Luke's Fable Compendium - FAQs



This FAQ was taken from LHtimes.


General Information
In this groundbreaking role-playing adventure game from Lionhead Studios, your every action determines your character's skills, appearance and morality. Your character's life story is created from childhood through to adulthood and on to old age. Grow from an inexperienced child into the most powerful being in the world, spoken of by all and immortalised in legend. Choose the path of righteousness, or dedicate your life to evil, and see yourself transform into a reflection of your actions and decisions. Age leaves you wizened, battle leaves you scarred, as gluttony affects obesity. With experience comes advancement and physical change, whether it be expanding muscles, a keen eye and nimble form, or the buzz of magical energies around your finger tips. As you develop your alter ego, the world reacts to you and your actions. People comment on your successes and failures, your appearance, and your behaviour. Their many opinions are expressed through applause, mockery, trepidation, panic, and even flirtation if they feel so inclined. Each person you aid, each flower you crush, each creature you slay, will change this world forever. In Fable, gamers decide: "Who will I be?"

What format will Fable be released for?
Fable will be released on DVD for the Xbox® video game system.

Any famous names working on this game?
Apart from some well known people from Lionhead Studios, music celebrity Danny Elfman has composed the theme for the upcoming Xbox roleplaying adventure Fable.

When will it be out?
Fable will be out in September 2004 in all NTSC (USA) territories and in October 2004 for PAL (EUROPE) territories.

How many lines of spoken text are there in Fable? Currently there are more then 22'000 lines of spoken text in Fable; and we might add a few thousand more before the release!

Where can I find more information?
The biggest fansite for Fable is probably www.alter-ego.net.




General Gameplay

What is the goal of this game?
The whole point of Fable is that you play the type of character you want to be, you are a real hero you can become famous and as you do so you morph into anything from a barbaric fighter to the most powerful mage. There are other heroes around, in fact, heroism plays a major part. You can choose to play through the story and find out more about yourself, or just experience the incredible Artificial Intelligence of the simulated world of Albion! Fable is an ingenious mixture between a RPG and an Action/Adventure game.

How do you mean simulated?
Most of the time, worlds in RPG's are pre-defined, which means events and reactions are pre-scripted and you can't disrupt people and their actions in any possible way. Fable is set in a simulated world, that is linked to non-linear gameplay, but there still has to be a central story-based core that is linear. The simulation is done by the AI team working at Lionhead Studios, who are famous (and awarded) for the work they've done in the past on AI and simulations of worlds.

Ok, I understand I will be part of a simulated world, but to what extent is the world simulated?
The towns, and the whole Fable world, have a complete lifecycle, a full daylight cycle, people go off to work, kids go to school. This breaks down to the point where in some places, a ship will come into port laden with certain goods, these are distributed around the neighbourhood, prices are affected - a whole supply and demand mechanic! You as a player can be part of this, and start trading yourself, for example read this article .
A full commerce system manages all the trading and pricing of everything commercially available throughout the game world as supply and demand fluctuates.

What can you tell me about this story?
Nothing, as that would spoil the fun of experiencing the game when you start to play it! Let's just say you are supposed to become the most powerful hero in the world. But there is plenty of opportunity to be Good, Evil and in-between.

How open ended will it be then?
Fable is going to be as open-ended as people want it to be. You can stop along the way, amass wealth, buy shops, interact with people in the town, go and visit schools if you want. You can do anything you like along the way and after you've completed the story, you can continue to live in the world of Albion as a hero

Will there be loading times?
Well, there is only one big loading time in the beginning of the game, and because the locations and regions in the world are so detailed and dressed up, and enemies have to be generated, there are smaller transition times between those locations. You could compare it to Halo, for example where between regions you had a short waiting time for the next region to load. Such a location could be bigger then the biggest city and we are trying to keep the transition times as small as possible.

