Fable 2 and the dog

[Alex]

Hi, everybody. Long time no see.

Anyway, I was just reading this IGN article about the upcoming Fable 2 for Xbox 360 and I was intrigued by the whole dog idea.

Peter Molyneux seems to think that what was missing in the first Fable was love. (Well, that and 90% of features that were announced prior to the game's release).

So he decided that in order to make the player really immersed into the game, he should create something for the player to really care about, and what is better for this purpose than a... dog?

A dog? At first the idea sounded weird to me, but I'm starting to think it could work, if Molyneux manages to not make the dog just another annoying sidekick.

But the most important thing is that Molyneux seems to have had the right intuition about RPGs: if we're going to play a role in a game and invest time and effort into a story, then we'd better care about the whole thing. We'll have to see if the dog thing will work or not. But it seems like it could work.

[snoopy369]

Would certainly be interesting. Fable was an interesting RPG in that it had a very different niche of players than the standard fare - almost Sims like in its niche. Heck, take out the combat and add more domestic things, and you could probably get the Sims audience... My GF enjoyed it quite a bit, though she's not a Sims audience, she's 'good RPG' audience. IE, enjoyed morrowind more than oblivion

Make it like a soap opera or something, where instead of fighting mobs to save the day, you are working to undermine your romantic opponent and simultaneously trying to get your mother's inheritance all for yourself, leaving your half brother out of the picture.

Not that I'd play it, but imagine how many would - and you wouldn't have to change much in the actual game programming. Fable, or KOTOR style even, would work beautifully (dialog-based, with choices substantially affecting gameplay)...

[DaShi]

A dog? I want a giant turtle that flings it's own poo!

[Whoha]

and eats people.

[General Ludd]

Sounds stupid.


I don't understand why anyone pays attention to Peter Molyneux anymore.

[FrostyBoy]

He has no children, so he creates games where he can love something.

But seriously, it could work out well. Ludd is generally negative, I don't know if people still pay attention to him anymore.

I liked the first Fable, but it was far too short. Will only get it for the PC, same goes for GTAIV. I will never buy a console. Not until I have absolutely no choice that is.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Sn00py
But seriously, it could work out well. Ludd is generally negative, I don't know if people still pay attention to him anymore.

That implies they did to start with.

But anyway, I agree with Ludd (on this occasion only!) that it sounds stupid.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Sn00py
He has no children, so he creates games where he can love something.

But seriously, it could work out well.

Did it work well in Black & White?

Have any of his games worked well?

This isn't even a new idea, it's just a rehashing of black & white. He can't even come up with original hype anymore.

[Standup]

Have any of his games worked well?

Well games like Populous, Magic Carpet, Syndicate and Theme Park were fun. And I know they weren't all his but he did own the company that made them so I'm assuming some input.

Often though I think he's had some good ideas but poor implementation or at least the finances get in the way. I enjoyed Fable on the Xbox but I wouldn't really call it an RPG. Not sure how I would classify it but the role playing bit was minimal. Still fun though.

[Standup]

And I cared about Dogmeat so might work

[Alex]

I enjoyed the first Fable (I played the PC version of Fable: The Lost Chapters) but I also thought it was a bit shallow, more like an action-adventure game than a RPG.

It seems like they're trying not only to find a way for the player to get more immersed in the game, they're also fixing some mistakes from the first game: bigger map, blurring the limits between good and bad, properties you buy now will have their own quests etc.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Standup


Well games like Populous, Magic Carpet, Syndicate and Theme Park were fun.

I think all of those are over a decade old.

[DrSpike]

Yeah, past glories and all that.

[Spiffor]

I'm not a dog-lover, but this sounds interesting. I really liked Fable despite the short lifespan (It's one of the few games where I enjoy replaying ), it's one game that brings something new to the genre.
Fable 2 might further bring something new with this dog