There's a reason Peter Molyneux is smiling in this picture. He was nervous to reveal the "revolutionary" new feature in Fable 2. Several people on his own team told him not to do it. In fairness, it's definitely a risky feature. No one in their right mind would call it revolutionary at first glance. Yes, the intertubes were right: Fable 2's secret new feature is a dog. That's it. So, why is Peter smiling? He's smiling because he just convinced a room full of jaded journalists that a dog is revolutionary. Yup, it's a dog, but believe it or not, you will love it.
So, how is a dog revolutionary? The GDC Fable 2 discussion centered on innovation. In fact, the presentation was called "Putting Innovation into Fable 2, or how to live up to promises." That last bit is more than likely a reference to the flack that Molyneux received for claiming that the original Fable would be the greatest RPG of all time. The question, then, is how does Fable 2 live up to its promises? How does it become what Fable should have been? First, the obvious: Molyneux revealed that there would be more of everything in Fable 2. That means more weapons, monsters, locations, and magic. All that, according to Molyneux, is easy. Lionhead, he asserts, is about innovation. The next step, says Molyneux, is emotion. Not just any emotion either. No, Fable 2 aims to make players feel love.
To this end, players will be able to raise families and have children. Children will take on the look of the player character and will react to what the player does in the world. For example, should you run out and slay a dragon, on your return home your child will burst through the door and praise your accomplishments. This gives you a sense of accomplishment. Still, says Molyneux, family and children are easy. They're cheap. What about love? Enter the dog.
The dog in Fable 2 is a completely dynamic creature. It grows and morphs along with the player. Evil dogs will be more Doberman like and good dogs will be fluffier and cuter. The dog is intelligent and takes care of itself. In fact, players have no direct control of the dog at all. The dog is autonomous, but bound by a few rules (similar to Azimov's rules of robotics).
Starting with the first rule, the dog won't be a chore do deal with. It can handle itself and it won't do anything to aggravate you. For instance, the dog will not alert enemies to your presence until you're ready to fight. The dog also pays attention to how you play and reacts accordingly. If you fight with a sword, for example, the dog will concentrate on enemies that have guns, as those enemies prevent you from getting close enough to attack. It's very cool and requires no extra input from the player at all.
The second rule, and this is the clincher, the dog loves you. It protects you, it looks to you for approval, and it will follow you to the ends of the earth. Of course, you don't have to like your dog. For instance, if the dog is wounded, you can choose to leave it limping in the woods. The dog still loves you though, and it will find you. As Molyneux puts it, you may find yourself talking up a floozy in a pub, only to hear a scratch at the door. Someone opens the door to reveal your bloody, battered dog. Characters will respond to this, saying things like "who would do something like this to a dog." Molyneux hopes something like that will make players feel bad. He also hopes that growing and playing with the dog will produce a bond with the player. "If I can get you to care about something just a little bit," says Molyneux, "then I've got you."
He definitely got me, and judging from the room's reaction, he got us all. The dog's antics had the conference room enthralled. Laughs erupted as the dog chased its ball. A chorus of "awwww" broke out when the dog came limping back to its master after a battle. This concern grew even more when Peter showed us that you can simply walk away from your wounded dog if you wish.
I know, the concept sounds absurd -- and it was the last thing I expected -- but the dog has me hooked. Molyneux made me care, and I wasn't even playing. When the presentation began, Peter said that Fable 2 is aiming for "wow" moments. It looks like he just scored the first one.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-08-2007 @ 6:29PM
VOS said...
Retarded. God I need to get done with school and get out there.
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3-08-2007 @ 6:54PM
J.Goodwin said...
To be fair, that IS NOT what he said.
The revolutionary feature is "LOVE," which he said had different examples in the game related to sexual relations, marriage, children, and the loyalty of animals.
Whether that's any more or less cliched...I don't know.
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3-08-2007 @ 6:55PM
alijah said...
good idea but revolutionary i think not its scripted so why would you call it revolutionary.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:02PM
King Keepo said...
Sounds like he's following up on the emotion thing he was talking about the other day (interview with a few RPG dudes on this site in the last couple of days). Judging by the reported crowd reaction he's already got his emotive hook, and I suspect he chose a dog because people will easily fall for it.
I'm really starting to look forward to the other quirks Fable 2 has up it's sleeve...
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3-08-2007 @ 7:08PM
UntombedSoldier said...
