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Molyneux: Less is More
As part of a 4-Page interview with Peter Molyneux on Gamasutra, Peter discusses the importance of simplistic design in games for increased depth.
"Taking a lot away from Fable III actually adds a lot to it," Molyneux told Gamasutra. "We unified that combat system and actually made it much more accessible for the more casual side of Fable III players, and made it much more interesting for the core players because they could start combining magic together and switching between guns and swords, because they were the same. That meant that, even though it was simpler, it was actually more complex and sophisticated."
Peter continues by saying the fact that equating complexity with depth was his "big mistake." It took me years, you know -- a ridiculous number of years -- to realize that adding more features actually took away from the game rather than added to the game, it's not the number of features you've got; it's how well-exploited those features are." said Peter.
He tells Gamasutra that he "kept cramming features in, just expecting them to shine like gold, where actually it just muddied it and made the games a more brown color rather than making them brighter. The need to teach players to play games is a big problem, and this drive towards concrete and simple games makes them more understandable."
Noting: "A lot of times, I think, if I speak to someone and they say, 'Ah, I really liked Fable, once I got into it" -- that's a disaster! That's a disastrous thing to think that you were crafting something which somebody has to struggle to get into."
"Death of the tutorial, death of the need for a tutorial as a good thing for the industry," Molyneux explains. To play a game with an extensive tutorial is painful. They just seem arduous and tedious and, oh God, I just want to know the game; I just don't want to be taught to play the game."
More of the Molyneux interview with Gamasutra will be posted in a little bit.
As part of a 4-Page interview with Peter Molyneux on Gamasutra, Peter discusses the importance of simplistic design in games for increased depth.
"Taking a lot away from Fable III actually adds a lot to it," Molyneux told Gamasutra. "We unified that combat system and actually made it much more accessible for the more casual side of Fable III players, and made it much more interesting for the core players because they could start combining magic together and switching between guns and swords, because they were the same. That meant that, even though it was simpler, it was actually more complex and sophisticated."
Peter continues by saying the fact that equating complexity with depth was his "big mistake." It took me years, you know -- a ridiculous number of years -- to realize that adding more features actually took away from the game rather than added to the game, it's not the number of features you've got; it's how well-exploited those features are." said Peter.
He tells Gamasutra that he "kept cramming features in, just expecting them to shine like gold, where actually it just muddied it and made the games a more brown color rather than making them brighter. The need to teach players to play games is a big problem, and this drive towards concrete and simple games makes them more understandable."
Noting: "A lot of times, I think, if I speak to someone and they say, 'Ah, I really liked Fable, once I got into it" -- that's a disaster! That's a disastrous thing to think that you were crafting something which somebody has to struggle to get into."
"Death of the tutorial, death of the need for a tutorial as a good thing for the industry," Molyneux explains. To play a game with an extensive tutorial is painful. They just seem arduous and tedious and, oh God, I just want to know the game; I just don't want to be taught to play the game."
More of the Molyneux interview with Gamasutra will be posted in a little bit.
