Molyneux: Fable 1 and 2 too complicated

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=235701

Designer blames himself for 'insane' over-complication of Fable I and II

Peter Molyneux has brandished himself "a talentless bastard" - after admitting that he over-complicated elements of the first two Fable games.

As you might predict, the Lionhead boss thinks his team has got things spot on in Fable III, however - after removing the HUD, RPG experience system and expressions of the second game.

Lionhead has introduced two major gameplay elements to Fable III in their stead: A 'touch' system and 'followers', which gamers must accrue to ascend to the throne.

However, that doesn't stop Molyneux beating himself up for perceived mistakes in earlier iterations.

Molyneux told CVG in a new interview: "There was this amazing moment when a piece of research came back [that showed us] more than half the people who played Fable II understood and used less than half the features in the game. And as soon as you see that you think: 'Oh my God. What a talentless bastard I really am.'

"How can I have made a game in which people actually understood less than half of its mechanics? It's like making a film that makes people think: 'It looks quite cool. I don't know what the hell is going on, but it seems quite cool.' You know, that's just wrong.

"So I think Fable III is all about using mechanics, exploiting mechanics, giving gameplay reason to things. Expressions [which don't feature in Fable III] were cool in Fable II, but they were a way of just doing a fart joke over and over.

"Let's be honest, you know, that's what they were. There was no real meaning to them. There was no real emotional connection to them. They need to have an angle [to them]. The simpler things are, the more people use them."

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Ha ha oh wow. Fable 2 was pretty dumbed down already.

This guys is pretty ridiculous.

ON NOES! Teh cashualizaishuns! Run to the hills!

ah jeez. fable fitness here we come

Fable 1 & 2 complex? Right...

Peter Molyneaux is like a walking bag of fail. I thought the prevailing opinion of the first 2 Fable games was that they were too simple and easy.

I kinda agree in a way.

Too many mechanics and things to do , sometimes getting annoying.

Like Dragon Age for example. A newcomer or a not that good into RPG games, can mess up everything into this game. ( though is brilliant RPG )

But i didnt found Fable 1 so complicated to consider it as 1/100 as Dragon Age complex! More simplistic than that?!! Then what, we gonna play like a platform game? 4 buttons?

The reason half the mechanics weren't used was because they were completely pointless... and usually unrewarding. Not because they were complex.

The reason half the mechanics weren't used was because they were completely pointless... and usually unrewarding. Not because they were complex.

Tezcatlipoca666

Exactly, I enjoyed the Fable games but some things (dumb expressions)are just so pointless and stupid that it just kills the whole experience.

Oh god, stop! My sides :lol:

But really...Really?

he should just forget the whole RPG thing and make it a 2d platformer

Lol wut??:lol:

Fable 1&2 are some of the most simplistic RPGs ever made.

Hopefully he doesn't casualize Fable 3 even more than he did for Fable 2.

"There was this amazing moment when a piece of research came back [that showed us] more than half the people who played Fable II understood and used less than half the features in the game. And as soon as you see that you think: 'Oh my God. What a talentless bastard I really am.'

"How can I have made a game in which people actually understood less than half of its mechanics? It's like making a film that makes people think: 'It looks quite cool. I don't know what the hell is going on, but it seems quite cool.' You know, that's just wrong.

"So I think Fable III is all about using mechanics, exploiting mechanics, giving gameplay reason to things. Expressions [which don't feature in Fable III] were cool in Fable II, but they were a way of just doing a fart joke over and over.

"Let's be honest, you know, that's what they were. There was no real meaning to them. There was no real emotional connection to them. They need to have an angle [to them]. The simpler things are, the more people use them."

Parasomniac

Am I the only one hwo imagined his voice with while reading this?

LOL @ lemmings that found Fable too complicated :lol:

Fable TLC. Complicated.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

It's like he isn't listening to the critics at all. Of all the criticism of the games that I've heard, the one's that stick out are that Fable is way too simplistic. Why isn't he paying any attention?

This guys is pretty ridiculous.

Chutebox

Molyneux hasn't made a good game since Dungeon Keeper.

The fact he said he would like to revisit Syndicate made me shiver, but word is Starbreeze is doing it. Molyneux STAY AWAY!

I always thought they were too simple :Sfenwickhotmail

if only he would go back to Black and White series or Dungeon Keeper

LOL @ lemmings that found Fable too complicated :lol:

anshul89

LOL @ hermits that find reading too complicated. :lol:

Go back to grade school, then re-read it. If you fail again, repeat the process.

[QUOTE="anshul89"]

LOL @ lemmings that found Fable too complicated :lol:

ThePRAssassin

LOL @ hermits that find reading too complicated. :lol:

Go back to grade school, then re-read it. If you fail again, repeat the process.

There was this amazing moment when a piece of research came back [that showed us] more than half the people who played Fable II understood and used less than half the features in the game. And as soon as you see that you think: 'Oh my God. What a talentless bastard I really am.'Molyneux

Never played Fable 2 but the first is so simplistic its a joke.

Peter,you should shut up and develop Dungeon Keeper 3. No one cares about fable anyway...Arach666

This doesn't mean they're going to make Fable III less complex. If your read the words that he is speaking with his mouth you'll see that the lesson they've learned is to make the mechanics feel more meaningful, giving you reason and motivation to use them. This is a good thing. That last sentence is worrying though.

Wonder what they'll have instead of expressions? This touch system apparently?

Not a fan of the removal of experience. But I'll wait and see how this follower system they've devised works before passing judgment.

On no. He thought the jobs worked well. :(
"you really felt like you were a blacksmith".
No I felt like I was hitting a button every now and then until I could afford to rent out a house and never had to do that awful chore ever again. If that's what he meant by "feeling like a blacksmith" then I still think it's a bad mechanic, only an intentionally bad one. It's like the planet scanning in Mass Effect 2.

It's really weird that people on SW (and in this thread) show so much contempt for harmless game developers. OK, so his comment was silly. No need to call the main a "bag of fail." He seems like a pretty successful person to me.

This guys is pretty ridiculous.

Chutebox

Yeah but its guys like this that make the industry.. not boring lol. I love overhyping and people just making, ridiculous claims about there material. its so much fun

This guys is pretty ridiculous.

Chutebox

You know, people give Molyneux a lot of crap about what he says, a lot more than he deserves. This time he said he was getting rid of unnecessary features that no one used, and people give him crap.

Another one that people like to point out is the claim of making the best RPG of all time, but it made sense when he clarified it. He said that it would be pointless to set out trying to make the 8th best RPG, so he'd try to make the best.

But if you listen to SW Peter Molyneux would like nothing better than to break into your house, open your 360, and poop in it.

He's going to casualize casualition?

Fable III is going to be an abomination D:aaronmullan

[QUOTE="ThePRAssassin"]

[QUOTE="anshul89"]

LOL @ hermits that find reading too complicated. :lol:

Go back to grade school, then re-read it. If you fail again, repeat the process.

anshul89

There was this amazing moment when a piece of research came back [that showed us] more than half the people who played Fable II understood and used less than half the features in the game. And as soon as you see that you think: 'Oh my God. What a talentless bastard I really am.'Molyneux

..oh ya I don't see lemmings anywhere in that quote.

OhI forgot. Trolls who have nothing else better to do take System Wars s00per srs.

Good job making PC gamers look worse. Then you cry when people don't put you on the pedastal you believe you should be on.

Why is Peter always saying some of the dumbest s@!#?:(

Surely it wont be as bad as Fable 2? The worst £45 I've ever spent. finished it in 2 days.