If you had only two Materia

[LicoriceAllsorts]

To use while escaping from the Shinra building, what would they be?

This is also a fanfic research related question, so we're not necessarily talking about the exact escape route taken by Cloud and Co, but we are talking about potentially dealing with tne same enemies they encountered. I think Thunder would have to be one. Cure seems like the obvious choice for the other, but maybe I'm overlooking something?

 

[Dana Scully]

Does it have to be only materia you'd have access to at that point in the game (AKA bolt/ice/cure/fire/poison(?)/sense/steal uhhh might be missing some but you get the point ) or can it be any materia?

 

[Fangu]

Ooooohhhh what loveliness are you typing up now, Lic? Escaping the Shinra bulding AND getting knocked unconscious?

If you're just one person, then maybe a protect materia (Barrier, is that what it's called?) and a powerful attack materia, like the Thunder/Lightning? No point in having Esuna if it's just you.

 

[AvecAloes]

If it's limited to the materia you can get at that point in the game, I'd have to agree with you, Lic- lightning and cure.

 

[Sprites]

Gonna agree with that, Lightning and Restore materia just for the sheer amount of mechanical enemies you face in the shinra building, of course if you had enough potions on you then a Lightning+All combo would be good too or Lightning and Fire seeing as at the point when the group get out of jail a lot of Hojo's experiments take to running about, as far as I remember they were pretty susceptible to fire or maybe I'm just getting into it too much

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Yes, I should have made it clear that it can be any materia from any point in the game. But not summons.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Cait Sith come equipped with Manipulate? Or was that Yuffie?

 

[Joker]

Cait Sith, yes.

I'd go with Steal and Enemy Skill

but then I'm addicted to stealing and looting and finding items in games so ;.;

 

[Dana Scully]

Manipulate and a maxed Enemy Skill would be my choices. From a purely plot pov Manip would be very useful, and the nice thing about maxed Enemy Skill materia is you always have something useful you can cast no matter the situation.

 

[Ghost X]

Lightning and cure, it is (by the sounds). I too would use them.

 

[AvecAloes]

Manipulate and a maxed Enemy Skill would be my choices. From a purely plot pov Manip would be very useful, and the nice thing about maxed Enemy Skill materia is you always have something useful you can cast no matter the situation.

Maxed Enemy Skill....that sounds perfect. Heck, I don't even think you'd need another materia.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Maxed Enemy Skill is the perfect choice - even better than the Mastered Bolt that was my first thought. I was also going to give my escapees a Time Materia, mostly so that they could use Slow.

Thank you, great minds of TLS!

 

[Octo]

Lightnining and Restore, cos like, 99% of the enemies encountered are weak against lightning. Also Lightning looks pretty against the night sky

Enemy skill Maxed out would also be great, but I dunno, for the purposes of a fanfic it might be a bit clunky to describe it in use?

EDIT: Although I have complete faith in your ability as a writer, I'm just having trouble getting my head around how I would phrase stuff

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I know what you mean, Octo. That's why I decided against Manipulate. if the escapees can just manipulate everyone in their path, there's not much tension. But you know, the Turks don't use materia much; I think it would be kind of hilarious if they had this incredibly powerful materia and didn't know how to use it.

Cissnei - Just cast the spell, Tseng! Cast it!
Tseng - Which one? There's so many! What the hell are all these attacks? What does "Shite Wind" do?
Rude - .....
Reno - It's a mighty fart.
Cissnei - That says "White Wind", Boss. It's a healing spell. Did you forget your reading glasses?
Reno - You should have let me hold the materia, guys. I told you.
Tseng - Why do they have to make the print on the package inserts so small? Look, never mind - just give me my gun.
Rude - Enemy's gone, Boss.
Tseng - Ah. Right. Well, good job, everyone. Carry on....

 

[Flintlock]

I would give them the Underwater and Chocobo Lure materia.

Not really. I'm not sure how to answer properly though, because I have a lot of questions. Actually you've answered a couple already:

Can we choose materia unavailable at that point in the game? You said yes.
Can the materia be levelled up? You seem to have said yes, as you accept a maxed-out Enemy Skill materia (which implies the party have been to the Northern Crater already and got Pandora's Box, for example).

But a couple remain:

How much MP do the characters in the party have? If it's just the normal amount they would have at that point of the game, then Enemy Skill becomes a lot less useful, as would some other powerful materia, like Shield, which could make them temporarily invincible.
Can they have master materia? If so, master magic and master command would be perfect.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Yes, Flint, you're right. It's hard, though, to work the concept of HP and MP into a story that purports to be at least somewhat realistic. HP is easier because it's fairly obvious both to a character and to any onlookers whether he/she's injured or not (or dying or not). Nobody has to say, "Oh, his HP is really running low - get a potion!". MP - I don't know. You don't die when you run out of it, so it's not exactly spirit energy. I think it must be some kind of power of mental concentration, in the same category as something like telekinesis, and you have to practice with it in order to build it up. You can also exhaust your mind by casting too many spells. So ether is like.... caffeine?

