Meeting Cait Sith

[chasesummers]

This didn't occur to me in the past as I was too young and too excited to meet a new character but hasn't anyone else thought how bad they introduced Cait Sith?

This is something that has to be completely changed in the remake.
Cait Sith walks towards you once you go in the Wonder section of Gold Saucer. He offers fortune telling and claims that he's capable of knowing where missing people and things are, naturally Cloud asks him if he can spot Sephiroth but of course fails to.

Cait Sith later forces himself into the party, we all know why but that just doesn't happen. Cait Sith would have to sell them his trust and maybe Cloud would be the one who thinks he can be useful, similar to meeting Yuffie (which was also somewhat weak).

Funny part is, when you go to Gongaga the first time and fight the Turks, Cloud wonders how the Turks knew where the gang was which lead him to think that someone in their party might be a spy. Correct me if I'm wrong but he says ''I trust everyone'', really?

Also, what do you think about Cait Sith's appearance for the Remake?
It would be nice to get rid of the horrible moogle but that would contradict the Before Crisis story in which Reeve gave him the moogle to increase his agility and movement, to be better in battle.

 

[Flintlock]

I don't really like anything about Cait Sith, from his appearance to his role in the story to his usefulness in battle. Like you, I've always thought it was ridiculous that he could "force" his way into the party. I can't really think of an alternative way for him to do it, though.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

He could offer them some information on Sephiroth which eventually turns out to be accurate? They could use him as a non-human shield? I mean, it is kind of useful to have a robot in the party, even a really annoying one.

 

[RedFFWolf]

Good observation about his introduction
I always just took it for granted - I like the guy!

Funny part is, when you go to Gongaga the first time and fight the Turks, Cloud wonders how the Turks knew where the gang was which lead him to think that someone in their party might be a spy. Correct me if I'm wrong but he says ''I trust everyone'', really?

Yup, he does indeed say this.

The way Cait Sith was introduced seemed rushed on the outside, but for the time it was, it felt like it worked (of course, this is easy for someone like me to say now, having left it unquestioned back in the day). For the remake, however, his introduction and subsequent stalking needs tweaking, especially for those who will be new to the game.

Also, what do you think about Cait Sith's appearance for the Remake?
It would be nice to get rid of the horrible moogle but that would contradict the Before Crisis story in which Reeve gave him the moogle to increase his agility and movement, to be better in battle.

I can understand how it might not look the part for the visual style they are going for (if articles about going in the direction of ACC's art style are to go by), but for the sake of prudence in battle it may be best to keep him in (unless they want to use him in a unique way - I believe DoC had him for a stealth-related mission, am I correct?).
That, and I personally would like to see it remain and keep Cait Sith as a full-on fighter

 

[Mayo Master]

In my opinion, Cait Sith' introduction to the party and the following jig at the Desert Prison are the weakest part of the entire script. I sure hope that would be revised for the remake.
One possible way to go at it may be the following: the party gets thrown into the Desert Prison (although, again, the fact that they're initially framed for Dyne's deeds isn't a very good plot point - casinos tend to have pretty tight video surveillance), and Cait Sith would appear as a "mysterious benefactor" who can get them out of jail. His introduction into the party afterwards would be less forceful.
I also hope that, when the party suspects a spy in the group at Gongaga, it would be handled differently (eg, all looks converge to Cait Sith with him claiming "wasn't me!").
Obviously it could be done better than what I suggest, but it wouldn't hurt to revise the original counterpart significantly.

 

[Kionae]

To be fair, though, with the exception of Barret and Tifa (who basically just hires Cloud to blow shit up and kill things, and recognizes him as a childhood friend, respectively), all the introductions leave something to be desired and could be expanded upon.

I mean...

Aerith joins you after you fall through the ceiling of the church and crush her flowers. That can sort of be forgiven, as it's kind of moment for moment what happened with Zack, but still... Dude practically lands on you, and suddenly he's your bodyguard and you're paying him with a "date" at some to-be-determined time.

Red XIII tells you point blank he doesn't trust "two-legs"... but decides to tag along with you anyway because reasons, and doesn't even bother telling you his real name. He's really just using the group as a way to get out of Midgar/home to Cosmo Canyon (where he intends to stay until his adopted grandfather introduces him to his petrified father and suddenly 'Must protect ALL the things!').

