FFVII Character Details, Easter Eggs, and General What-the-fuckery

[Alex Strife]

He is the same guy, indeed!!

 

[Ite]

Aren't those roboguards? The ones that Cloud and Barret talk about in the first elevator?

 

[Shademp]

^So basically.........someone fucked up baaaaad.

Heres one, its never definitively stated, but is the Shinra Manager who pops up here and there (the train in Midgar and in Junon and somewhere else I cant remember) the same guy? I just like the idea of this poor sod having a really shit time with his job

Well, while there are various NPCs that use his model most of them aren't named 'Shinra Manager'. I very much like to think it is the same guy.
Where do we see him now? Midgar Train, Junon and Costa del Sol. He is memorable.

There is one instance that I must have noticed for the first time about two years ago or so... When the helicopter lands in Costa del Sol harbor, Shinra Manager is blown away by the wind generated from the helicopter.
The sailor men move a little, but the Manager just flies away. It's far away in the background so it's not strange I did not notice this early on.

Oh, and the instance of the dog, cat and boy chasing each other in the Corel flashback is just wonderful. That's another scene in the background one might easily miss.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

I was fighting one of the Fort Condor battles when it hit me how weird the entire situation was.

In the first place, the reactor's location doesn't make much sense. It's in the middle of nowhere with no town which makes it an exception to the general rule of putting a reactor near a town.

As for Fort Condor itself, the rebels have been at the reactor long enough to dig a tunnel network under the reactor and even set up item and materia shops. It seems like they've been there for a while. I'm wondering why exactly Shin-Ra didn't bomb them out, or at least sent SOLDIERs at them instead of fighting them like the do in the game. It seems like it would be over faster.

As for the battles, I can't help but wonder where all the units come from. On you side, you're hiring mercenaries and war machines. Apparently Shin-Ra is still having trouble shutting down the mercenary market as well as the other weapon manufacturers.

Even weirder, Shin-Ra is using a large force that is comprised primarily of monsters. While it's no surprise that Shin-Ra has access to monsters, this is the first time we see them using them out in the open as actual combat troops. It just seems like Shin-Ra doesn't care very much about the PR aspects of the situation which is very out of character for them.

 

[ForceStealer]

I guess they don't care about PR because its so in the middle of nowhere.

As to your first point, they seem to imply that reactors have been placed anywhere rich in Mako - almost as an experiment, and a town sprouts around it. As Zack and Cloud say in Crisis Core, "A mako reactor outside Midgar usually means there's nothing else out there." Corel would appear to be the exception to this rule of course. I suppose they could have been referring to the fact that the landscape becomes barren around a reactor but I took it to mean podunk towns.

(Everywhere there is a reactor on the world map, Midgar, Fort Condor, Junon, its always the wasteland tiles around it rather than grass. The exceptions are Corel which doesn't appear on the world map (where the reactor is doesn't) and maybe Nibelheim. Which raises an interesting question, is Mt. Nibel ugly and barren because of the reactor or was it always like that? And then Gongaga's destroyed reactor apparently sprouted a forest around it very quickly, so it must be rich in mako.

Anyway, everything else you said is correct, its odd. They just don't seem to care enough to send anything more serious than monsters. Is it possible the people living underneath it are former Shinra workers that fell in love with the Condors? (total guess)

 

[minimosey]

Was it just me that found Sephiroth flying around and passing through walls weird? Mostly because nobody on the party even comments on it! Makes it look like they think Sephiroth is just so awesome it's completely normal for him to fly around like superman

You know, I realized recently: it's actually incredibly normal for things to fly around in VII's world, it's just not an everyday occurrence.

Probably sounds weird, but what I mean is that off the top of my head, Aerith is making things float from the beginning of the game: her staff, during limit breaks. Cloud's swords levitate during his new Omnislash technique. And Cloud himself, well. Spirit energy does weird shit! And limit breaks are the kind of thing Cloud teaches the average Joe Shmoe in the training hall, so this is... kind of accepted. You build up a lot of spirit energy to use, you can do weird shit with it. Like levitate things.

So really the fact that Sephiroth flies is not in itself unusual, given the abilities of your own party members. The unusual part is that he seems able to do it whenever the hell he wants. Could easily explained by him having been a "traveler of the Lifestream" and building up knowledge and energy...and for Cloud and everyone else, "It's frigging Sephiroth" probably suffices after seeing him pull off two massacres and a Zolom slaying solo. Basically yes, he is just that awesome.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

^^It's not so much Sephiroth flying around that people are finding weird, but him passing through walls that they find weird. He's the only person who does that in the entire compilation.