What is the sandgoose?
No one knows what the sandgoose is! Will there be one in Fable; who knows?! Peter Molyneux expressed the wish to have this but we can't know for sure.

How will multiplayer work in Fable?
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we will not be including the Multiplayer feature in Fable. There simply isn't enough time to polish it to the standard we feel would be required to match that of the rest of the game. Instead we have decided to focus our resources on fine-tuning the single-player experience to ensure it is of the highest possible quality.
In the recent release video footage I saw a big eye and a number, what is this for? This is what we call the Awareness Eye. It indicates the number of things that are aware of you, and whether they are Unaware, Semi-Aware or Aware. This is especially useful for stealth and committing crimes. Committing a crime, for example, will only be noticed if there are witnesses - so make sure no one is aware of you when you are about to break the law.

What's the point of digging?
Digging is related to some of the Quests you undertake and if done at the right spot, you may find an item which is of interest.

Who'd win in a guitar duel God or Eddie Van halen?
Trick question!! Halen is God! - PRSrulez

How does Fable deal with looting?
Money for example can be gotten from looting corpses but also other items such as weapons and other random items. When creatures die, some of them leave behind a bag in which can be found any items they were carrying.

What affect will the consumption of food and drink have?
Your character can get fat by eating and drinking too much, but will get thinner due to exercise and energy expenditure. Every type of food and drink has an associated calorific value each gives a set amount of energy (health) and fat. The general purpose of food is to increase your health. But any fat will be added to your characters overall fat value, as will any excess energy (e.g. if you already have full health).

Will we have an automatic game journal, to help us remember current tasks, missions etc?
There is a Hero journal in Fable, showing you exactly what Quests you are presently involved in, along with their status and any extra information. You will also be able to see the Quests you have been involved in before, and what you achieved. As well as these quest reviews, you can read your logbook of the story so far, and look up any tutorials that have taken place.

Will there be a mini map?
Yes, a simple click of the Right Thumbstick will toggle the mini map display. The map reveals where you are, the area you are in, and the locations that you need to go to for your current Quests. There are various other useful things marked on your map, to remind you where things are, and also to entice you off the beaten track

Will the central plot, and/or random exploration, reveal more about Albion's storied history?
Yes, definitely!




The Hero

How unique' will my hero be?
The Hero changes and develops according to the way you play the game; and this culminates both physically and in terms of your attributes. He evolves according to the way you play the game; by the quests you undertake, by the experience you get, by the type of weapons that you use, by the people you talk to, and by the other friends and heroes he interacts with. Everything you do as a player will influence your hero.

Will my hero age?
Your hero will age and morph in real time, and the same goes for important NPC's such as your wife. But no to the point where you become decrepit.

How will I know how great I am as a hero then?
Towns applaud the arrival of a truly great hero. You may witness this in the early parts of the game, but ultimately if you achieve true greatness they will celebrate YOUR arrival in town. The reactions extend to all facets of the game. For example, wear inappropriate clothing and they might start laughing at you, unless you have a lot of renown. Wander into a town after some courageous exploits, and people will come up to you, applauding your bravery and saying hey, you're fantastic! If you're evil, people may initially boo and jeer, but after you have confirmed your ruthlessness they will cower before you. But the worst thing is when you wander into a town and no one does anything You are nothing.

How will NPC's react to my hero exactly?
Every single villager in the world of Albion maintains a multidimensional opinion of the hero, which is continually being influenced by many actions the player can take, and also feeds into a shared opinion of the hero maintained by each village. These opinions influence subsequent reactions of villagers to the player's behaviour.

Does that mean I can't be a hero in one town and a bandit in another town?
No, the people of one village may hate you due to evil deeds perpetrated there, but you may have charmed people elsewhere into thinking you're a saint.

