Can we have new playable characters?

[Novus]

Last night, I was reading the old rumours page, and was thinking it would be cool to have some new characters who are useless to the plot but serve to aid the characters in the same way Gogo and Umaro do. (Albeit these won't even appear in cutscenes, but only in battle scenes.)
http://www.ff7citadel.com/rumors/r_charac.shtml

Out of these I like:

. Boxer
Boxer is supposedly a goblin who'll join your party after fighting him on Goblin Island. This is pretty interesting as Boxer's face actually appears on a game save icon in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VII. No exact method is actually known on obtaining Boxer, other than he resides on Goblin Island and needs to be fought.

Update (13th May 2001): Lord Pie states he has met Boxer during an encounter. Read his words:

"In my game I have encountered the goblin named 'Boxer'. I used Sense on him and it said 'Boxer', level 50, HP: 9999. After defeating him I was taken to a screen similar to the one where you first encounter Yuffie and persuade her to join your team. 'Boxer' posed several questions then said he felt horrible, stole an elixer and ran."

Is that actually true about the Japanese game save icon btw?

I also like this one:

Super Sweeper
Rumor-contributor Pedro alleges you can get a Super Sweeper (a Shinra robot) as a party member. Win one at the Gold Saucer, head for Rocket Town and Shera will take a look at it. She will then realise she can fix it... and presto. The Super Sweeper can be used as a character. This rather sounds dubious, but there's no known other use for the Super Sweeper.

 

[Geostigma]

Sorry lol

 

[trash panda]

Lol. I guess I wouldn't mind this. I mean, Bugenhagen is a temporary party member who escorts you to the Forgotten Capital. I wouldn't mind seeing him do some combat yoga with that yoga ball he's floating around on. XD

I had no idea that the super sweeper was a ShinRa robot. ^.^

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I would like to be able to add Rude or Reno to the party when you fight Don Corneo.

 

[NewQuixote]

I'm glad there aren't going to be. I really, really hope they stay away from the compilation characters as well, maybe a nod here or there, but nothing in our faces. Keep things subtle Nojima/Nomura, keep things subtle.

 

[Novus]

Lol. I guess I wouldn't mind this. I mean, Bugenhagen is a temporary party member who escorts you to the Forgotten Capital. I wouldn't mind seeing him do some combat yoga with that yoga ball he's floating around on. XD

I had no idea that the super sweeper was a ShinRa robot. ^.^

Yep, this is what it looks like.

(from the ff wiki page)

It would be cool for a robot to be somehow involved in the game. Cait Sith doesn't count because it is controlled by a carbon based machine .

I wouldn't like for Bugenhagen to be playable because he is actually at death's door physically by this point in the game.

 

[NikolaiBroketheZoom]

Lol I would feel bad having Bugenhagen fight for me. Like...no, that's okay we don't need help. Go home and drink some tea.

 

[Fangu]

Guests, like Lic suggests with Reno, would be cool. Jesse, Biggs and Wedge as well. So, yeah, why not have playable guests - I'd want them to be less customizable though, if at all. And they should follow your party's levels (or, rather, be stuck on one like the guests in XII), as in non-levelable.

 

[55-]

http://www.ff7citadel.com/rumors/r_charac.shtml

These are hilarious.

You must find twelve 1/35 soldiers scattered around Junon. Once finding these, Sephy will pop up impressed by your skills, and will offer to join your party.

also

Contributor Luminous believes Turk member Reno is available for your party. Defeat him in his first and second encounter, and Reno will tire of fighting you. He will offer conciliation and join you. Beware however, if you injure Reno greatly during the confrontations, he will retreat.

So. . . you're supposed to defeat him, but not injure him greatly?

The idea of easter eggs excites me. The idea of people finding new things years after the release. Things that aren't necessary, are just supplemental and fun.

This sticks out to me as the most well written bullshit on that page:

C. According to this rumor, there are actually TWO versions of Sephiroth - one that was 'killed' by Cloud five years ago, and the recent Sephiroth that summoned Meteor. The former Sephiroth (whom we shall call Sephy 1) will offer to temporally join your party to dispose of the latter Sephiroth (whom we shall call Sephy 2).

