Having bought the magazine yesterday I think I'll post here listing the points raised in the article. Also I'm aware that in British copywright law you are allowed to quote up to 10% of a piece of writing without breaking the law so I've counted the words to make sure I don't break the law, but I haven't quoted much so here goes.
Also this may contain some spoilers, so stop reading now if you like suspense.
OK so here's a run down of the things confirmed in the article (in order of appearance):
- Fable II is content complete, though still being tweaked.
- Stats, healthbars and other mathematical stuff is "moved to the back" of the game, though still accessible through menus.
- Sparrow is your hero's nickname to start with.
- Non-interactive cut scenes make up less then 5 minutes of the total play time and are only done for dramatic effect.
- Your sister's name is Rose
- You meet a vendor with your sister who's name is "Mystic Murago" but you don't believe in magic.
- A woman called Theresa offers to sell you a magic box that makes your wishes comes true.
- Lucien owns the Castle in Bowerstone
- Lucien owns a magic circle and would like you to step into it.
- Theresa is your tutor and the training is considerably shorter then in Fable I.
- You get your dog after you've grown ten years. It's a puppy called "Dog".
- You can't change the dog's name.
- You visit the Heroes Guild which was destroyed by Jack of Blades.
- It's revealed that some sort of event "erased" the age of heroes and paved the way for "Albion's Age of Enlightenment"
- The controls are easy to learn
- You suck up exp using a bumper
- One of the first missions involves raiding a Bandit camp.
- Tharg (the bandit) kicks your dog.
- Currently known spells are: Inferno, Time Control, Magic Blades, Raise Dead and Force Push.
- You can create your own combos to be set off by a certain combination of buttons (e.g xxx, xxy, xby etc) with a combination of all three fighting styles.
- Death simply means you lose any UNGATHERED exp. Exp you have already collected but not spent is safe.
- Co-op can be played by either someone in the room OR someone from your xbox live friends list.
- You can use a henchman using the default generic creation settings OR your own hero from your own Fable II save file.
- There is a "Safe Mode" that is easily activated that prevents people from slaughtering your family.
- Players CAN NOT marry each other.
Now for accuracy I'll quote some of the more interesting bits just so you can see what was actually said:
Stats etc:
"'We're taking all that techiness, things like hit points and weapon stats, and moving them to the back end of the game.' insists Molyneux. RPG fans can still enjoy the experience, because all the numbers, maps and descriptions are still present. In fact the menus are impeccably presented, with small videos demonstrating the actual effects of items and spells."
Your sister, Theresa, Lucien and Dog:
"Without spoiling too much, you and your sister Rose encounter a street vendor called Mystic Murago, but don't believe in magic after a tough childhood on the streets. Overhearing your conversation, a mysterious woman called Theresa offers to sell you a magic box that makes your wishes come true. ... It's a reminder that you should be careful what you wish for when Rose's dream to visit the castle is fulfilled. When it's owner Lucien asks 'Would you kindly step into this magic circle?' (a sly reference to Bioshock), you know it's going to end in disaster. ... Fast Forwarding ten years, we see your character fully grown under the tutelage of Theresa. You're also gifted a superbly animated puppy, who is called 'Dog'. It's surprising you cant name him..."
Heroes Guild:
"Located on an island in the middle of a lake, this mysterious tomb contains the remnants of a long forgotten Heroes Guild - a training area for novice adventurers. These ancient halls are also full of relics and murals, references to the events of Fable and the defeat of the legendary Jack of Blades. It's revealed that, 500 years before, this noble age was erased in a cataclysm, paving the way for Albions new Age of Enlightenment."
Death:
"'One of the things we tried was giving players a scar or permanent disfigurement if they were killed, but focus testing showed that most people would rather reload their game then spoil their character' he [Peter] says. Like the original Fable, the punishment is that you lose any experience orbs you have failed to absorb. This is something that can prove costly in the long run."
Co-op:
"There's not much excuse for dying anyway, not least because you can get a "henchman" to join the battle at any point. This can either be someone on your Xbox Live friends list, or a mate in your living room with an extra controller. ... If your friend has spent a long time nurturing and evolving their hero in story mode, they can bring him or her into your game, often with unpredictable consequences."
"Thankfully, preventing them [co-op partners] from killing important characters or family members is as simple as activating 'safe mode' (pressing down on the D-pad). Thats not to say an ![E v i l [Evil]](/emoticons/e_v_i_l.gif)
hero can't do any harm though."
Marrying:
"But if two players find they're soul mates can they marry each other? "No" say Molyneux "That's one of the features we left out".
I know there's been like a million threads on this already however I decided I'd do one where I've actually quoted the article, and if anyone still doubts any of it I can send them a photo of me with the magazine and holding a newspaper with today's date ![Stick out tongue [:P]](/emoticons/emotion-4.gif)
(I'll be naked in the photo for an extra £100).
It's fairly interesting stuff though. The article implies that online co-op and couch co-op will be similar. However the difference is will online co-op need players to stay on the same screen? Or can you run around the entire world/region unhindered?
Whatever the answer this is just step one of a classic marketing move. This announcement is big enough to get noticed but not so big that it gives away what is going to be announced at E3. I'd bet my hat that Peter and the Lionhead team still have a card or two up their sleeve and this is simply the smoke and mirrors before they reveal that they have sawn Sam in half
Blackthorn Ltd. - "Meus intentio est verus. Meus intentio est aurum."