So I choose to be evil or good?
The player does not have to be 'good' in Fable; their actions determine their path through the game. Also, what the hero does determines how they look, and how proficient they are at various tasks. It is, for example, possible to become legendary in the world. Fable has a renown system, in where you are competing with other heroes for fame. We also have a hero title system!
You'll always know how you're doing with regard to good/evilness. Not only will it affect the appearance of the Hero quite dramatically, you can always look it up in your stats.

What's best, being evil or good?
It's not all about cheating on wives, beating people up, etc. - you're quite able to do nice things for people, which they will be thankful for, plus your wife in particular has many ways to be kept happy - also there are many rewards for the good path as well as the bad. It's really up to you as a player and what you want.

How will I be able to tell what my alignment is?
Alignment is a reflection of players actions in the world. Good characters will over a long period of time and very gradually develop a soft halo and when they are standing still for a few moments attract butterflies. Evil characters will grow little horns, get flaming eyes and their hairline will begin to recede, and when they stand still attract flies. Horns and Halos will only start to develop once you get to the very extremes of the alignment you will only reach these extremes through consistently performing good or evil deeds.

How is dialogue being dealt with?
There's not a single unspoken line of dialogue in Fable.

Does dialogue change based upon a person's opinion of you?
The way people react to you changes according to their opinion of you, and this is expressed through the wide variety of dialogue in the game.

So do I have to care about skills and experience and ?
There are three main attributes to think about in Fable, three topics that will make your hero unique. There's Strength: how hard you hit somebody, and there are some flourishes in there. There's Skill: like using bows and arrows or ranged attacks, pickpocket, steal etc. and there's the Magic System, which we call Will'. And the more you use each one, the more you will evolve in this attribute. Players earn various different types of Experience' and these can be used to buy' different levels and abilities: some are passive (like the ability to wear heavier armour) and some are far more active (like the ability to Battle Charge or Berserk).

How does Strength work?
Visually, Strength gives you size and other related character morphs. On one of the interface screens you can see your Strength bar, which is broken up into chunks the first notch is level one, the next level two, etc. When you level-up, you'll see your muscles pop as you go through a full strength morph.

How does Skill work?
Skill makes you lither, and is particularly useful for those who favour ranged combat. It's also of interest for those who wish to specialize in things like for example -trading, pickpocket, stealth and stealing

How long will it take me to complete this game?
Fable - including the many side quests and things - will keep you playing for 100+ hours. You will need around 30 hours to complete the main story, if you know your way around, taking the fastest way possible and only speaking to those relevant to the quest. This would mean you didn't explore the world of Albion, interact with the NPC's or do anything whatsoever different from what the story requires to complete.

Will it be possible to mount a horse?
The world is big enough to explore. Horses didn't make it in the game, but there are other forms of transportation to aid those who hate to waste their shoe leather Such as teleportation.

Will you be able to swim in Fable?
There is no need to swim in Fable.

Will we be able to wade in the water?
You are able to wet your feet and yes - you can wade in water like rivers and pools. Swimming is just something completely different but yes, you can wade.

Can I drink or even get drunk?
Yes, drinking beer will get you drunk and even to the point you start vomiting! You can also get other people drunk by buying them beers. Watch out for that beer-belly!

There is a rumour going around I can get married, this is not true, right?
It will be possible to get married in Fable, or even have different women living in different towns in different houses. You can even have kids but don't get too attached to them as you are supposed to be a hero and not a friendly family guy! This is optional of course, you don't have to get married.

Where will my hero be living?
On the streets, in the beginning! You will also be able to buy a house, or even a whole city, if you manage to find out how to

Can I fish?
Yes, you can fish, and you can keep the big catches as trophies to show off with.

And I can get a house and a wife and ?
You can indeed buy your own house. Or indeed, houses, and you can even rent them out to other people or you can live there yourself and if you manage to acquire a wife then she can live there and will expect you to visit her and keep her happy!

Can I put items and belongings in my houses?
You can enhance your house with new furniture, and you can even hang your old Quest Trophies on the walls.

Would sleeping be of any use?
Yes, sleeping in Fable is of use.

