RockTheCasba
08-01-2007, 05:08 PM
great article a lot of questions on combat. i have high hopes for this game again just as i did with the original fable hopefully this one delivers.
Fable 2: Combat Evolved
Peter Molyneux speaks in-depth on Fable 2's combat system and Lionhead's new take on death in role-playing games.
by Hilary Goldstein
July 31, 2007 - Peter Molyneux loves talking about games, perhaps even more than he loves making games. Molyneux's passion is evident every time he demos a title. Sometimes that passion can get him into trouble, as the man with the golden tongue can promise more than his development team can deliver. For Fable 2, Molyneux is doing his best to be reserved, to hold back on saying or promising too much. But this new buttoned-down Molyneux is clearly just as excited to talk about games as ever. He just happens to be a tad better at catching himself moments before offering up more than he should.
At this year's E3, Molyneux showed off Fable's new single-button combat system. That's right, for melee attacks you press just one button. The kicker: There are an astounding number of animations and combos waiting to be discovered. Now that we've had time to process what we experienced at E3, we caught up with Peter Molyneux to go a little deeper into the combat system. Though Molyneux didn't want to hype his latest product too much, he spoke openly about melee combat, love, and death.
IGN: I know you talked about this a bit in the demo, but can you explain the inspiration for creating a single-input combat system?
Peter Molyneux: This is actually quite a complex answer. Put simply, the inspiration was to get much more depth but also make it much simpler. To go into detail, we wanted to simplify the blending of the three combat types: melee, ranged and magic. I felt that in the original Fable, whilst individually the systems were okay put together, they weren't as good as they should have been. So after sitting down and talking about it we wanted players to be able easily mix and match combat styles whilst also allowing them to specialize in just one. This is what led to us putting melee combat on the blue button, ranged combat on the yellow button and magic on the red button.
IGN: Are all of the combos in combat open from the start of the game and it's up to the player to figure them out or will you need to unlock them as you progress?
Molyneux: When I look back at Fable I think we did rather throw everything at the player at the start of the game, so in Fable 2 it will be more gradual, your ability in melee, ranged and magic will dictate the pace of this.
IGN: How greatly will the animations and combos change based on the type of weapon you wield?
Molyneux: Different weapons do have different combat styles. I think this is important because players know that daggers have different properties to axes, but now it's not only the combos they unlock but also the effectiveness of a weapon under certain circumstances.
IGN: Is it unique for each weapon or is it done by weapon class (clubs, swords, kitchen utensils, etc)?
Molyneux: Classes are the main unlocker, but each weapon can have the ability to have its own set of moves. The sneaky part of the E3 demo was that it was only the base set I was showing. A huge number of weapons, clothes and jewelry have the ability to be augmented. These augments generally unlock power ups that then unlock another set of attributes.
IGN: You mentioned that in a bar you could actually swing on a chandelier with the right timing. Is this kind of interaction with the environment in combat common throughout Fable 2?
Molyneux: Yes it is. The idea here is that if you, as the player, position yourself next to, below or above an item, these will then be used in combat, assuming that there is nothing more suitable on hand.
IGN: Your physical attributes also change your combat moves, correct? Is this broken into chunks like "scrawny," "athletic," "buff" or is it more subtly integrated into a players physical attributes?
Molyneux: The answer is both. If you suddenly find yourself "buffed up" to a hulking size then you'll find another set of moves. Gradual morphing can also take place over time and then the changes will be more subtle.
IGN: How greatly will moves and flurries change based on your morality?
Molyneux: This is something we are considering but we have yet to implement adapted flourishes and flurries. I favor the idea of including them for their drama as opposed to the damage they can inflict.
IGN: We didn't get to see ranged or magical attacks, but they work on the same principal. It wasn't really clear how shooting a rifle or shotgun would fit into the same type of rhythm combat as melee attacks. How exactly does that work?
Molyneux: The only thing I can say is that you are completely free to press the blue button for melee then press yellow for range and/or red for magic whenever you wish using the same style I demonstrated for melee, i.e. holding and tapping.
IGN: And for magic, are there actually different combos that you can do and "magical flurries" for those with good timing?
Molyneux: I'm really happy with the magic system. My bold claim is that we've revolutionized the magic system like we have the melee combat, but in my new responsible mode I'd rather show it than merely talk about it so that no one thinks I am hyping stuff. Suffice to say for me, Magic is all about the ability to go, "TAKE THAT." The ability to conjure and create effective magic is something you should and could do along with range or melee combat.
IGN: So instead of dying, your characters gets knocked down and everyone piles on top of him. What is your dog doing at this point? Does he help at all or does he just stand around wagging his tail as you are getting kicked in the ribs?
Molyneux: Your dog in combat is a fantastic ally if you are knocked down but not dead, he will attack your attackers. If you're being attacked by a number of adversaries he'll attack the ones that you would find hardest to reach. If you collapse in battle he'll try and prevent those attackers from finishing you off. His foremost instinct is to keep you safe.
