TheBowerstoneGuard:

Is this "fairy dust" rumour even coming from a legitimate source? Honestly because I'd take anything that isn't announced by Lionhead or Mr. Molyneux himself with a grain of sand.

The fairy dust comment was simply pointing out that the bread crumb trail system is really similar to just having fairy dust appear in front of you.  I'm sure IGN was over exaggerating a little though and anyways, it will probably look a lot better when the game is released.  Work-in-progress. 

For those that don't already know the reason this game won't use mini-maps:

Peter Molyneux:

Mini-maps are shit.

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eobaggs:

TheBowerstoneGuard:

Is this "fairy dust" rumour even coming from a legitimate source? Honestly because I'd take anything that isn't announced by Lionhead or Mr. Molyneux himself with a grain of sand.

The fairy dust comment was simply pointing out that the bread crumb trail system is really similar to just having fairy dust appear in front of you.  I'm sure IGN was over exaggerating a little though and anyways, it will probably look a lot better when the game is released.  Work-in-progress. 

For those that don't already know the reason this game won't use mini-maps:

Peter Molyneux:

Mini-maps are shit.

Well this is what I meant in one of my previous posts, I can't really make any assumptions on a brand new gameplay mechanic unless I see it in action. The new bread crumb trail system should be featured in a future Lionhead Diary so we can base our opinions on what we have seen rather than just using our imagination.

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"Non Timetis Messor..."

TheBowerstoneGuard:

Well this is what I meant in one of my previous posts, I can't really make any assumptions on a brand new gameplay mechanic unless I see it in action. The new bread crumb trail system should be featured in a future Lionhead Diary so we can base our opinions on what we have seen rather than just using our imagination.

Agreed, hopefully we'll get one soon.  I'm sure it looks fine. 

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I don't really like the idea of the breadcrumb trail, but I can see how some people would find it helpful. I think the best thing to do would be to let players have the option of turning it off if they want to. i also want to see what it actually looks like in the game and if it's as obtrusive as it sounds in the article.

Still think it's an invisible trail that only your dog can sniff and follow (otherwise we don't need the dog anymore), but now I'm not so sure about it. Let's wait for the devs or a video diary now...

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Its not invisible. Trust me. Plus Peter said that the dog will try to lead you astray from the trail, and show you points of interest off the beaten track.

If breadcrumbs make it into the final game, I hope to hell that they are optional.

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Retro One - Part 2 My SFX and Music on Xbox community games

Fable 2 audio tribute!

They have already mentioned how sidequest and regular quest have different colored trails so we know it isn't invisible. Plus if it was only followable by the dog then players that choose to play without one would not be able to navigate to world.

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Thank you Ralph H. Baer

Trust me... its visible.

Your dog will still prove very usefull in pointing out non-core stuff and enemies.

Also, no amount of breadcrumbs will defend you against a Hobbe!  

But.. but... I.. can't imagine the ground full of colored dust... that'll take off the attention of the player and ruin the free-roaming system. It's far better if you don't know to where you need to go and need to go wandering the area, where you'll find so much adventure and small side-quests. I hope it's not like they're saying.

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GARAGEFLOWER:

amount of breadcrumbs will defend you against a Hobbe!  

But are surprisingly effective against ducks, birds and...The Sandgoose?

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Retro One - Part 2 My SFX and Music on Xbox community games

Fable 2 audio tribute!

stomp224:

GARAGEFLOWER:

amount of breadcrumbs will defend you against a Hobbe!  

But are surprisingly effective against ducks, birds and...The Sandgoose?

I think you solved the mystery!!!!

The sandgoose is a legend, it doesn't exist... or does it exist?

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The breadcrumb trail will actually lead you to the Sandgoose. I've had a chat with Peter and he's delaying the game till 2009 to make this so.....

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Retro One - Part 2 My SFX and Music on Xbox community games

Fable 2 audio tribute!

Maybe a better idea would be to let the dog smell something to do with the area or person you need to find - slightly cheesy, but i think it would be more realistic than the "fairy trail" idea.

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Kicking it back

I wish you had to literally find these places by researching and asking directions. This breadcrumb thing, you'll just follow it right? I can't see how it'd be fun following fairy dust.

Yay for research and asking directions, yes?

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DustyPod:

I wish you had to literally find these places by researching and asking directions. This breadcrumb thing, you'll just follow it right? I can't see how it'd be fun following fairy dust.

