Lionhead: Fable II's co-op "was rubbish"

By Oli Welsh Published 29 June, 2010

It's OK, you can get married in the new one.

Lionhead has admitted to Eurogamer that the implementation of online co-operative multiplayer in Fable II "was rubbish", but promised that Fable III's will be vastly improved.

Scripter Ted Timmins, our guide for a hands-on with the game at E3, said: "We do admit, the co-op in Fable II was rubbish. We'd be restricted to being within 10 yards of each other, I'd have to be your henchman."

In the new game, you will be able to bring your own hero character with its own stats, interface, individually morphed weapons and dog into a friends' game, Timmins explained.

You will also be able to wander freely anywhere within the same region, and get up to different things; one of you might be indulging in conversation and trading in town while the other fights and quests in the wild.

Furthermore, some of the possible interactions with NPCs will be available between players online - including marriage.

"If I'm playing with my girlfriend, I can get married to my girlfriend in the game," Timmins said. "Have a wedding, get down on one knee like in real life.

"When you actually get married in the game, you have a shared back account. So one day you might turn your game on thinking yeah, I've got 1000 gold, I can have that weapon that I wanted, you run over, you press A, you've got no money. The reason is, you go to your house, you've got pink wallpaper and a new bed."

Rest assured, Timmins also showed us a meaty non-marital slice of Fable III at E3, including the overhauled combat, the new continent of Aurora, the "touch" system of NPC interactions, the Sanctuary - a 3D room you can warp to at any time that acts as a menu and home - and more. Only the side of the game that will see you become the ruler of Albion remains under wraps.

Fable III is due out for both Xbox 360 and PC on 26th October this year.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Sir_TimAlot #1 2 years ago

    the friend awareness thing was cool, i'd like to see something like that in fallout, but yes was really looking forward to fable 2 co-op but was so badly implemented, big let down, so many camera issues and the fact if you joined someone you couldn't actually play as your own character was irratating and pointless. Glad to here it will be re-visisted as have so far thoroughly enjoyed both Fable and Fable 2

  • Skurmedel #2 2 years ago

    zandergrin: No obviously they should tell us their game sucks giant hairy ungulate balls, because that'll make them a living.

  • AnsemsApprentice #3 2 years ago

    Oh my god, did Peter Molyneux just say it was amazing so we'd think it was? I feel so cheated.

  • cianchristopher #4 2 years ago

    How the hell did that game get 10/10?

    Seriously?

    10/10?

  • Vlad27145 #5 2 years ago

    "When you actually get married in the game, you have a shared back account. So one day you might turn your game on thinking yeah, I've got 1000 gold, I can have that weapon that I wanted, you run over, you press A, you've got no money. The reason is, you go to your house, you've got pink wallpaper and a new bed."

    Strange nobody commented on this yet? As far as I'm concerned, the guy's implying that THIS game is "rubbish as well".

  • TeaFiend #6 2 years ago

    I am so getting married to a friend, spending all their money before getting a divorce. And keeping the new pink house.

  • Arcadiian #7 2 years ago

    Isn't it possible the developers thought it was amazing when it was released, but have since developed their idea further, making their previous effort seem vastly inferior? It's hardly a case of deception and lies.

  • Skurmedel #8 2 years ago

    Arcadiian: Most probably, and even if not, they are a business. They can't just bin several years of work and tell everyone they think parts of it sucks.

  • AnsemsApprentice #9 2 years ago

    A good idea is a good idea forever - David Brent

  • NewbieZilla #10 2 years ago

    zandergrin - the thing with precedent is that we've already been there, done that. The very same thing happened with the frist Fable. Huge hype and promises up until he apologised for not being able to meet the stuff he promised. While simultaneously promising enormous things from Fable 2. He has got that stupidly over arrogant attitude that is in general trade marked by Sony.
    Edited by 1 at 29/06/10 @ 15:34

  • Arcadiian #11 2 years ago

    As much hype as Peter heaps onto Lionhead products, I don't doubt they truly believe in their creations. If they said Fable II was amazing, they thought it was. If they say they've developed something better, and co-op in Fable II is now 'rubbish', then they think they have. I don't think it's 'distrustful'. I think it's progress.

