Interview Fable 3 Has Followers

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Fable 2; Lionhead Studios; Peter Molyneux

<p>CVG <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=254653" target="_blank">had a chat with Peter Molyneux</a> during one of his wake moments inbetween his valium naps.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>You mention the debate over whether Fable III is an RPG...</strong><br />Now, RPGs have experience. In Fable 3 we don't have experience anymore - we have this new thing called followers. The idea is whatever you do in the world either gains you followers or loses you followers. If you complete quests that is a great way to gain followers.<br /><br />The same is true if you give out promises, if you say you'll do things when you're king - or you can grind in the world and literally, individually you can gain or lose followers.<br /><br />Just like in Fable II you can buy anything you like, but it's a lot more significant this time. If you buy the main house in this town and move your family in you will gain more followers because you will gain the respect of your community.<br /><br />Over the course of time flags will change into your flags as communities follow you. Followers make a much better mechanic [than traditional experience].<br /><br />Then there's Touch - which I've talked quite a lot about before. I can reach out any time I like and take anybody by the hand, maybe we'll go for a drink together, you can choose to do that with women, with whoever you like.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Seems as if Ol' Pete is innovating the shit out of the industry again.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/98624-fable-iii-interview.html">Gamebanshee</a></p>

 

[racofer]

At least Oblivion had levels...

 

[Turok]

At least Oblivion had levels...

:D

I try play Fable I and Fable II and as rpg games i really get to hate then, really ugly games, now with this Fable III adventures i just think molinex is on drugs.

 

[Andhaira]

Well Moleyneux was never really known for making rpg's even in his hey day.

 

[Achilles]

So now even the concept of experience is too much for the mainstream gamer to understand. Yay.

 

[Achilles]

Well, because Molyneux saw fit to remove it. He is one of the trend setters, whether we like it or not.

 

[baronjohn]

XP is a dumb idea anyway, and needs to be replaced by more subtle game-specific systems.

 

[Achilles]

Such as?

 

[4too]

Fairy Tales Can Come True ...

Fairy Tales Can Come True ...





So achieving Fable-3 followers is like gaining millions of friends on Face Book and Twitter?

A gathering wave of me ... me ... me ...

The rails that this ego affirmation inducer will slide on is the mass marketed social networking forums.

Alone no more in Fantasy drag.

And not a lootin' and shootin', f-ckin' and fightin' Western-Action-RPG,

no,

one great big universal hug and popularity contest!

Peace and love, and keepin' up with the Jones-ez!

How sweet ...

Rewarded for doin' the right thang ... buying a Mc-Mansion earns you MORE imaginary friends!

I recall a mantra of 20th Century excessive consumerism, "those that die with the most toys ... win."

The suburban fairy tale in a virtual box.

Looks like PM is riding a horse in the direction it's going .... some kind of mastery,

or the luck of a stopped clock.

Correct two times any day.






4too

 

[kanenas]

One by one they start jumping off the Really Profitable Game bandwagon

 

[Mangoose]

This would actually be an interesting idea

if Molyneaux wasn't responsible.

 

[Dragula]

Yeah I mean, dumbshit made Dungeon Keeper, talk about STUPID IDEAS.

 

[JarlFrank]

Yeah I mean, dumbshit made Dungeon Keeper, talk about STUPID IDEAS.

That was before he went all BLOBERT.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

While I'd like to jump on the bile wagon, I'd want to see how this system works first.

 

[Drakron]

While I'd like to jump on the bile wagon, I'd want to see how this system works first.

Why?

We are talking about followers you know, NPCs with a AI that will REPLACE your character growth in power.

Can you not see how this is a VERY STUPID IDEA? Do you know anyone that says how great companion AI is on any game? its DESPISED for a reason and that is the AI sucks and even when its half competent its still not going to do what we would like to do.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

From what Molly said until now, the PC will be a king, so I don't think he's talking about "followers" as "party", but rather as "people on your side". As in, choosing to help X region will turn Y region against you, etc.

Mostly because he's saying "this new thing, followers", and companions are anything but a new feature.

Even if he was talking about companions, I think I'll wait until we have some info other than "We will have followers instead of XP" to start flinging shit. The previous games had XP and were still Action RPGs, it's not like he removed the sole feature that made them actual RPGs.

 

[Elzair]

Can you bake some motherfucking bread?

 

[SuicideBunny]

From what Molly said until now, the PC will be a king, so I don't think he's talking about "followers" as "party", but rather as "people on your side". As in, choosing to help X region will turn Y region against you, etc.

he's probably talking about the first part of the game where you organize the rebellion, so followers = cannon fodder for your army.

The same is true if you give out promises, if you say you'll do things when you're king

sounds pretty much like it.

 

[Brother None]

Mostly because he's saying "this new thing, followers", and companions are anything but a new feature.

Right. Because Molyneux has never called an old feature wrapped in new terminology "a new feature".

It's already painful enough to see journos swallow the drivel dripping from this man's mouth yet again, despite the fact that we all know he's promising more than he can realise and is a senile old has-been that should be put out to pasture...

In my professional opinion, that is.

...regardless, "followers" is either a measure of faction strength, or directly represented as the number of followers you have. In either case, it is a scaled measurement of the increasing/decreasing power of your PC. Which is what experience is. Semantic shit = semantic shit.

Petey is desperately trying to disassociate his game from RPGs because he figures that label is what's been holding back sales for Fable I (2 mil) and II (3.5 mil), and the 5 mil sales goal needs to be hit. So, gone with the RPG term, in with even more crowd appeasement. One-button combat! Touching people! Dogs! Ego-stroking! Fuck it, whatever sells is INNOVATIVE DESIGN!

I have a hard time thinking of any individual who has done as much harm to the game industry over the last 10 years as Peter Molyneux.

PS: I <3 you, 4too.

 

[rpgcodexusername]

interesting idea, have to wait to see how its implemented

 

[SuicideBunny]

...regardless, "followers" is either a measure of faction strength, or directly represented as the number of followers you have. In either case, it is a scaled measurement of the increasing/decreasing power of your PC. Which is what experience is. Semantic shit = semantic shit.

you can lose experience by making a choice that doesn't sit well with it?

 

[Mangoose]

...regardless, "followers" is either a measure of faction strength, or directly represented as the number of followers you have. In either case, it is a scaled measurement of the increasing/decreasing power of your PC. Which is what experience is. Semantic shit = semantic shit.

That's what I'm thinking, 100%.

If it were someone else I'd be interested and expecting a more complex mechanic that actually takes advantage of the fact that followers are people. But Molyneux's favorite thing to do is hype an interesting idea and then implement it in the most banal way.

 

[Brother None]

you can lose experience by making a choice that doesn't sit well with it?

It's an experience/reputation hybrid, but it's not like the concept of losing experience through making the wrong choice is novel to RPGs. It's been a staple of RPGs since forever, though cRPGs have somewhat avoided it because punishing the player is scary, so it's usually only death as does it. It's nothing new, tho'.

Don't get me wrong, I think experimenting with RPG staples like this is awesome if done in a meaningful and daring way. Both are guaranteed to not be present in anything Molyneux produces at this stage of his career. He's just covering up his same old shit design with a lot of INNOVATIVE WORDING, and the press is lapping it up. AGAIN.

 

[random_encounter]

One-button combat! Touching people! Dogs! Ego-stroking! Fuck it, whatever sells is INNOVATIVE DESIGN!

I started losing hope at E3 when I saw Fart as an option.

Then watched when it got stuck in a loop while playing patty cake.

 

[Black]

How do you figure?

Cloaked
B)
YEAAAAAAAHHHHH