Yay for research and asking directions, yes?

Asking directions is a way better than the fairy dust. So, yes !

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Besides, isn't the breadcrumb thing something you leave BEHIND you to find your way back? Like in a maze or something? Or was that a ball of string.

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DustyPod:

I wish you had to literally find these places by researching and asking directions. This breadcrumb thing, you'll just follow it right? I can't see how it'd be fun following fairy dust.

Yay for research and asking directions, yes?

Yeah, that would work, like showed by other games, but sadly, not in Fable. The idea isn't casual enough.

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What do we'll do beside waiting for some concrete conception of this "until now" weird feature? If it's there, I hope we can turn it on/off or if we need to hold a button to see it (dog button).

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Then what if you don't have a dog?

This feature seems to have been imlemented as result as lost of feedback from not having a min map. If the dog doesn't provide enough feedback by itself it really looks like its going to be difficult for players with out a dog.

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Thank you Ralph H. Baer

BayStone:

DustyPod:

I wish you had to literally find these places by researching and asking directions. This breadcrumb thing, you'll just follow it right? I can't see how it'd be fun following fairy dust.

Yay for research and asking directions, yes?

Yeah, that would work, like showed by other games, but sadly, not in Fable. The idea isn't casual enough.

it's casual enough for me

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LOOK!!!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> (made you look)

DustyPod:

I wish you had to literally find these places by researching and asking directions. This breadcrumb thing, you'll just follow it right? I can't see how it'd be fun following fairy dust.

Yay for research and asking directions, yes?

As long as it's not like Morrowind, etc.  (Apologies for bringing up the tried and true comparison we've all heard.)

I hated in that game how they'd tell you to get the Blade of Extra Pointyness (+3) from the Tomb of Bob that was miles away and the NPC's directions consisted of "Head due west from Ald-Ruhn and then turn right at the large mountain."  And so you head out west from Ald-Ruhn and everytime you see a large mountain you keep wondering, "Is that the mountain?  Or is it the one further down?"  Next thing you know you have no real idea where the tomb is and you just walk back and forth for an hour until you just happen to come across the tiny door hidden in an alcove in the middle of a field next to no mountain at all.

It was an interesting mechanic having to actually search for these places, but after I've searched for 20 other tombs in the same manner having to spend so long on finding yet another became furstrating.

The problem with Morrowind and other similar titles was that there were very few distinguishing landmarks.  Sure the game world was rather large but most of it was just repeated geometry only slightly changed from one area to the next so it was easy to get lost and lose your direction.

I've not seen the breadcrumb system myself and I admit I have some misgivings on the appearance it might give if it truly is how some articles are claiming it is.  But again, I haven't seen it in action and I think I'll just have to wait and see before I pass final judgement.

I do think Fable 2 might work a little better in regards to the research and searching out of locations though, mainly because the setting of the game is so unique I think landmarks will be in high population, be it the crumbled structure, the trader, the statue, etc.  Again, I'll just have to wait for more information before I can really have an opinion one way or another though.

Anyway, no real aim to all this.  Just felt like bringing up a few similar points I guess. 

The All-Seeing Eye is right... even with the evidences and our imagination considering the written articles, we can't tell if it'll be a feature or not. Better to wait, see with our eyes and then we'll be able to make a judgement.

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I agree with most of what you said. I never completed morrowind for the very reason you describe. My only problem is with the wait and see. We are only a few months away, if we wait any longer it will be too late to change it. Maybe they should show the feature so they can get community feedback along with the feedback they have already received from the press.

I really can't think of any other ways to give the feedback needed without a mini map. This is gonna to be a very difficult task for Lionhead. Hopefully they can pull it off.

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Thank you Ralph H. Baer

Portarock:

I agree with most of what you said. I never completed morrowind for the very reason you describe. My only problem is with the wait and see. We are only a few months away, if we wait any longer it will be too late to change it. Maybe they should show the feature so they can get community feedback along with the feedback they have already received from the press.

Then in that case you don't have a problem with the feature, just a problem with the lack of knowledge about it.  Can't say I disagree too much, we're all thirsty for knowledge around here.  But I'm saying that whatever the reasoning behind us not knowing the details, that doesn't change the fact that we still don't know the details.  Also, it's more than a few months.  We're probably looking at anywhere betwen 7 to 9 months wait, maybe more.

But quite so, more information would indeed be nice.