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Well, some of them, anyway. We’ve got a one-on-one with Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux in London today, and we’re going to hand some of the questions over to you. What do you want to know?
Fable II’s out on October 24. It’s been years in the making. It’s one of 360’s biggest hitters for Christmas 2008, and one of the most prominent RPGs this year. You must want to know something.
So tell us. We’re doing the interview at 6pm BST. It may well be embargoed until launch, as the Denis Dyack chat was, but we’ll let you know about that when we get back later.
Questions?
Viewing 35 responses
morriss said:
Why should I buy Fable?
Will I care for the game if I don’t like co-op?
Was co-op an MS directive to push Live?
If you didn’t have to spend countless man hours making co-op work, what things could you have done instead?
12 hours is very short.
Psychotext said:
12 hours is just the main questline morriss. If you’re just going to do that and not play the rest of the game then you’re not much of an RPG player and I suggest playing FPS instead.
My questions:
How hard has it been to adjust to having a PR handler? Do you feel the restriction is beneficial? Is your handler looking uncomfortable right now?
We know about the co-op orbs for people on your friends list, but how does co-op work if you don’t have friends with the game?
If you could pick one of your old games to remake, which would it be?
nousemerk said:
The original theme for Fable was composed by Danny Elfman, famous composer and once lead man of 80’s band Oingo Boingo. Has Elfman had any hand in the music this time around with Fable 2?
What concepts and ideas had to be tossed out that you’d love to see implemented in the next project?
DrDamn said:
Remake Magic Carpet NOW! Oh and licence the Airwolf theme tune this time.
dEM0NSVK said:
What is coming up next from Lionhead? You once mentioned sports game which you will like to make and that your next project has some advanced (massive?) AI capabilities. Next clue please!
patlike said:
I’ll try to pick one each from each poster. I’ve only got 15 minutes with him, so that probably equates to between 5-10 questions.
Lutz said:
My question, will probably need re-phrasing slightly, but it is:
Can a “good character” do all of the things an “evil character” can do, and vice versa?
For example, in Fable 1 as far as I know the only way to purchases houses that weren’t for sale by default, was to murder their owners.
My second question:
What was in the design decision to change Jack of Blades’ voice from Fable, to Fable:TLC? The original was superb and the replacement was frankly dire!
(
My third question:
Will you have some items that are *obscenly* expensive? In many games like this (Oblvion is a *prime* example) after a certain point money becomes utterly worthless. Dungeon Siege is a better example as you collect tonnes of gold in the game, but all of the items you can purchase are considerably weaker than the loot you get. So aside from a spell or potion, there’s no point.
Lastly: DLC, are we getting any?
wz said:
From an entirely personal point of view, when did you enjoy creating games more? In the beginning, when it was mostly a hobby-turned-job, or now with games industry outperforming Hollywood ?
Lutz said:
Oh, and any chacne of Populous on XBLA? Cheers! ;P
luigilogik said:
Ask him, “what (if any) planned features where cut from the final build?” & if he had the chance too delay the game till ‘09 to add in another feature, would he & what would it be?
Ask him What other games he’s going to play now that he should have some spare time? and if he’s played Too Human? (and his thoughts on it)
morriss said:
psycho: I know.
Lutz said:
Do you think 12 horus for the MQ isn’t that long then?
Hmm… IIRC Fable 1 MQ was only about 7 or 8 hours? A standard run took me 20 hours, and a full run (All legendary weapons, all armour etc) was, IIRC, 30.
Psychotext said:
I will say this though… it sounds like morriss needs a few friends for co-op.
You want some friends Billy Nomates?
No_PUDding said:
What other games did you take inspiration from (Even if they’re your own). If you can’t think of any games, how about other mediums?
morriss said:
I’m not interested in playing co-op in a game like Fable. Why would I want to? It’s a single player experience,
Prox said:
At GDC2005 he said Fable 1 had co-op almost finished and Microsoft didn’t allow them the few weeks they needed to get it working. He said it was his biggest regret about the project.
So how comes Fable Lost Chapters released a year later didn’t have co-op, if it was such a close call and such a heart break the first time around?
Psychotext said:
morriss: Fun mostly. It’s probably what I’m looking forward to most about the game. Especially local co-op with my missus.
Newbie101 said:
Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaat: Please ask him where B.C. is. Has it officially been canceled or is it still ’suspended’ and why was it suspended.
El_MUERkO said:
If you could do a modern version of one of a classic Bullfrog IP like Populous, Power Monger or Syndicate would you go the Diablo 3 route of staying true to the past games or would you go the Fallout 3 route of taking the gameplay in a different direction?
PS Do a new Syndicate! EA and MS can surely come to some agreement on it, Xbox live Syndicate Wars maybe?
that_happy_cat said:
How do you find the Guildford area? As a local, I am excited that the area is remaining a real hub in game development. EA has moved into to a lovely office and Media Molecule are taking on the world.
Do you think that Guildford is the new Brighton or is Brighton the new Guildford? Should more be made to promote the area as a haven for game developers and would you get support from the council to do so?
fabiank said:
PETER, I´M A HUGE FAN OF YOUR WORK AND THE WAY U FACE THE PRESS AND THE FANS. NOW MY QUESTION:
- IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR CHARACTER APPEARENCE IN FABLE 2? I MEAN, SKIN COLOR, EYES SHAPE, BODY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I REALLY MISSED THIS FEATURE IN THE AWESOME FABLE 1.
THX!
morriss said:
psycho: I don’t like people so why would I want to play with them? Also, Fable is your hero in your story, someone else being there is just a bit “meh” for me.
No_PUDding said:
Haha.
Well for me the game will be marked high (and I’d want to experience it) becuase of it’s co-op.
Hell this game looks pretty great and Haze co-op was fun. Co-op = Instant fun.
Psychotext said:
I assume this got embargoed… will we eventually see it?
Psychotext said:
…answer meeeee!
patlike said:
Bit of a snafu with this. Peter had to leave the event early, so the interview was called off as I was leaving the house. He was in the US all last week and he’s off to Singapore today, I think. His PR asked for the questions for him to answer on the plane, so fingers crossed we should have something next week.
Psychotext said:
Awww.
Hopefully you’ll get something.
patlike said:
I’m hopeful. Nobody’s fault, really. He’s just on a mega-tight schedule.
Psychotext said:
There’s a good interview with him here which people may like:
http://www.giantbomb.com/molyneux-uncut-and-unedited/17-49/
No_PUDding said:
You’re sins will be revoked if you can explain ’snafu’. Sounds awesome.
Blerk said:
SNAFU – Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
patlike said:
No_PUDding said:
Ahhh. Wow, awesome.
pjmaybe said:
Dang, I was going to ask him why people keep lopping all his liver spots off in any boxout photos of him.
Tiger Walts said:
Awwww. Anyway, listened to 1up FM this morn. There was an interview (with really bad audio) and some preview play feedback on it.
Choices will end up changing future events, one that was pointed out was that as a child the Sheriff asks you to go and find a number of arrest warrants that he has lost, at some point a shady fellow offers to pay you the same reward for handing them to him instead. When you’ve grown up, that choice determines the nature of that town. Help the Sheriff and the bad guys are locked up, he gets a promotion and the town prospers. Sell them to the shady man and the bandits run the Sheriff out of town and claim it as their own.
Not sure how many of these sorts of things there are but that’s really cool and the kind of thing I’ve wanted in an RPG for a loooong time.