I want to play as a laaaady!
Sadly enough, you can't be female. It doubled all the work we had to do on the hero, clothing and morphing. We were really unhappy about it. However, you can team up and compete with heroes (or mercenaries, henchmen) and, as some heroes are female you may find yourself on a quest with a female hero at your side, or at your throat! It's a nice way to meet (virtual) girls or if you really wanted too - you could always dress as a woman!

Any sign of having a pet on your side?
No - no pet animals, I'm afraid. The things we found took longest were the AI and the animation. Our creatures and people do a *lot*. We couldn't just have pets doing four animations and a 'home in and kill' AI. There are ghostly swords that you can conjure, though, and you can summon creatures to fight alongside you. You might also find yourself chasing the odd chicken around town...

How do henchmen work in Fable?
You basically tell them to follow you with an expression; they will then follow you wherever you go. By using the "wait" expression these henchmen or mercenaries will stop and wait where they are, to continue their journey with you once you've told them to follow you again.

Can I choose my own haircut or facial hair?
Yes, definitely!

How do I change my haircut? Or my facial hair?
There are a multitude of Hairstyle-Cards across the land that can be found. When you go to a Barber, any such Hairstyle-Cards in your inventory are included in the list of available haircuts, beards or moustaches. Through this you can preview and acquire new hairstyles.

Can I get scars? Even in my face?
Yes, definitely!

How do I get scars and such?
Your character can become scarred and in some cases this is permanent. Facial scars will be visible much more often, and hence will add a lot to the unique look of your character. Scarring takes place when you are hit by a very powerful attack (i.e. when a lot of damage is caused). The location of scars will be an approximation based upon the location of the hit/attack that caused it (e.g. whether it hit you in the head, body, legs, arms, etc).

Can I have a tattoo? Or even several tattoos?
Yes, definitely! Some are considered scary, some attractive, and some plain ugly. You can combine different tattoos in whatever way you choose!

How do I get tattoos?
Tattoo-Cards, similar to those for hairstyles and beards, become available throughout the game. At Tattoo Parlours, your character can be tattooed with any of the available Tattoos.

Can I choose my own clothing?
Yes, the Hero can be clothed in a huge range of different clothing and armour. The clothes you wear will even affect the way people perceive you.




The World of Albion

So what can you tell me about Albion?
The land of Albion is an amazing place; full of magical locations, living towns and villages, interesting dungeons and other amazing settings. It is set in a world that has no relation to Britain in terms of size or geography/geology/geewhizzery and it is a single land mass. The world of Albion is organic and lush; exploring Albion is supposed to be a real pleasure!

What does it look like, Albion?
The world of Fable has numerous ravines, forests, mountains, hills, coasts and misty ruins. Sometimes you will be harassed by creatures that live there and sometimes - indeed - by the surroundings themselves.

Can I go anywhere?
There are no 'backgrounds' in Fable, like we've seen in many games so far. There are areas you can't get to due to their severe topography, just like the real world. Most of the time you will be walking on roads or secret paths, but you can still wander off if the region allows it! But you won't find yourself in an area devoid of things to do; the world has been whittled down to remove such areas, ensuring that there is always something to do.

What does the world of Albion mean to me as a Hero?
You've been living in this world for quite some time now, and you will find many places that are of huge interest to finish the game or work on your character in becoming the most powerful hero! There is just too much going on; Albion is one big living and breathing world!

What about weather conditions?
The game engine does simulate wind. And rain. And snow. And the sun moving around the planet. And fog.

Will there be cities as well?
Of course there will be cities! There will also be trading posts, settlements and other places of village life. Here are some of the town's names in the game; Bowerstone, Knothole Glade, Oak Vale, and Hook Coast.

And will it, for example, be possible to break into houses?
Doors are often breakable, so you can bash them down and explore inside. During the night, for example, you can ambush the inhabitants! Others may prefer to picklock the door, which is also possible.

