoft would've jumped on the 3D bandwagon then they could've advertised that with Natal/Kinect Milo will jump out of the tv screen and will rob, rape and murder you while you are sleeping.

[Sleepdance]

I hear this game is getting new subtitle: Chicken uprising.

[juv3nal]

Hilarious Molyneux interview at Eurogamer

Money quote:

Peter Molyneux: Ah yes, we spoke about doing a parrot, a cat... I don't like cats. We did speak about a parrot because it would be enormously funny to have a parrot on your shoulder. But we haven't done one.

But it would be the best parrot in the world ever, and there would be a huge emotional link to the parrot.

Eurogamer: Would you make the player fall in love with the parrot?

Peter Molyneux: I'd make you cry when the parrot fell off his perch. Wait... We should have had a parrot! Because of John Cleese! We could have done the parrot sketch in the game! SH** [bangs fist on table].

edit: day one perch!

Edited September 23, 2010 by juv3nal

[Twig]

I love Molyneux.

[Squid Division]

Has there been any news at all for this game in the last few months? Kinda weirdly quiet for a game coming out soon.

Also, Molyneux killed Milo.

[Orv]

So I just saw the GameStop pre-order commercial, and as has become their standard (Conviction is when I started noticing this, but I'm sure it wasn't the first) it's stupid as all get out.

That said, Fable III's morality system appears to still be using the two-sided sliding scale. Super evil/Super good. Shame, but I'm not sure I was expecting anything else.

[Rustymagus]

That said, Fable III's morality system appears to still be using the two-sided sliding scale. Super evil/Super good. Shame, but I'm not sure I was expecting anything else.

What other games these days have done anything but have a two-sided sliding scale? Knights of the Old Republic did go against the fabric by having what you'd expect to be inherently "good" actions actually turn out to have "evil" consequences, but I haven't experienced any game recently that uses the two-sided scale in any way you wouldn't suspect.

[Hermie]

What other games these days have done anything but have a two-sided sliding scale? Knights of the Old Republic did go against the fabric by having what you'd expect to be inherently "good" actions actually turn out to have "evil" consequences, but I haven't experienced any game recently that uses the two-sided scale in any way you wouldn't suspect.

Dragon Age didn't have a good/evil slider. The only sliders are the influences of your team mates, which granted, are still extreme and gamey (I gave you 10 spellbooks, now sleep with me), but when it comes to the rest of the game world, you can freely be a douche or a saint without seeing "+2 evil" pop up above your head.

[Rustymagus]

Dragon Age didn't have a good/evil slider. The only sliders are the influences of your team mates, which granted, are still extreme and gamey (I gave you 10 spellbooks, now sleep with me), but when it comes to the rest of the game world, you can freely be a douche or a saint without seeing "+2 evil" pop up above your head.

I never played Dragon Age, mostly because my PC wasn't good enough to run it. And RPGs take so freakin' looooong to play anyway.