    And it's not as if the people who bought Fable II didn't know what to expect from co-op, with the amount of coverage available. You weren't mislead...

  • Skurmedel #12 2 years ago

    It's not their fault for people buying into the hype. On the contrary I think it is rather naïve to expect a company to slander their own product prior to release. Marketing is per definition distrustful, you always take a risk buying a product. It's up to newspapers, like Eurogamer, to provide us customers with information good enough to base a purchase on.

  • Remy #13 2 years ago

    Haha, zandergrin, I was about to say something very similar. Yet also, how come no review told us how rubbish co-op was and just praised it.. 10/10 indeed.
    Sigh, reviews here (and almost everywhere) are useless. Instead I just waited and asked everyone on my FL who was playing it solo, why weren't they playing it co-op? If only reviewers would you know, review things like this that really matter.

  • AnsemsApprentice #14 2 years ago

    I talk badly about Peter Molyneux all the time, but I think Fable 2 was a fantastic game and so was Fable, and Fable III looks great too. Charming, good hearted, amusing, great music, simple but rewarding storylines, funny/macabre but always memorable characters.... I don't see the problem people have with them, it's a brill series in my opinion. The only bad things I can point out are Peter Molyneux, Co-op and the games are very very short. 10/10 is about right for me, I just couldn't stop playing it. At the end it is all subjective no matter what you say, but we can agree Co-op was badly implemented at least. PM has toned it down a bit I think though.

  • sneetch #15 2 years ago

    Were they lying about co-op when they said it was great last time? I think it's more that at the time they felt the co-op in Fable II was fine (it was actually quite good) but now that they've created a new system in Fable III so, comparatively speaking, the old one "was rubbish". Compared to the new system it is rubbish.

    Many aspects of Fable II co-op were brilliant, the ability to spot your friends soul orbs (or whatever they were called) running about as you and they played your games and invite them into your game then and there was excellent, what was rubbish was the fact that they didn't enter as their own heroes but rather as brand-X henchmen and they were apparently stapled to your foot and couldn't wander off and do their own thing.

  • Darren #16 2 years ago

    Fable II was rubbish, full-stop! Fable... more like Feeble! ;)

    Nah, it wasn't but it wasn't that great either. At least it was better than the underwhelming first game on the Xbox. I'm hoping that the third game finally delivers on the promises of Project Ego. Can't say I'm itching to play it, however.

  • ronuds #17 2 years ago

    Fable II was great. The co-op wasn't done exactly how I would have liked, but it was still fun romping through the game with my wife - something most RPGs don't allow.

    Can't wait for Fable III!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • CaptainQuint #18 2 years ago

    Fable 2 was a deserving 9.

  • WinterSnowblind #19 2 years ago

    With Fable 2, it was clear the co-op was an afterthought. It was tacked on rather late in development, and Peter wanted it to be similar to the experience you get with the Lego games. Obviously it wasn't what people wanted, and didn't turn out quite as they had planned.

    It's good to see they've taken these complaints onboard and totally redone the system, but it seems now we'll have completely lost couch co-op, in favour of online only. So now next time someone makes a topic asking 'where split screen has gone', we'll know exactly who to point at.

    (it's you guys, not the developers)

  • bratmandu #20 2 years ago

    No shit sherlock. Peter Mouldynads will be saying the same thing about fable 3 in a year or two. The only good thing about fable 2 was that I could get people to call me 'knobhead'.

  • NewbieZilla #21 2 years ago

    android123, how funny you are. You think those of us who say Fable 3 doesn't deserve a 10/10 are fanboys. What does that make those who DO think it deserves a 10/10?










    (I meant idiotic instead of funny)

  • BabyJesus #22 2 years ago

    XxL33tSn1P3RxX, I've got something to ask you.....will you marry me?

  • hjarg #23 2 years ago

    Ahhh, Molyneux makes me remember "The Movies". A game thas was supposed to be the next best thing after fire, but somehow, all the bad design decisions, the horrible interface... brrrrrr. Makes you shiver. Molyneux delivers... almost. Every time. Dunno bout Fable 2, gave up on the guy by then.

