Isn't it sort of weird that no one notices Cloud? *SPOILERS*

[Cat Rage Room]

Walking around in the first class uniform of a world famous fighting unit with fans all over the world with a famous sword on his back, isn't it kinda weird that not only the armed forces didn't wise up to Cloud almost immediately, but he wasn't assaulted by fanboys, fangirls, and just curious citizens everywhere he went? Especially considering that he's a known terrorist?

Imagine how far Osama Bin Ladin or the Unibomber would last if they walked around in Green Beret or Navy SEALS uniforms.

 

[Shademp]

You're right, it doesn't make sense.

(Warning: lots of rambling below)

I think several factors determine how much sense this CAN make.
Do the general population associate Cloud's outfit with First Class soldier, or is the image of Sephiroth the main one engraved into their heads through Shinra propaganda?
We'd like to assume they have the general idea of how SOLDIER, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, look like but maybe they don't.

Angeal never was particularly famous, was he? Same with Genesis. Maybe to some circle of SOLDIER, but we don't know how many of those Cloud met during the journey.

In the first portion of the game it boggles the mind, but consider this; eventually he walks around with a guy with a gun crafted onto his right arm, a woman who dresses like a prostitute (sorry Tifa), a red four-legged animal that talks, etc etc.
Maybe the citizens who observe this group just out of fear don't spread the word for Shinra to hear. And by seeing the rest of the team, they assume Cloud just likes to dress up in that half-complete SOLDIER outfit.

 

[ForceStealer]

Well the members of the Zack and Angeal fanclub would likely know the sword too, but I always thought it was strange that Aeris never asked Cloud where he got the sword. However, according to CC she didn't even recognize Zack as a SOLDIER, so she had never seen one before Zack and I guess assumed that all 1st Class SOLDIERs received a Buster Sword. (...also, I dunno how much you wanna count on game mechanics here...but Cloud doesn't actually use the Buster Sword for very long, but yes, AC's flashback shows him using it against Sephiroth.)

With SOLDIER being relatively secretive, it's possible people just don't know.

Also strange, in Junon during the parade, the one army guy sees Cloud wearing the SOLDIER uniform and says something like "You're still wearing that?!" and makes him change. So, SOLDIER can perform in parades in normal Shinra uniforms? And why does he keep calling Cloud rookie? He's wearing a 1st Class uniform!

 

[Smaddy]

Not to mention, you assume he's carrying that huge-ass sword. That'd catch my eye first!

But yeah, it's one of those "suspension of disbelief" things, basically, I guess? I thought some people noticed, though.

And also, I see it as a military uniform in their world, even if it is an 'elite' uniform. I see people in military uniforms from time to time, on the street or wherever... and I notice it, but I don't go "OMFGHOTARMYDUDE" and bug them. So it might be like that too. I'm sure when Avalanche rolled into any town, it turned heads. But it doesn't mean the average civillian would just run up to them and glomp Cloud or something.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

The uniform was found in the Shinra Mansion/Manor, but it's still that of a First Class SOLDIER - albeit, heavily modified by the time he reaches Midgar, and even moreso when he starts working for AVALANCHE.

As far as Shinra's armed forces early on are mostly robots, but when they start encountering the actual military, you have to take a look at how many times they turned in on their own - not to mention what they actually tell their troops. That in addition to the change between the president & Rufus also likely interrupted some communications. The First Class SOLDIERs you first in then Shinra Building also use pretty big swords - and SOLDIER's a bit more commonplace after Heideggar takes over.

The fan clubs were mostly restricted to Midgar as I understand it, and even then, mostly just to people on the Plate. So I'm not sure that when they wander around internationally people would fan mob him.


X

 

[Raquelborn]

Citizens probably recognised the uniform of being that of the Shinra Army but it's like how people didn't really bug Zack when he was running around in his uniform, it's probably because he himself simply wasn't famous. It's the same for Cloud. Sephiroth wears a very different outfit anyway and he was recognisable as a Hero, not because he was First Class.

 

[ForceStealer]

But I don't think MOG's point was about fanboys and girls, but in Shinra hunting them, Cloud should have been pretty recognizable with Angeal's/Zack's sword and a 1st Class uniform. Incredible hair notwithstanding.

 

[Smaddy]

But I don't think MOG's point was about fanboys and girls, but in Shinra hunting them, Cloud should have been pretty recognizable with Angeal's/Zack's sword and a 1st Class uniform. Incredible hair notwithstanding.

He was recognized by Shinra. They knew who he was. They were always bumping into each other (Avalanche following Shinra, or vice versa).

Maybe the question is more, "Why didn't Cloud change out of that uniform to make himself less noticeable?"

 

[ForceStealer]

Because the dress was uncomfortable

 

[Ryushikaze]

, a woman who dresses like a prostitute (sorry Tifa),

Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK? In what way is a cotton tank top and a mini dressing like a prostitute? I mean, seriously, it's like you're all gorram puritans.