 

[Shademp]

Ok, this is some fun easter egg... As usual, I'm playing FFVII with cheats. By disabling text box paralysis, I just managed to take control over Rufus in Costa del Sol

To count the characters I've taken hold of by using this cheat:
- Jessie, when she is watching the monitor with Cloud. Strangely, you notice that her model lacks legs if you move her around enough!
- Marlene in 7th Heaven. As soon as I moved out of 7th Heaven though Cloud returned as the controlled character.
- Again, Rufus in Costa del Sol.
- Don Corneo in Wutai. When Don Corneo is cornered by Cloud and the Shinra Soldiers, I could control him. Yuck.
- Young Vincent in his flashback. He...runs funny.

Update: Now I also got control over 'younger' Barret. Barret with white shirt, w00p! I think I'm gonna make a video eventually of me using this cheat to control these characters...

 

[Shademp]

DLPB figured out something interesting for me. I was curious about a line by Red XIII. If you have Red XIII in your party when you visit the bird nest in Mt. Corel, he will say "Glu...glug..."

This obviously makes no sense. Turns out that the intended line is "Gul...gulp..." which is Nanaki's reaction to the fact that there are cute birds there. In other words this was another example of retarded translation; he was intended to react to the cuteness of the scene but instead he makes it sound like he is drowning.

 

[DLPB]

I guess the original translator could have done with google like me (well I did bring it up with a japanese speaker too) But seriously, no one should get that wrong. Obviously back then the translation team did not even play the game or have contact with people who did, and thus lost context a lot of the time.

 

[Sephiroth~and~Vincent_Fan]

lol i know, thats one thing I always loved, how its all spontaneous. there were little moments like these that made me laugh. like when u first find Vincent and hes explaining to Cloud and Tifa how hes sleeping cuz of his sin, and Tifa says something like "your punishing yourself by sleeping?...that's weird" and he just ignores her lol and i liked the ones u mentioned...oh and i heard there was this funny scene with Cid and Tifa if u go back to Midgar and go to Wall Street and in this one store where there just a computer that usually shocks u, u get something. But if their in ur party something happens...what was it? i found this out alittle late lol

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

lol i know, thats one thing I always loved, how its all spontaneous. there were little moments like these that made me laugh. like when u first find Vincent and hes explaining to Cloud and Tifa how hes sleeping cuz of his sin, and Tifa says something like "your punishing yourself by sleeping?...that's weird" and he just ignores her lol and i liked the ones u mentioned...oh and i heard there was this funny scene with Cid and Tifa if u go back to Midgar and go to Wall Street and in this one store where there just a computer that usually shocks u, u get something. But if their in ur party something happens...what was it? i found this out alittle late lol

If it's the one I think it is, then it's Tifa's ultimate weapon that you get, I believe.

 

[Shademp]

I've been noticing alot of stuff lately it seems. Maybe I'm just in that mindset right now.

I noticed that on one of the buildings, when you parachute into Midgar, there is a sign that says "Mt. Kolts". This is a reference to "Mt. Kolts" from Final Fantasy VI.

Of course I'm not the first one to notice this but I noticed it myself goddammit!

 

[ForceStealer]

I never heard about or saw that Mt. Kolts think before, that's pretty cool

Yes, getting Tifa's ultimate weapon is in the Wall Market shop that usually just fires a Gatling gun at you.

And while Tifa's line to Vincent is funny, I always preferred Barret's:

That was my sin, I let the one I loved, face the worst.

That's why you sleepin' in a box?

 

[Tifabelle]

The best combination to take with you when you get Vincent is definitely Barret/Yuffie. They have the funniest lines.

 

[Shademp]

Most of us associate the PC script to be superior to the PSX one but this is not so in all cases.

If you ask Vincent about his name after Cloud has returned to you on disc 2, Cloud will of course not say that he is an Ex-SOLDIER. Or at least...he is not *supposed* to say that.

PSX:
Cloud
“Former Shinra soldier, Cloud.”
PC:
Cloud
“Former SOLDIER‚ Cloud.”

The PSX line is much more accurate. Also, interesting to note is that if Tifa is the party leader, she will say this;
“Tifa,
formerly of the AVALANCHE.”
Well that's interesting. We usually don't get a good impression of how much the team mates associate themselves with the "AVALANCHE" name upon leaving Midgar. What's funny is that if Barret is in your party when you first meet Shera, he will very casually introduce himself.
“I'm Barret‚ of AVALANCHE.”
...Right, Barret is SO covert.

Anyway, Vincent's response to Tifa's introduction is this:
Vincent
“Ex-AVALANCHE…
Then you wouldn't know Lucrecia…”

We cannot be 100% sure but you might get the impression that he identifies and knows who AVALANCHE is. You would expect that his response would be "Don't know who AVALANCHE is, but...", to emphasize that at least he SHOULD not know who AVALANCHE is. They haven't been around that long have they?

Oh, and my favorite lines from this meeting with Vincent are;
- Reaction to Vincent not telling about his past -
Barret
“Hey! You lyin' white-faced…”

Cid
“Good! I'm not in the mood to hear long stories.
Let's get the hell outta here!”

