As promised, following our first installment of 10 Questions with Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux, we are now pleased to bring you yet another set of 10 Questions in which Peter discusses the scope/size of Fable II, the "one button" combat, his dreams of having a pet Balverine, the possibility of another Black & White, and more.
Check out the full Q&A below and please stay tuned for our special 10 Questions with Will Wright, which we're expecting very soon.
1. What are some features you would like to see in games 10 years down the line, but aren't completely possible today?
If you go back 10 years and look at the games we were playing in the late '90s, which were a lot of RTS's and RPG's, you can see how much difference 10 years makes! I am certain the next 10 years will see everyone playing games in very different ways to how we play now, whether it's motion controllers, cameras, microphones, etc. The other pretty obvious big change to come is online. We still haven't realized the full potential of online games and I think that's going to take another 2-3 years to come about.
2. How much bigger is the map in Fable II (how many cities/regions)? And how many hours of gameplay time can you put into Fable II?
Fable II is absolutely huge. There are 12 regions and each of those is about the size of the entire world in the first Fable. These regions are also riddled with tombs, caves, dungeons and demon doors. In terms of length of gameplay, if you just play through the core story and don't mind finishing the game as a poor lonely and unpopular hero (having ignored a large number of side quests) then I'd estimate 15-20 hours. Depending on how you play the time will, of course, vary but if you're a completist I'd multiply that basic time by five.
3. In Fable II, I have heard that the world is completely free-roamable, but can you go everywhere from the moment you can set foot outside, like in Oblivion, or will it be more like Fable 1, where you can only go so far without advancing in the main story?
There are places in the Fable II world which are blocked off for dramatic reasons but once you complete the childhood section of the game you are free to explore most of the world any way you like. For example, Brightwood is part of the story thread some way into the game, but you are free to explore this area and activate side quests as soon as you have left the childhood section of the game.
4. Some people were hoping that online PvP would be revealed at E3 this year, possibly in the form of the arena from the first Fable. Do you feel that PvP could work in a game like Fable or do you think the game is better off without it?
I think that would be a fantastic addition to Fable II. It would be cool to fight against other heroes, as everyone's hero will be unique, and fascinating to see and pit yourself against other people's heroes.
5. Will the player be able to choose what breed of dog he or she will have? And can the dog become good/evil and change appearance as the player does? And can the dog die?
Dogs can't die but their appearance does change to reflect your alignment. Its personality also changes according to how you behave. But you can't choose your breed of dog.
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