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Exclusive Fable Interview Feature
Stephen Leyton
07/03/2003
TVG interviewed, Dene Carter, Managing Director at Blue Box, on the much talked about game Fable.
With the guidance of gameās visionary Peter Molyneux, this looks to be a game of huge potential!
TVG: Can you tell us anything about the back-story that ties the events of Fable together?
Many hundreds of years ago, a great civilisation grew based on the power of a strange artefact called the Pandora. Its great walls stretched from sea to sea, and its knights strode the world, proud, ruthless and unbeatable. In one night, the kingdom shattered and all who lived within its stone walls disappeared. Over the centuries, those who survived, away from the kingdon's bounds, began the task of building civilisation once again. This is your world, Albion.
TVG: Obviously the character development is Fable's strongest allure; we've heard of scars forming and skin tanning under prolonged bouts in the sun, but can you tell us a little more about this excellent feature, how extensive and wide is the scope for characters to develop?
Skin tans and pales, veins grow more visible due to magical activity, skin ages, tattoos can be applied to various body parts, hair and beards can be cropped into a wide range of styles, clothing can be mixed and matched, muscles develop with weapon use, skin scars if deep wounds are left to bleed and much much more...
TVG: Despite knowing a considerable amount about the game features, we don't actually know that much about the actual gameplay; can you talk a little about the controls, combat methods, etc?
First and foremost, the control of Fable is simple. Every decision we've made has been predicated on the idea of 'fun' as opposed to realism. There's a single context sensitive interaction button and a 'use object in hand' button, and a Will button. With these simple controls you can fight, use magic, talk, light lamps, open doors etc, etc. The combat is real-time, brutal and heavily based on combos and enhancements you can learn as you progress in the game.
TVG: Pete Molyneux claimed at X'02 that he personally learnt a lot from offering players complete freedom in Black & White; to this extent will Fable be a more closely scripted title?
The major thing we realised was that if 200 things are going on in an area of the world far away from the hero, a console gamer is highly unlikely to notice. We began by trying to do the entire game via AI. We swiftly realised that AI leads to quite stagnant plotting, and a sense of disconnect with the world. We've thus used AI and scripting in tandem to draw attention to the areas we felt were important.
TVG: The Xbox HDD must play a crucial role in the structure of Fable, can you tell us how Xbox development has been, what do you think of the machine?
XBox development has been a dream in most respects - with no XBox there would be no Fable. The biggest problem has been that the being given so much freedom suddenly makes decisions far harder - after all, you could do almost *anything*.
TVG: How long can players expect to be playing, and is there scope to continue playing the game after you've completed the main quest?
We reckon that the core quest could take as little as 20 hours to complete. This is a console game, so the pacing needs to be fast, fast, fast. However, there's a whole world to explore, and a lot of fun to be had wandering around and interacting with people.
TVG: Can you give us some details on the 'simulated world' that you've created?
There are Bandits with their own aspirations, Traders who wish to ply a reasonable trade, Villagers who just want a peaceful life, and Guards who feel it's their duty to keep the peace. On top of that, there are the enemies: the strange extra-dimensional creatures who inhabit the woods and dark places of the world, and the brutal rising force that threatens all life in Albion. All of these different factions have their own needs, agenda and effects on the world, all of the people live their own little lives and all these things are the canvas upon which your story unfolds.
TVG: How important is 'reputation' in the game?
Reputation is the measure of a hero's worth. Without reputation a hero is just a 'dude'. Being a hero involves treading a line between public relations and actual heroism. Oh, and nobody ever said you had to be good...
TVG: What do you see as the most innovative features in terms of what the game can show and present as different from any other game?
Genuine personalisation of character, both as a chosen action, and a result of your actions and dealings with the people of the world is probably the most important aspect of this game. We've not defined any roles for the player, so the way Albion will interact is entirely up to them.
TVG: What has the team done before and what do they believe is their expertise?
Our guys have a real mixture of experience - from boxing games to racing games to shooters to sim games. Itās the mix of these abilities, which enables us to produce a game like Fable.
Thanks guys for the interview we know there is many many people that cannot wait any longer to see this game in action!
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