- Reaction to him telling of his past -
Barret
“So you started sleepin' in a box?
Gimme a break!”

Red XIII
“So you slept as punishment?
Isn't that rather strange logic?”

Yuffie
“OK. Boring story no.1.”

- Reaction to Vincent joining your party -

Yuffie
“Huh? Oh great just what I needed…”

Cid
“Hey‚hold on sleepy. You're pretty damn pushy!”

Take a look at this line from Corel Prison.

PSX:
Cloud
“Do whatever you want...
Is that what you want to hear?”
“Well, I can't let you do it.
Because, if you die on me,
I'm gonna have nightmares.”

PC:
Cloud
“Do whatever you want…
Is that what you want to hear?”
“Well‚I can't let you do it.
We need your help to save
the Planet.”

The former is closer to the Japanese line and shows much better the friendship that Cloud feels towards Barret at this point in the game.

 

[Tifabelle]

Take a look at this line from Corel Prison.

PSX:
Cloud
“Do whatever you want...
Is that what you want to hear?”
“Well, I can't let you do it.
Because, if you die on me,
I'm gonna have nightmares.”

PC:
Cloud
“Do whatever you want…
Is that what you want to hear?”
“Well‚I can't let you do it.
We need your help to save
the Planet.”

The former is closer to the Japanese line and shows much better the friendship that Cloud feels towards Barret at this point in the game.

Hm. I like the PSX version better. But not only that, but throughout the game, Cloud gives the impression that he doesn't actually care about the planet. So the changed line makes little sense. Unless he says it to bait Barret because Barret cares about the Planet.

 

[ForceStealer]

PSX:
Cloud
“Do whatever you want...
Is that what you want to hear?”
“Well, I can't let you do it.
Because, if you die on me,
I'm gonna have nightmares.”

PC:
Cloud
“Do whatever you want…
Is that what you want to hear?”
“Well‚I can't let you do it.
We need your help to save
the Planet.”

I was unaware of this! (never played the PC version). That's a travesty, I love that line. Its so...caring and yet dispassionate at the same time. He doesn't want him to die, but plays it off as getting nightmares being the only reason IIRC, he even points at him when he says it, which makes it funnier for some reason.
That's stupid.

As for Vincent implying that he knows what AVALANCHE in the PC version, that's kinda funny as it actually makes it more consistent with the continuity nightmare that is Before Crisis - given that Vincent is awoken during that game.

Also, I didn't know you could change party leaders in the PC version, does it actually change who walks around on the map? All putting someone in the "first" spot does in the PS version is that their name shows up on the save file.

 

[Shademp]

I am certain that Cloud is not pointing at Barret when he says it; he does that "shrug" animation. To good effect along with his line, of course.

Also, I didn't know you could change party leaders in the PC version, does it actually change who walks around on the map? All putting someone in the "first" spot does in the PS version is that their name shows up on the save file.

ForceStealer...you are forgetting that in a very short interval on disc 2 Tifa IS the party leader. Just wait until then to pick up Vincent.

You cannot change the party leader at will in the PC version.

 

[Tifabelle]

I was unaware of this! (never played the PC version). That's a travesty, I love that line. Its so...caring and yet dispassionate at the same time. He doesn't want him to die, but plays it off as getting nightmares being the only reason IIRC, he even points at him when he says it, which makes it funnier for some reason.
That's stupid.

It really does take the emotion out of it.

Also, I didn't know you could change party leaders in the PC version, does it actually change who walks around on the map? All putting someone in the "first" spot does in the PS version is that their name shows up on the save file.

Well, Tifa & Cid become party leaders when Cloud is incapacitated. So if you wait to get Vincent then, Cloud isn't there to interact with him. I've never done that before; that's interesting.


EDIT: Ah...ninja'd

 

[ForceStealer]

Oh...duh....

I got Yuffie while controlling Tifa my first time playing. I don't remember the dialogue being much different, if at all.

 

[Tifabelle]

Oh...duh....

I got Yuffie while controlling Tifa my first time playing. I don't remember the dialogue being much different, if at all.

Well whether or not Yuffie joins the party is dependent upon dialogue choices. So they probably couldn't change it. With Vincent it doesn't matter, so they had the freedom to change the lines, I suppose.

 

[Shademp]

Oh...duh....

I got Yuffie while controlling Tifa my first time playing. I don't remember the dialogue being much different, if at all.

I re-direct you to THIS

which is very much worth a watch.

 

[Tifabelle]

Oh, thanks for posting There are some changes, but not too much. Cid's is funny XD

How could Gangstah Vincent have seen Yuffie before??

 

[ForceStealer]

So, see? The dialogue didn't change much, I did forget about "Hey, boobs!" though. That's pretty classic

A good question about Vincent though.