  • immateriaux #24 2 years ago

    "It's up to newspapers, like Eurogamer, to provide us customers with information good enough to base a purchase on. "

    That would be good. Unfortunately they tend to treat Molyneaux as Jesus. Or, at the least, one of the Evangelists.

  • Instinct #25 2 years ago

    Well, I enjoyed Fable and Fable 2. They are charming British games which are something different to everything else in the market, showing that Western RPGs dont have to be Diablo-a-likes or dialogue-tree heavy epics.

    And Molyneux can grate, but its difficult for me to dislike someone who is so obviously passionate about their work and videogames in general. Nobody can accuse him of being a suit or a money-man.

  • makeamazing #26 2 years ago

    Cant say the marriage bit to a coop player and joint bank accounts sounds that great. I personally like games that try to do real life things, but who knows perhaps they will pull it off.... who would have throught sitting on a train and just watching it go from town to town in RDR would be so fascinating. Cant say the guy has sold it to me though...lol

  • zisssou #27 2 years ago

    I really didn't enjoy Fable II as much as the first, which is putting me off buying the 3rd. I felt the reviews really overrated the game.

  • lavalant #28 2 years ago

    I've shat out better ideas than these guys.

    "you can get married" is the best they could say to promote this game?, Lionhead should make games for Facebook instead. It will probably sell loads but I think I'll pass.

  • the_sas_man #29 2 years ago

    OMG! That is the funniest sexest comment I've seen in years...

    "When you actually get married in the game, you have a shared back account. So one day you might turn your game on thinking yeah, I've got 1000 gold, I can have that weapon that I wanted, you run over, you press A, you've got no money. The reason is, you go to your house, you've got pink wallpaper and a new bed."

    LOL - Women: Know your limits

  • metalangel #30 2 years ago

    See guys, this is why I can't understand Peter Molyneux fanboys. You're like battered spouses who keep going back time after time because grandiose promises have been made yet again that everything has changed and is wonderful and far better than it was last time.

    Even when he's outright lied about stuff like Milo, you still defend him and downvote any negative comments and make up crap about how all his flawed, broken games have actually been the best ones you've ever played. Remember when Black & White came out? Everyone was falling over each other to play it, people were pulling sickies en masse to play it.. and after a few days it started becoming very apparent that the game wasn't anywhere near the incredible revolution in entertainment that it had been built up to be.

  • Asrill #31 2 years ago

    IMO the should fuck off trying to simulate marriage in a game and concentrate more on making the missions more varied. Another mission where I have to kill someone and bring back proof of their death you say? What a fucking surprise...

  • Koborover #32 2 years ago

    I still think Molyneuks made his best games during his time at Bullfrog (Populous, Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper). His Lionhead stuff should focus more on the long term fun after the initial "wow" stage.

  • BBIAJ #33 2 years ago

    I remember Ted Timmins from his OXM forum poster days, and his Warthog flipping videos in Halo on the demo disk.

  • Skurmedel #34 2 years ago

    immateriaux: I agree, my point is that such criticism should be directed towards the press who also make money from the hype.
    Edited by 1 at 30/06/10 @ 09:12

  • The-Bodybuilder #35 2 years ago

    "When you actually get married in the game, you have a shared back account. So one day you might turn your game on thinking yeah, I've got 1000 gold, I can have that weapon that I wanted, you run over, you press A, you've got no money. The reason is, you go to your house, you've got pink wallpaper and a new bed."

    The problem with this is that, for the rest of us that play the game, it will not work that way. All you'll do is have a 2-second wedding ceremony screen (prior to that, minutes of pointless farting, showing off your biceps, and buying useless gifts) then followed up with you making so much money, you wouldn't notice (or care) if your "other half" (lol) spent the money on useless stuff (they probably wouldn't, as they'll be nothing of worth to buy).

    It seems to me like the makers of fable usually have their perceptions of their game in a fantasy land. Ironic, really.
    Edited by 1 at 30/06/10 @ 12:09