I grew up with girls who wore racier to school. At least they showed cleavage. And I hardly lived in the most open and relaxed environ.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

But it's not like SOLDIER were just some 'dudes with guns' in the FF7 world. SOLDIER is the most successful public relations project ever devised by Shinra, and not only their abilities, but the worldwide support and almost worship is what enabled them to win a worldwide war. Yes, Sephiroth is the main image of SOLDIER, but the organization itself received recruits and fandom from all over the world. A SOLDIER uniform, 1st Class at that, should immediately know who they are.

And Smaddy has a point that Shinra knew well who they were, but realistically (not that I would respect this as it would bore up the game a little bit), absolutely none of the Shinra MPs would have been NPCs you can talk to, because every single one of them should be familiar with a SOLDIER uniform, and the face of a wanted terrorist that's wearing it. This should apply to the populace as well; I'm surprised every town Cloud and Co. went to (or at least one Shinra loyal person in the town) didn't rat them out.

 

[Fairheartstrife]

Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK? In what way is a cotton tank top and a mini dressing like a prostitute? I mean, seriously, it's like you're all gorram puritans.

So much this it's not even funny.

 

[Smaddy]

Maybe Cloud's uniform could become a subject to look for in-game quotes in the "NPC/Background Information" thread, to see if any NPC says anything about it?
http://thelifestream.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2486

X-SOLDIER?

I want to say Cloud's uniform is recognized by NPCs, but I haven't played the game in a very, very long time so my memory of it could be wrong.

And also, if his uniform is modified, could we assume that it might be like if someone IRL wore camoflage pants or dog tags? We don't necessarily assume it's someone in the military, it's just a fashion statement.

 

[Aki]

I was going to say the same as Smaddy. Its just seen as a army outfit, like if we saw someone wearing camo.

And Clouds is modified, and its PURPLE in the game. When in the artwork and the realistic model'd FMV's its blue. In Crisis Core 1st uniform is almost black.

I think it's just one of those things that just wasnt though of when writing the game as they didnt think internet geeks would look so far into a game.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Cloud's outfit it canonically black. It's been shown that way in the Compilation of FFVII and stated as such by the creators.

That being said, I don't think its that weird given the circumstance of Cloud's adventure of FFVII, the areas he frequented, and the climate of the area.

For one, thanks to the hell Genesis, his copies, and SOLDIER raised, not many people saw SOLDIER in a favorable light anymore. Many of the fanclubs disbanded and were probably forgotten. Not only that, but as shown in DC, Shinra went through a very sweeping and viscious silencing campaign to erase all records of "G" and his legacy out of the public. As the G Reports stated, only a select few of older, slum dwellers still would whisper his name and ever mention him. He in the end, became something akin to an urban legend.

Given the fact of the adverse reaction and information block out and censorship of SOLDIER, most people probably forgot about it and purposefully put SOLDIERs like Zack and the others out of mind. It's not like many people personally knew Zack and if they did, they wouldn't dare say anything.

The only people who would've definitely raised an eyebrow would be the Turks. Specifically, Reno, Rude, and Tseng. The fact they were close to Zack, and would see Zack's iconic sword and outfit, being worn by someone else would definitely cause them to react. Of course, this isn't seen in FFVII at all.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

Still though, it's a known terrorist walking around in military uniform. That wouldn't set some people off?

 

[Reith123]

id think it would lol..

 

[Cat Rage Room]

Alright, tell that to the families of the WTC assuming Osama was walking around in military uniform.

Totally lol-worthy.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Still though, it's a known terrorist walking around in military uniform. That wouldn't set some people off?

If you remember, not many people even knew what AVALANCHE looked like. Shinra never broadcasted their pictures or put up wanted pictures of who they were. Never in FFVII does society ever know who they are until Scarlet and Heidegger got the bright idea of trying to execute them on live TV to scapegoat them for the Meteor Crisis.

And even that ended in failure and no one saw anything thanks to their rescue.

 

[Cat Rage Room]

That's...really dumb. Why wouldn't they?

 

[Makoeyes987]

Because they probably didn't have that information at the time. They only knew that AVALANCHE was headquartered in Sector Seven, and their brilliant idea was to drop the entire plate on it. Then by the time they see them for real, Sephiroth comes to town, kills everyone, and their focus shifts to Sephiroth and his murder spree.

I mean, you can even talk to one NPC and tell them that you're AVALANCHE and they'll laugh at you because of how improbable the think it is.

They were too busy worrying about Sephiroth who's going around killing everyone and posing a much bigger threat to the company and its reputation.

 

[Smaddy]

Mako, those are a couple of good points. I guess Avalanche kind of lucked out. If you think about the IRL news, something's only a "big story" until something bigger goes on. So Sephiroth's attacks (and possibly the fact that Jenova went missing/was stolen) probably quickly overshadowed what happened in Midgar with the Mako Reactor and the plate falling.

And then as far as the execution, you have to kind of wonder if the average citizen cared. At that point, the world was going to end in approx 1 week. Personally, I don't know if I'd be sitting there watching some random people be executed. I think I'd be doing something before I got killed by a giant Meteor.