Compare Revisions

11 How combat works
22  
33 Fable's combat system is called "style weaving." You can switch between melee, ranged, and magic attacks mid-combo with no transition delays. Hit someone with a sword, hurl a fireball, dodge, and fire an arrow, all in one continuous flow.
44  
55 Ralph Fulton described the goal: "You should be able to strike with a sword and then hurl a fireball in a smooth movement." The system is built so players develop their own fighting identity by mixing the three styles however they want.
66  
77 The Three Pillars
88  
99 Fable has always used three combat pillars, and this game keeps them:
1010  
1111  
1212 ItemDescriptionStrength (melee)Light and heavy combos, blocking, parrying, dodging, counterattacks, stagger, and finishing moves.Skill (ranged)Bows and crossbows. Precision attacks from a distance.Will (magic)Spells range from big damage spells like fireballs to tactical crowd-control. A chicken transformation spell was shown in gameplay footage. "Will" is the franchise's word for magic.
1313 There are no rigid classes. You can go all-in on magic, or melee only, or any mix.
1414  
1515 Confirmed weapons
1616  
1717 Specific weapon types shown or confirmed:
1818  
1919 Melee: swords, greatswords, hammers, rapier, parrying daggerRanged: bows, crossbows
2020  
2121 A pitchfork appeared during a blacksmithing sequence, though it is unclear if it is a usable weapon or just a crafted tool.
2222  
2323 Magic
2424  
2525 Fireball is the most-shown spell. An Associate Game Director on the project referenced it during Developer Direct footage. The developers described the magic system as ranging from "big damage spells" to "tactical crowd control spells." Beyond fireballs and the chicken transformation spell, specific spell names have not been confirmed.
2626  
2727  
2828 Melee Details
2929  
3030 Melee combat includes light attacks, heavy attacks, blocking, parrying, dodge-rolling, counterattacks, stagger, and finishing moves. You can chain melee combos into ranged or magic attacks at any point.
3131  
3232 Humor in combat
3333  
3434 Playground Games said they kept asking themselves: "If humor is important to Fable, how does it manifest in combat, an inherently serious pursuit?"
3535  
3636  
3737 Enemies can accidentally hit each other. During the Developer Direct demo, a Hobbe killed its own ally by mistake. Playground Games kept the moment in because it felt right for Fable. There is also the chicken spell that transforms enemies into poultry, and the Cockatrice is a fire-breathing chicken boss.
3838  
3939 Enemy Weak Points
4040  
4141 Enemies have unique behaviors and weak points. Hitting a weak point triggers specific reactions. Different enemy types require different approaches. The reputation system extends into combat too: fighting in front of NPCs affects what they think of you.
4242  
4343 Progression
4444  
4545 Character progression is based on the Strength, Skill, and Will pillars. There is no level cap. Specific skill trees and ability unlocks have not been detailed publicly, but Playground Games confirmed that progression is non-linear with optional challenges and secrets.
4646  
4747 Design Influences
4848  
4949 A senior gameplay designer with prior experience at another major action-RPG studio joined Playground Games and spent over a year designing and implementing combat for Fable. The influence of other modern action RPGs is a direct one, coming through a hired developer rather than just general inspiration. Skyrim has also been cited as an influence on the game's open-world RPG design.