This is achieved by having Cloud and Tifa in your party and visiting Nibelheim. There's a 1 in 50 chance an ex-Shinra employee will be in the town. Speak to him, and he will sell a key to Jenova's room in the Nibelheim reactor. Buy the key, enter the Nibelheim reactor and open the door to Jenova's room. Once inside, explore for half a minute and Cloud will experience a fit. In steps Sephy 1, who will explain his story and then join your side as a playable character. He will leave your party once Cloud reaches Level 99.

This is the only Sephiroth rumor that bothered to make up a narrative reason why he's going to join you to help you defeat himself.
The actual process explained seems like it would be a quality easter egg. It starts off with something you might not even find in a single blind playthrough. I like the idea that you don't know what you're looking for in the reactor, I might even like to see something more difficult to work out than just "it happens automatically after 30 seconds," because after talking to the Shinra employee, the player would know they've started a quest and would work pretty hard to figure out how to progress it.
That being said I don't want Sephiroth in the party lol. I just like the structure of this easter egg and would love to see something similar. Idk how I feel about the idea of more playable characters. We have an established family. Though, the excitement of stumbling across and earning Vincent, the surprise of OH NEW FRIEND. It's a hell of a reward for a sidequest. That's a really cool experience and I am a little into the idea of bringing that back around.

 

[Kionae]

I would like to be able to add Rude or Reno to the party when you fight Don Corneo.

Oh god, this.... Please, this. Or some other sidequest where you can have some fun with the Turks.

 

[Random Nobody]

Oh god, this.... Please, this. Or some other sidequest where you can have some fun with the Turks.

But they evil doe....

 

[Tetsujin]

I remember reading those rumors in a gaming mag all those years ago thinking this was possible. What a different time that was. Nowadays you could instantly verify all that shit through the internet. Which is great on one hand because you don't waste your time on a bullshit rumor.
But on the other hand, it's kinda like this sense of wonder and mystery in games has disappeared.

 

[Lex]

I remember believing one rumour about reviving Aerith. There were loads, but someone went to the trouble of using a very early version of a game editor (Cosmo by ficedula) to give the Revive materia a third spell (resurrection) which there was a screenshot of, and developed an elaborate quest which involved returning to the dude in the pipe at some point who gives you a way to get rid of the fish in the city of the ancients. Pretty sure it's on Citadel somewhere.

 

[Starling]

I have mixed feelings about rumors like that too. One one hand, I can't help but appreciate finely crafted BS for the effort that was put into it but on the other, I don't like the attempt at deception and time wasting that they seem to be made for.

 

[Random Nobody]

Re: characters, though, I'm curious how Square's going to approach visual design. Nomura did say that it would be "more realistic," and I'd have to watch the teaser again, but the first time around I did notice that the characters (especially old AVALANCHE or whomever they are) look the least animesque of any FF renders I can remember since the CGI in FFX.

I mean I smoov thot I was looking at a Tom Clancy revival or another Metal Gear entry when I saw the helicopter scene.

 

[Flare]

I'd love to see temporary playable characters in the remake, sort of how they did with XII; I loved that. Throughout the story you could get a few extra allies in certain situations, like Reno and/or Rude in Wutai like Licorice suggested, or Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse in the beginning.
Side-note, I hope that when you do the Nibelheim flashback, you get to control Sephiroth as well. I always wanted to be able to do that.

 

[Channy]

I remember believing one rumour about reviving Aerith. There were loads, but someone went to the trouble of using a very early version of a game editor (Cosmo by ficedula) to give the Revive materia a third spell (resurrection) which there was a screenshot of, and developed an elaborate quest which involved returning to the dude in the pipe at some point who gives you a way to get rid of the fish in the city of the ancients. Pretty sure it's on Citadel somewhere.

I remember reading that years ago.. it also involved the tissues and the 1/35 soldiers and needing to collect a lot of each.

I'd love to see temporary playable characters in the remake, sort of how they did with XII; I loved that. Throughout the story you could get a few extra allies in certain situations, like Reno and/or Rude in Wutai like Licorice suggested, or Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse in the beginning.
Side-note, I hope that when you do the Nibelheim flashback, you get to control Sephiroth as well. I always wanted to be able to do that.

This.. all of this.

As much as the Turks are supposed to be bad guys, maybe you need to team up to rescue Elena and Yuffie.. maybe only 2 people can go up that part of the mountain at a time. Or when you're down there and you're trying to find Yufffie after she's stolen your materia, you sit down near Reno and Rude and have a drink.