IGN: Can your dog also get scars?
Molyneux: No (but still a good idea!)
IGN: There are several options for getting up once you lose all your health. I believe you said you could lose money, reputation or take the beating for a while and become scarred. Does the reputation/money you pay scale based on your experience or the enemy that beats you down?
Molyneux: There are three ways you can buy your way out of trouble; experience that you've earnt, money or renown (fame). The balance of how much you'll pay is dictated by how badly you have been hurt before, and the enemy you are facing, so it is scalable. Remember if you don't pay up you'll be down for a while but will eventually get up for free, but you will be scarred and any uncollected experience will be lost.
IGN: Will people make any specific comments about enemies that have beaten you down? "Oh, there goes The Destroyer, he got beat down by a werepony!"
Molyneux: Yes they will. I'm delighted with the world and all the people in it have memories. We'll have minstrels who'll write songs about your defeats, and people in the towns will comment on your exploits. There was a bit of this in Fable, but we have taken this quite a bit further in Fable 2.
IGN: How severe will the scars be? Will it be tiny scrapes or big, nasty, unmistakable markings? And how quickly might someone have a face covered in scars (assuming someone is just awful at the game)?
Molyneux: We'll we've yet to balance this bit, but we have the ability to make scars subtle or really brutal; and disfiguring I suspect. When we get round to this we'll be looking at how often someone seems to be getting scarred and balance this accordingly .
IGN: How does scarring play into Fable's first innovation, love?
Molyneux: Ugliness will affect your chances of getting together with someone, and your wife and children will notice and comment on your scars, but your dog will not care!
IGN: Also, if you are play as a woman and get pregnant, will you be able to go out and fight while knocked up? Because I have this horrible vision of a pregnant heroine being kicked while on the ground. And that just sounds awful.
Molyneux: Good point -- but it is your choice!
IGN: Will you be able to show off your scarred hero to other gamers?
Molyneux: This is an interesting sly way of asking about online. Oh Hilary, he'll just have to wait and find out when we talk about that later on. The only thing I can say is what a brilliant idea, but that you're not the first person to have it -- this is another way of saying no comment!
IGN: When you do get up, you are more powerful, correct? Does this mean you will have unique combos and animations for these moments?
Molyneux: When you do get up you will have a short burst of energy, but don't think of this being extra moves but more a renewed feeling that you can take on the people that were mean to you -- once again we are in the processing of balancing this.
IGN: If I scar an acorn and plant it, will it grow into a scarred tree?
Molyneux: Great idea Hilary, but I would go on and say you should only need one button press to plant it!
Fable 2: Combat Evolved
Peter Molyneux speaks in-depth on Fable 2's combat system and Lionhead's new take on death in role-playing games.
by Hilary Goldstein
July 31, 2007 - Peter Molyneux loves talking about games, perhaps even more than he loves making games. Molyneux's passion is evident every time he demos a title. Sometimes that passion can get him into trouble, as the man with the golden tongue can promise more than his development team can deliver. For Fable 2, Molyneux is doing his best to be reserved, to hold back on saying or promising too much. But this new buttoned-down Molyneux is clearly just as excited to talk about games as ever. He just happens to be a tad better at catching himself moments before offering up more than he should.
At this year's E3, Molyneux showed off Fable's new single-button combat system. That's right, for melee attacks you press just one button. The kicker: There are an astounding number of animations and combos waiting to be discovered. Now that we've had time to process what we experienced at E3, we caught up with Peter Molyneux to go a little deeper into the combat system. Though Molyneux didn't want to hype his latest product too much, he spoke openly about melee combat, love, and death.
IGN: I know you talked about this a bit in the demo, but can you explain the inspiration for creating a single-input combat system?
Peter Molyneux: This is actually quite a complex answer. Put simply, the inspiration was to get much more depth but also make it much simpler. To go into detail, we wanted to simplify the blending of the three combat types: melee, ranged and magic. I felt that in the original Fable, whilst individually the systems were okay put together, they weren't as good as they should have been. So after sitting down and talking about it we wanted players to be able easily mix and match combat styles whilst also allowing them to specialize in just one. This is what led to us putting melee combat on the blue button, ranged combat on the yellow button and magic on the red button.
IGN: Are all of the combos in combat open from the start of the game and it's up to the player to figure them out or will you need to unlock them as you progress?
Molyneux: When I look back at Fable I think we did rather throw everything at the player at the start of the game, so in Fable 2 it will be more gradual, your ability in melee, ranged and magic will dictate the pace of this.
IGN: How greatly will the animations and combos change based on the type of weapon you wield?
Molyneux: Different weapons do have different combat styles. I think this is important because players know that daggers have different properties to axes, but now it's not only the combos they unlock but also the effectiveness of a weapon under certain circumstances.
IGN: Is it unique for each weapon or is it done by weapon class (clubs, swords, kitchen utensils, etc)?
