Fable 2 GDC Previews
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After the pair showed off some of the "flirt," "pose," and other emotes that your heroes can perform in an attempt to outdo and impress one another, Molyneux decided that they should pay a visit to her (his character was female on this occasion) family. As they approached the picturesque farm cottage, a small boy, perhaps five years old, ran out to greet them--clearly thrilled to see his adventuring mother, who had purportedly been away from home for around six in-game months. On the other hand, the husband was quick to express his displeasure at her being away for so long, and perhaps wasn't thrilled that Molyneux had returned with a good-looking henchman in tow. Less than a minute into the husband's rant, henchman Atkins pulled out a gun and shot him dead. In the moment, those watching the demo laughed out loud. Then Molyneux went on to explain the consequences of his colleague's actions.
Molyneux's husband, whom he (OK, she) had presumably spent some time fostering a relationship with before marrying and getting pregnant with, was dead--forever. The child, who along with his father was completely dependant on the income of the adventuring mother, would now end up alone at the family home for months at a time, and we're told that ultimately he'd end up in an orphanage. You could track him down there if you really wanted to, but it's unlikely he'd ever be the same carefree little kid again. Needless to say, the potential for "griefing" in Fable 2's co-op mode is massive, so you'll want to be careful who you choose to share your world with.
The second is at GameShark:
One new feature highlighted in the presentation although unrelated to cooperative play was the (look out trigger.) Identical to the contextual camera button employed in Gears of War, holding down the left trigger whenever the proper icon pops on the screen shifts the view to a noteworthy event. These moments are entirely optional, but do add a bit of variety and feed into the active feel of the game. Fable 2 certainly has a more energetic appeal to its combat than the first game, something we noted in a furiously-paced battle against a band of goblins.
The third is at 1UP:
Then, asking that we turn off our cameras, he can't resist showing us something he says he's demoing for the first time: magical powers used in brilliant combos with swordplay and guns. Area-of-effect spells that look like chain lightning dissipate all surrounding enemies by pushing them out of the heroine's radius while her partner slices them with swords. It's a vivid display of Fable 2's "simulation" -- Molyneux's term for the game's emergent A.I. "Traditionally in the games industry we've been doing what I call scripted combat," he says, referring to having enemies with preprogrammed actions and set fighting styles. In Fable 2, "how hard these enemies are and how they react is all based on who I am and how I fight," says Molyneux. So, an enemy using swords and guns will elicit different enemy A.I. than one heavily relying on magic. "That ability to be able to match people with different playing styles and different abilities is something we've really been focusing on."
The fourth is at GameSpy:
All of this cooperative play occurs on the same screen, with the camera altering its angle and distance to best accommodate both players. Molyneux mentioned that they'd considered using a split-screen environment for co-op, but that the decision to use a single-screen environment helped players to feel more like they were playing with each other.
It bears noting that the single-screen environment also helps to hammer home a major facet of Fable 2's cooperative play: this person you've brought into your world is really there and free to act as they choose. Whatever your fellow player does to your world is irrevocable, so should they choose to off your husband, wife or child, that's it... they're gone and they're never coming back. As a result of this lack of an "undo" command, you'll probably want to be particularly careful about who you invite into your Fable 2 world.
And the fifth is at IGN:
As it turns out, Molyneux's pooch has come across some Hobs. Combat with two players works much like it does solo. You have a single button for melee combat, one for ranged attacks and one for magic. But in co-op, you have the opportunity to earn extra XP with tag-team combos. If you launch an enemy in the air and your friend shoots them, you get bonus XP. In fact, combat itself is built around the idea of looking cool (like a swashbuckler) to enhance the experience earned. When an enemy dies, they leave behind an orb of XP. The better you are at combat, the bigger the orb. That's particularly important with co-op, because you are sharing the XP and renown. There is only minor scaling of enemy strength when in co-op, so if you plan to earn your share of XP, you'll need to master maximizing combos.
Gold, by the way, is not earned through combat. To make cash, you need to work the economy -- Invest in some houses or get a job. Become a blacksmith or a barman or a henchman for another player. No word yet on if you can be a forklift operator in Albion, but our fingers are crossed. If you just want to blaze through the game, you can certainly do so. Just know that you'll be a dirt poor hero when the credits roll.