 

[55-]

Ah, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie would be good party members.
It bothered me that, you always know they're not as valued as characters as Cloud, Barret and Tifa. They're not in the booklet, they don't fight with you, you don't don't ever see beautiful drawings of their cute lil faces in the menu. They're treated as disposable, so it's not shocking and painful when they die.
But then, I guess if they spent a bunch of time fleshing them out, making them interesting, really making them as relevant and sympathetic as our main crew, they'd be competing with Aeris's death.
Actually, you know what. That's kind of bullshit, right? That's kind of bullshit that only really Barret gives a shit when Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, and the rest of sector 7 gets crushed, and then later Aeris's death is treated like the most tragic thing that's ever happened. People are people, death should be painful and tragic and hard to deal with whether they're normal dudes from the slums or beautiful ladies with mystical powers.

 

[Fangu]

I'd love to see temporary playable characters in the remake, sort of how they did with XII; I loved that. Throughout the story you could get a few extra allies in certain situations, like Reno and/or Rude in Wutai like Licorice suggested, or Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse in the beginning.

Yes.

Guests, like Lic suggests with Reno, would be cool. Jesse, Biggs and Wedge as well. So, yeah, why not have playable guests - I'd want them to be less customizable though, if at all. And they should follow your party's levels (or, rather, be stuck on one like the guests in XII), as in non-levelable.

Sorry, that was staring me in the face so hard I had to comment

 

[Flare]

Yes.

Sorry, that was staring me in the face so hard I had to comment

Wow, I really need to keep my glasses on when I'm reading these threads...
Yeah, so anyway, I agree with what you said!

 

[RedFFWolf]

As others have pointed out regarding the idea of having a system like FFXII's temporary "guest characters", this would be as far as I would agree - of course, provided it is in in reason: Biggs, Wedge or Jessie perhaps could work at some parts, as would even Reno or Rude for the Wutai subquest; that would certainly act as an extra bonus for players. But would the opportunities be too few without a few "radical" changes?
Anyhow, if that ever becomes such a thing, I wonder would that mean having a 4th party member in the active battle for that period, or merely a forced swap of another

 

[Flare]

I liked the guest party member out with your other 3 party members, like in XII. It was special because it was only now and then, and I liked having 4 guys out fighting, 'cause that really helped in some areas.
Anyone have any more ideas for potential guest characters, and where they would appear?

 

[Smaddy]

FF6 had a bunch of those temporary guest party members. I'd love to see that in 7.

What I would not want to see, is any way to revive Aeris and get her back in your party. It defeats the purpose of the story. I'd be fine with them keeping her ghost in the church and maybe in other special places.

Actually, you know what. That's kind of bullshit, right? That's kind of bullshit that only really Barret gives a shit when Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, and the rest of sector 7 gets crushed, and then later Aeris's death is treated like the most tragic thing that's ever happened. People are people, death should be painful and tragic and hard to deal with whether they're normal dudes from the slums or beautiful ladies with mystical powers.

Agreed. I just played through that part recently, and it's horrifying. Barret's the only one who cares really. The others are somewhat indifferent. Cloud maybe I could understand because he's not all there, but Tifa? It seems strange.

 

[Cat on Mars]

I'm all for temporary party members. I always wanted to see more of Jessie, Biggs and Wedge...

And dead characters should remain dead.

Spoiler

Whatever that means in FFVII anyway.

Actually, you know what. That's kind of bullshit, right? That's kind of bullshit that only really Barret gives a shit when Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, and the rest of sector 7 gets crushed, and then later Aeris's death is treated like the most tragic thing that's ever happened. People are people, death should be painful and tragic and hard to deal with whether they're normal dudes from the slums or beautiful ladies with mystical powers.

Agreed. I just played through that part recently, and it's horrifying. Barret's the only one who cares really. The others are somewhat indifferent. Cloud maybe I could understand because he's not all there, but Tifa? It seems strange.

^^^^THIIIS.

 

[Wimbly]

I hope that when you do the Nibelheim flashback, you get to control Sephiroth as well. I always wanted to be able to do that.

I thought the fact you couldn't control him added to the feeling that this was a seriously powerful guy in a league of his own. Made me more in awe of him personally.

Definitely up for all the others being temporarily playable though!