There's a really hilarious fanfic called "One Hundred Tiny Missions" by Sagequill which spoofs all the game mechanics.

 

[Octo]

MP - I don't know. You don't die when you run out of it, so it's not exactly spirit energy. I think it must be some kind of power of mental concentration, in the same category as something like telekinesis, and you have to practice with it in order to build it up. You can also exhaust your mind by casting too many spells. So ether is like.... caffeine?

Yeah, thats how I always thought of it too, that the more powerful spells require the most intense mental concentration. Running low on MP equates to a mental burnout I guess.

 

[Zee]

time + exit

i can't even hear you i'm already out of the building

 

[Fangu]

ITT: Flint outnerds everybody

HP is easier because it's fairly obvious both to a character and to any onlookers whether he/she's injured or not (or dying or not). Nobody has to say, "Oh, his HP is really running low - get a potion!". MP - I don't know. (...) You can also exhaust your mind by casting too many spells. So ether is like.... caffeine?

time + exit

i can't even hear you i'm already out out of the building

These two posts had me laughing so hard I teared up

 

[Soakette]

Reno - It's a mighty fart.

I just pee'd myself laughing! Lic you are a brilliant writer. Is this for Death Is Part Of The Process fic? I've been waiting for more chapters.

And as for materia I would defiantly have a cure on me so I don't die, and something powerful like elemental based materia.

 

[Alex Strife]

The first obvious choice is Lightning + Cure.

But then I thought of a maxed Enemy Skill + Time. That's the right choice... if you have enough "Magic Power".

If the person escaping ShinRa building is a trained soldier, etc, I'd get Combo #2. If it was just me, a regular person, I'd take Combo #1.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Double Cut/Flash Skill Materia. So you can dice up any idiots who dare get in the way of your escape. The more dead bodies you leave, the less inclined any grunts are to chase after you.

And then the Ultima materia, so that you can blow the shit out of any obstacle, barricade or wall that might stand in the way of you and freedom.

Yes, Flint, you're right. It's hard, though, to work the concept of HP and MP into a story that purports to be at least somewhat realistic. HP is easier because it's fairly obvious both to a character and to any onlookers whether he/she's injured or not (or dying or not). Nobody has to say, "Oh, his HP is really running low - get a potion!". MP - I don't know. You don't die when you run out of it, so it's not exactly spirit energy. I think it must be some kind of power of mental concentration, in the same category as something like telekinesis, and you have to practice with it in order to build it up. You can also exhaust your mind by casting too many spells. So ether is like.... caffeine?

There's a really hilarious fanfic called "One Hundred Tiny Missions" by Sagequill which spoofs all the game mechanics.

MP is spirit energy. That's how one uses magic. I believe that was established in one of the "Case of" stories for Advent Children. I think it was Yuffie's. It takes a small portion of one's spirit energy and concentration to use materia.

Also, the Reunion Files stated that as well. It's why they stopped using materia until the shit hit the fan.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I thought the Reunion Files -- and the original game -- said materia uses the planet's own energy? Like, from the Lifestream/surrounding environment?

 

[Ryushikaze]

Yes, Flint, you're right. It's hard, though, to work the concept of HP and MP into a story that purports to be at least somewhat realistic. HP is easier because it's fairly obvious both to a character and to any onlookers whether he/she's injured or not (or dying or not). Nobody has to say, "Oh, his HP is really running low - get a potion!". MP - I don't know. You don't die when you run out of it, so it's not exactly spirit energy. I think it must be some kind of power of mental concentration, in the same category as something like telekinesis, and you have to practice with it in order to build it up. You can also exhaust your mind by casting too many spells. So ether is like.... caffeine?

There's a really hilarious fanfic called "One Hundred Tiny Missions" by Sagequill which spoofs all the game mechanics.

On the contrary, from a scientific standpoint, MP is less SOD breaking than HP, because if one is going to know that one can cast magic, but one cannot always cast magic, one is going to come up with a distinct unit of 'magical energy' to represent how much they can cast at once.

Much like the 'Thaum' of Discworld, the amount of energy consumed in activating a spell would be a well researched phenomenon, given an official label, like 'Mana Pool' or the like

That said, E. Skill and either Steal or Time. Gives the crew the maximum amount of ways they can futz with people without being broken AND gives them the chance of making things worse by using them wrong.
Of course, magical theft assistance is not probably something the Turks require.

 

[Obsidian Fire]

Crack: All + Transform
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6144843/3/Escape_Plan_Green

almost sounds like it could work...

Time + Exit is also a favorite... although there should be some debate about whether Escape just works from battle or from an area. It seems like it should be from an area or else you would get right back intoa battle again.

Serious: Mistify (confusion) + Sneak Attack

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I can't make it too easy for them, though.
Hopping out of the building as frogs... too much risk of being stepped on.
I like Mystify and Sneak Attack a lot, but not for my particular situation.