VOS, jaded much? I'm very glad to know you'll be revolutionizing the industry soon when you get your code-monkey job at EA Sports; just be sure to remember the little people. Sheesh.
As for the dog idea, I think I'll need to see it before passing judgment. I can envision at least two scenarios: 1) it's done poorly and like alijah said it ends up being just another scripted escort mission gone wrong, or 2) it's done too convincingly and you have dog people (admittedly, like me) getting bent out of shape when playing the game and the dog gets hurt beyond medicinal aid. Obviously, there's a wider spectrum of outcomes than that, but those are the most worrisome to me.
Also, Molyneux had better have a plan for those players who don't want dogs at all. It's a pretty significant thing to force players to use this other entity as their HUD (as some commentators have mentioned) and for those who don't like dogs in the first this could be a pretty major imposition.
Revolutionary or not, it sure is ambitious.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:14PM
Brian said...
Did he mention at the event about sharing your dog with your friends?...then said something about how they can play together. Is that a hint to one of the other revolutionary features of Fable 2?
I was their and the Dog feature was awesome. I think it's one of those things you just have to see for yourself.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:15PM
Nick Nelson said...
If you go the evil route I really hope to see the dog turn into a three headed shop keep eater. Also, whatever happened to the 'world's oldest profession'?
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3-08-2007 @ 7:21PM
aragorn said...
obviously he's addicted to nintendogs.
nowadays, you just can't have the name "Peter Molyneux" in the same sentence with the word "revolutionary." well... unless you're critisizing him.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:28PM
DeadPlasmaCell said...
If Steve Jobs can say the iPhone or iPod is revolutionary or Nintendo can say the Wii is revolutionary and people eat it up, then why not this guy?
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3-08-2007 @ 7:28PM
THA1icarus said...
So the dog can't die?? If he is your "HUD" you need him.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:32PM
skimming said...
Kudos to Richard for a great writeup. In general, we readers don't give enough (any?) credit to the staff here for their work.
Really, an excellent summary of the features and experiences.
And no, I'm not Richard's Mom.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:36PM
THA1icarus said...
BTW gun???
Guns in fable????
Why???
Is the next Revolutionary feature. First Person Shooter mode??? Ore a chainsaw????
Sorry for ranting on,
I'm going to bed...
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3-08-2007 @ 7:45PM
gtpunch said...
Peter Molyneux saw a Tamagotchi about 10 years ago and has never been quite the same since.
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3-08-2007 @ 7:47PM
aragorn said...
THA1icarus: I'm pretty sure they're talking about a blunderbuss... which is a totally relavant weapon for a fantasy game.
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3-08-2007 @ 8:25PM
NEO1X said...
I hope he doesn't find a DS with Nintendogs or Fabel 2 will never get done
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3-08-2007 @ 8:27PM
Richard Mitchell said...
J. Goodwin,
In my own defense, I recorded the event. Peter Molyneux said, and I quote:
"The big feature, the one that is gonna make you laugh and cry and care is a dog."
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3-08-2007 @ 10:38PM
Mikeawesome said...
Nice write up. Envisioning this in my head, because I have read other reports of what Peter is trying to do, coupled with your detailed examples (which other sites didn't do), I really felt pulled emotionally, especially as a "dog person".
I would like to see one thing, though, if your dog gets wounded in battle, you can pick him up, maybe somehow have him straddle your back and you carry him back to safety. After all, depending on how you play the game, he could be your only ally.
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3-08-2007 @ 11:18PM
Veras Gunn said...
It's called Azimov's rules OF robotics, not Azimov's rules or robotics.
Regardless, I like sounds of this feature. I'm not too thrilled that me being moral will get me a poodle to follow me, but I still like how Molyneux's shaping the new Fable. I just hope the dog isn't going to be one of those features they just happen to leave out because they couldn't get it to work in time for the release date.
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3-09-2007 @ 1:48AM
Toph said...
After reading a few write-ups on the net (IGN to name one that's excellent..even refers to FF7 if you know what you're looking at), I really want Fable 2. I'd say it's up on my top 5 list for this year..with Halo 3, Fable 2, Alan Wake, Mass Effect and XBLA in general, I'm happy to be an Xboxer (And for the record, Home looks like douche.)
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3-09-2007 @ 4:15AM
Azerael said...
Does it have to be a dog? I don't want a dog. I want a cat.
Or a Tiger.
Or a Dragon.
I hope we can 'upgrade' the pet... I don't want a stupid, slobbering, idiot dog...
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