After sampling the delights of Fable 2 (more on that soon) we had a little chat with Peter Molyneux about death. Specifically, we talked about how death would be treated in Fable 2. Typically, death in video games means loading the previous checkpoint or restarting a given level. According to Molyneux, such will not be the case in Fable 2. Instead, when overpowered and bested by an enemy, players will be left with a permanent reminder of their defeat: a scar. Granted, the scars are cosmetic, but they do affect how NPCs perceive the main character. The idea apparently came to Molyneux after watching Casino Royale, in which James Bond undergoes particularly brutal torture during one scene and finds himself in the arms of a woman during the next. According to Molyneux, "In Hollywood, heroes always win the day." That's all well and good, but what if you don't like the idea of being disfigured? Players will have two choices it seems: don't lose, or you can pay a hefty fee to keep your attackers from scarring you. Molyneux revealed that testers are willing to lay down hefty sums of gold -- 1000, which is enough to buy a hut -- in order to avoid scarring. So there you have it, you won't die in Fable 2 -- even bosses can't kill you, but they leave deeper scars -- but you'll pay a price (one way or another) for failing in combat.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-12-2007 @ 8:46PM
Swampfox23 said...
Thats actually a pretty good idea. Of all the game developers, Peter Molyneux is probably my favorite because his ideas are, for the most part, original and in depth. Also he is very excited and motivated about making a high quality game. Developers such as EA need more people like him, imo.
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7-12-2007 @ 9:24PM
zourskittles said...
Is the scarring going to be anything like when your dog gets hurt? (I.E. He will start limping and be a bit slower than usual.)
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7-12-2007 @ 9:36PM
SOyuncastor said...
I personally have a scar, and I will never forget how I got it. So putting that into this game sounds for me really really cool.
life is not about always winning, and it should be the same for gaming.
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7-12-2007 @ 9:57PM
Don Carajo said...
Wow that is so...stupid! This guy focuses on crap that should just be there as a little extra not as a main selling point. Scars? WTF? So you get a sword through your abdomen and you don't die...right. What next? You bleed if you get hurt? Wow! You pay to bleed a different colour? Please. The first Fable was shithouse (the aging thing was a stupid gimmick, you got old but no-one else did) and this looks to be going the same way. Nice one Molyneux!
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7-12-2007 @ 10:51PM
James said...
You know that having scars on yourself rather than dying every single time is intresting and adds to your character and the way the game is played. So I think it's pretty kool, but I'm getting the PS3(My bro claimed 360)
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7-13-2007 @ 12:39AM
Jonah Falcon said...
No, no, NO! THE RIGHT! THE RIGHT!!!!!
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7-13-2007 @ 12:41AM
Jonah Falcon said...
"WTF? So you get a sword through your abdomen and you don't die...right. What next? You bleed if you get hurt?"
You reload and start over anyway. So, you die and nothing happens AT ALL. There's no mark on you, since you never got hurt and never died.
Capiche?
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7-13-2007 @ 2:01AM
thatguywhoclowns said...
@7
you tell him elephant cock. that dude is a huge prick. itd be cool to see a scar on the asshole, like if it got banged by an abnormally huge schlong.
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7-13-2007 @ 5:35AM
Kritz said...
It's not like you could die in the first Fable anyway. >_>
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7-13-2007 @ 6:18AM
trigger said...
Peter Molyneux looks kinda creepy.
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7-13-2007 @ 6:46AM
Jldowning said...
IMHO: This game, will be one of the best of its Decade. I really like the work these guys are putting into the game to give it a very emotional expo! Can't wait.
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7-13-2007 @ 7:40AM
Boff said...
I think it's a good idea.
Kudos to Molyneux for coming up with new twists and ideas, rather than just churning out yet another FPS/RPG/RTS or whatever.
Clearly not everyone likes it but at least he's coming up with a fresh take on things!
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7-13-2007 @ 7:42AM
KSB said...
will it be possible to visit a voodoo doctor to remove one's scar... I want my babes to dig me in fable, not fear me ;-)
loved the first Fable, even bought the lost chapters when it arrived, but yeah it was missing stuff I hope will appear in fable 2.
Co-operative play would be fun too
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7-13-2007 @ 9:11AM
dunnypop said...
scarring is a cool idea but what if you get smashed and stabbed to bits? that's ridiculous.
If anything, if you die, you should be able to come back (with all the same stats) as one of your children, or friends, or someone else to avenge your death.
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7-13-2007 @ 9:20AM
Stephen said...
My guess is you'll have a choice before the "final blow" of your enemy, pay me or pay the consequence type choice.
Love the idea more than reincarnation 1000x over.
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7-13-2007 @ 10:34AM
coalhalo said...
I loved Fable, and I bought a copy of Fable: The Lost Chapters to play on my 360 while waiting for Oblivion to come out. Having said that, I have a hard time listening to the things Molyneux says about a game before it is released. He lost alot of credibility when he promised the moon in Fable. Many people ripped him, and many still do, a new asshole because he ran his mouth. I personally like him, his games, and the recent Lionhead diary videos were entertaining. But I'm not going to give much credence to all the pre-release hype for Fable 2. I'm just going to wait til it's release day, and buy my copy and enjoy myself.
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7-13-2007 @ 10:36AM
coalhalo said...
And the stuff with the scars; by the end of my many playthroughs of Fable, my character was covered in scars. Nice idea, but it's not new to the game.
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7-13-2007 @ 11:28AM
Jonah Falcon said...
Yes, but no one cared about your scars. In Fable 2, they'll affect your interaction with the world.
By the way, when I play Fable, I have a game to see how few scars I can have. I once finished the game with no scars on my face. That was a real triumph.
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7-13-2007 @ 5:09PM
James said...
I wonder if, like how you could play through a different way in Fable 1 by being as evil as possible, there will be new paths opened up if you intentionally get yourself all cut up and wind up with a face like Edward Scissorhands. That would be cool.
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