IGN: I know you talked about this a bit in the demo, but can you explain the inspiration for creating a single-input combat system?
Peter Molyneux: This is actually quite a complex answer. Put simply, the inspiration was to get much more depth but also make it much simpler. To go into detail, we wanted to simplify the blending of the three combat types: melee, ranged and magic. I felt that in the original Fable, whilst individually the systems were okay put together, they weren't as good as they should have been. So after sitting down and talking about it we wanted players to be able easily mix and match combat styles whilst also allowing them to specialize in just one. This is what led to us putting melee combat on the blue button, ranged combat on the yellow button and magic on the red button.
IGN: You mentioned that in a bar you could actually swing on a chandelier with the right timing. Is this kind of interaction with the environment in combat common throughout Fable 2?
Molyneux: Yes it is. The idea here is that if you, as the player, position yourself next to, below or above an item, these will then be used in combat, assuming that there is nothing more suitable on hand.
IGN: Your physical attributes also change your combat moves, correct? Is this broken into chunks like "scrawny," "athletic," "buff" or is it more subtly integrated into a players physical attributes?
Molyneux: The answer is both. If you suddenly find yourself "buffed up" to a hulking size then you'll find another set of moves. Gradual morphing can also take place over time and then the changes will be more subtle.