Molyneux: Classes are the main unlocker, but each weapon can have the ability to have its own set of moves. The sneaky part of the E3 demo was that it was only the base set I was showing. A huge number of weapons, clothes and jewelry have the ability to be augmented. These augments generally unlock power ups that then unlock another set of attributes.
IGN: You mentioned that in a bar you could actually swing on a chandelier with the right timing. Is this kind of interaction with the environment in combat common throughout Fable 2?
Molyneux: Yes it is. The idea here is that if you, as the player, position yourself next to, below or above an item, these will then be used in combat, assuming that there is nothing more suitable on hand.
IGN: Your physical attributes also change your combat moves, correct? Is this broken into chunks like "scrawny," "athletic," "buff" or is it more subtly integrated into a players physical attributes?
Molyneux: The answer is both. If you suddenly find yourself "buffed up" to a hulking size then you'll find another set of moves. Gradual morphing can also take place over time and then the changes will be more subtle.
IGN: How greatly will moves and flurries change based on your morality?
Molyneux: This is something we are considering but we have yet to implement adapted flourishes and flurries. I favor the idea of including them for their drama as opposed to the damage they can inflict.
IGN: We didn't get to see ranged or magical attacks, but they work on the same principal. It wasn't really clear how shooting a rifle or shotgun would fit into the same type of rhythm combat as melee attacks. How exactly does that work?
Molyneux: The only thing I can say is that you are completely free to press the blue button for melee then press yellow for range and/or red for magic whenever you wish using the same style I demonstrated for melee, i.e. holding and tapping.
IGN: And for magic, are there actually different combos that you can do and "magical flurries" for those with good timing?
Molyneux: I'm really happy with the magic system. My bold claim is that we've revolutionized the magic system like we have the melee combat, but in my new responsible mode I'd rather show it than merely talk about it so that no one thinks I am hyping stuff. Suffice to say for me, Magic is all about the ability to go, "TAKE THAT." The ability to conjure and create effective magic is something you should and could do along with range or melee combat.
IGN: So instead of dying, your characters gets knocked down and everyone piles on top of him. What is your dog doing at this point? Does he help at all or does he just stand around wagging his tail as you are getting kicked in the ribs?
Molyneux: Your dog in combat is a fantastic ally if you are knocked down but not dead, he will attack your attackers. If you're being attacked by a number of adversaries he'll attack the ones that you would find hardest to reach. If you collapse in battle he'll try and prevent those attackers from finishing you off. His foremost instinct is to keep you safe.
IGN: Can your dog also get scars?
Molyneux: No (but still a good idea!)
IGN: There are several options for getting up once you lose all your health. I believe you said you could lose money, reputation or take the beating for a while and become scarred. Does the reputation/money you pay scale based on your experience or the enemy that beats you down?
Molyneux: There are three ways you can buy your way out of trouble; experience that you've earnt, money or renown (fame). The balance of how much you'll pay is dictated by how badly you have been hurt before, and the enemy you are facing, so it is scalable. Remember if you don't pay up you'll be down for a while but will eventually get up for free, but you will be scarred and any uncollected experience will be lost.
IGN: Will people make any specific comments about enemies that have beaten you down? "Oh, there goes The Destroyer, he got beat down by a werepony!"
Molyneux: Yes they will. I'm delighted with the world and all the people in it have memories. We'll have minstrels who'll write songs about your defeats, and people in the towns will comment on your exploits. There was a bit of this in Fable, but we have taken this quite a bit further in Fable 2.
IGN: How severe will the scars be? Will it be tiny scrapes or big, nasty, unmistakable markings? And how quickly might someone have a face covered in scars (assuming someone is just awful at the game)?
Molyneux: We'll we've yet to balance this bit, but we have the ability to make scars subtle or really brutal; and disfiguring I suspect. When we get round to this we'll be looking at how often someone seems to be getting scarred and balance this accordingly .
IGN: How does scarring play into Fable's first innovation, love?
Molyneux: Ugliness will affect your chances of getting together with someone, and your wife and children will notice and comment on your scars, but your dog will not care!
IGN: Also, if you are play as a woman and get pregnant, will you be able to go out and fight while knocked up? Because I have this horrible vision of a pregnant heroine being kicked while on the ground. And that just sounds awful.
Molyneux: Good point -- but it is your choice!
IGN: Will you be able to show off your scarred hero to other gamers?
Molyneux: This is an interesting sly way of asking about online. Oh Hilary, he'll just have to wait and find out when we talk about that later on. The only thing I can say is what a brilliant idea, but that you're not the first person to have it -- this is another way of saying no comment!
IGN: When you do get up, you are more powerful, correct? Does this mean you will have unique combos and animations for these moments?
Molyneux: When you do get up you will have a short burst of energy, but don't think of this being extra moves but more a renewed feeling that you can take on the people that were mean to you -- once again we are in the processing of balancing this.
IGN: If I scar an acorn and plant it, will it grow into a scarred tree?
Molyneux: Great idea Hilary, but I would go on and say you should only need one button press to plant it!