I keep hearing stuff about time, is there such a thing in Fable?
Someone asked about whether the world has a day and night system: the world has a day night system, with the villager behaviour reacting appropriately. Villagers go to bed at night, wake up and go to work in the morning, go to the pub after work and get drunk, then stagger back to bed. Children go to school during the day, play tag and hopscotch out of school hours. Families get together for meals, everything mediated by time of day.

What is the Old Kingdom I keep hearing about?
What? You know something about the Old Kingdom? Tell us please!

Will there be different ethnicities in Fable?
Yes there is a variety in Albions ethnicities

Are there items in the world that we can target and pick up/steal?
Yes, stealable items can be found in the shops for example. To attempt to steal them, you can target the item, and then use the shoplift Expression!

Will there be people traveling between cities and regions?
There will be numerous trade-routes across the land; such as between towns, paths through forests, etc... People, such as bandits, traders or guards will be wandering along these routes.




Fighting!

How do I fight in Fable?
Combat is very simple to take up - being similar to a hack and slash. Yet as you get more experienced with a certain weapon or magic, you will be unlocking different moves and abilities (flourishing' ) which apart from looking really nice, will also inflict much more damage! There is such a thing as a combat multiplier in Fable and you can mix up magic, missiles and melee combat at the same time, all in real time!

So is it real time or turn based?
Okay - it's real time.

Is Fable a button bashing game?
There are rewards for timing your hits well, tactical decisions you have to make based on your enemy's current actions. If you button bash you'll probably eventually succeed, but it's a bit like trying to tunnel to work with a spoon. Or something like that.

Which weapons can I wield?
There is a huge list of weapons for you to (ab)use; over 50 different sorts of swords, axes, hammers, cleavers, bows, crossbows and also throwing potions. There is also a system whereby you can take any existing weapon and customise it.
You can also take a weapon in two hands but these weapons require strength to wield. So you need to bulk up to use those warhammers, great axes and the like...

What kind of ranged weapons can we expect?
Without getting in to much detail; there are different types of bows and crossbows, each one of them with unique stats and options. Some examples of bows are the Ebony Longbow or the Yew Crossbow. There are certain skills and spells that will enhance ranged combat, like the multi-arrow spell. Getting your Skill attributes up will also have an effect on your expertise in ranged combat.

Do you have unlimited arrows for your bows and crossbows?
Yes, you luckily don't need to worry about running out of arrows during combat. Arrows do stick in walls and doors; you can even go for a very skilled headshot! Watch the spurts of blood pump out as the heads fall to the ground...

Will I be able to kill children in Fable?
You won't be able to kill the children in Albion, but bullying them is surely a good alternative!

What else can you tell me about magic?
Magic, also called Will', is a particularly potent force that many players will be keen to harness the powers of. By focusing your magic energies you can invoke all manner of different spells and abilities even in the heat of battle the system is quick and easy to use. At first, you will only have the most basic spell, but through practice you can develop magic experience, which in turn can be used to acquire new spells, and improve those you already have in your repertoire.

How many spells will there be?
There are currently 16 spells in Fable - each of which has four levels.

How many spells will there be?
If you consider all these 16 spells are completely unique and different from each other and they all come with four-seven different levels per spell - no. And you can always combine spells together.

Could I change time with magic?
You can indeed cast magic to slow down time. The more will you have, the slower time becomes.

What if I was about to commit a crime in Fable?
If you commit a crime and you're seen by a villager then that villager will try and alert the town guards. If they manage it or the town guards see you then you'll be declared a criminal. You can bribe guards and there's the option to apologize for crimes. Failing that you end up in jail. If you kill people before they tell the guards then you can get away with murder.

Can I die?
Sure, you can die, but far worse is the loss of renown when you screw up. You're usually dragged back to the Guild by someone and laughed at for a good long time. It's far more painful than death.


Luke's Fable Compendium - LukeSpence.com