Lionhead's forthcoming MMO based on its hit Fable series is to be free-to-play, the studio's announced...
NewsIt was announced in January that Lionhead's Fable RPG series is to become an MMO, and there's now been an update on what we can expect from it.
Following the overwhelming MMO trend, Fable Legends will be free to play, Lionhead has revealed. The RPG, which will allow up to four players to team up against a dungeon master-like fifth player, will use a two-tiered cash system. Playing the game will earn you silver, which can be spent on both vital equipment and cosmetic items. Alternatively, you can exchange real-world cash for gold, which is obviously a more valuable currency than silver.
Despite this two-tiered approach, Lionhead says that "everything in Fable Legends that affects gameplay can be earned by simply playing the game." Though, of course, shelling out for gold coins will let you get your hands on the game's most useful items more quickly.
Fable Legends' other source of revenue will come from its characters. Four characters will be available for free when you boot the game up, and these will be rotated on occasion, forcing you to select another one. This means that, even if you've selected and made a certain amount of progress with one character, it'll be taken away from you until it's rotated back round again, and you'll have to continue with a different character.
While all your progress will be saved as you play through the game with each character, we can imagine the system being a bit jarring. Naturally, if you're willing to pay to unlock your favourite character, they're yours to keep forever.
There's a video below which introduces Fable Legends' free-to-play trappings, and gives a little look at the game itself. Lionhead says that it wants to keep the game fair for all players, which we hope it can achieve. As always, it's all about getting the balance right.
Fable Legends is coming to PC and Xbox One soon. It's currently offering sign-ups for its beta phase.