Cid joins the party basically because you steal his plane (and trash it), and because he probably wouldn't be real popular with Shinra if he had stuck around Rocket Town. His only real reason for sticking around, initially, seems to be that he's disillusioned with Shinra and their handling of the space program and doesn't have anything better to do.

Vincent at least has an excuse for wanting to tag along, seeing as he'd love to beat the crap out of Hojo. But the guy is an ex-Turk (but only because he was shot and experimented on), and has been living in a coffin (that he pretty clearly could have gotten out at any time of given that he transforms into a fucking monster...) which doesn't exactly come across as being the most mentally stable or trust-inspiring thing on the planet. Never mind that you recruit him by playing Hojo's find the combination game. But sure... let's invite this creepy-ass guy along.

Yuffie attacks you. And gets her ass handed to her. Yeah.

 

[Starling]

Well, it's not like they were going to leave Nanaki in Shinra HQ after he helped them fight off one of Hojo's experoments. His joining the party started off as convenience but over time he grew fond of the others. It's not like he wasn't at least a bit reluctant to part with them, he just really wanted to get back home, but Bugenhagen convinced him he and Cosmo Canyon would be alright until he got back.

Aerith is totally the kind of person who would want Cloud to stick around a bit longer and help him out if she could, especially since he reminded her of Zack.

I don't think Cid blames the party for stealing the plane, since they were trying to keep Palmer from stealing it and it took off on its own, with everyone just hopping on to hitch a ride. At that point, Cid's so fed up he basically just says fuck it and goes with it.

Vincent has pretty useful skills so I get how a group with imited ressources would be willing to take their chances with him. It might be why they let Yuffie tag aong too. That and she probaby wouldn't go away if told to. They don't have to instantly trust each-other to stay together. I like how for the most part they start off working togeter out of convenience, but start to become friends from spending so much time travelling together.

For the spy thing, it'd be neat if they had the party voice their suspicions about the people they trust less, and the issue having to be set aside because fighting over it will only hinder them at that point.

 

[chasesummers]

I love Cait Sith, without the moogle would probably work best in the remake but rather then having him without the moogle straight away, it would be better for it to break down or something just for what happens in Before Crisis. The moogle felt so out of place in the original game, just Cait Sith like Dirge of Cerberus would be fantastic.

I do agree that Cait Sith wasn't the only one with a weak intro however he takes the top spot.

Aerith kinda forced herself in too in the beginning but she would have joined the party anyway if the Turks captured her. Cloud would ''somehow'' know about it, by her step-mother or someone and would save her still.

Cid was random too, he just stayed but he had no agenda. It was a plus for the gang, extra help but in the end he got involved enough.

Yuffie already seemed suspicious from the beginning, throwing it in your face by her last few comments. You trust everyone right Cloud?

 

[Flintlock]

Aerith joins you after you fall through the ceiling of the church and crush her flowers. That can sort of be forgiven, as it's kind of moment for moment what happened with Zack, but still...

I just choose to pretend that Zack never fell through that roof. It feels like a cheap and unnecessary attempt to make Zack more important to the (Compilation of) Final Fantasy VII plot, when he's already plenty important. Additionally, I find it very hard to believe that the original game's developers/writers intended for Cloud's fall through the roof to be a recreation of what had already happened to Zack.

With that said, I think the way Aeris joins the party is just fine. She needs Cloud's protection to escape the church and get home safely, to begin with. Then she goes against Cloud's and her mother's wishes in escorting him to Wall Market, which I suppose is the only thing that doesn't completely make sense, but I think it fits her slightly rebellious character. One thing leads to another and she's being rescued from the Shinra building, after which she pretty much has to stay with the rest of the group.

After Cait Sith, I'd probably say Cid's reason for joining is the least convincing. It's basically "you guys are wackos, I like that".

 

[Starling]

I agree. It only adds to the absurdity that a Turk fell through that roof in BC as well. Clearly the church has some kind of magic properties that cause anyone importan enough to end up there should they ever fall off the upper plate in the vicinity of sector 5.

 

[Ite]

...I like FFVII's original story. You go to a ridiculous theme park and have doubts about your friend Barret who rages off. There are Shinra soldiers about (at chocobo square) so the stakes are high. Then you meet a broken fortune teller that starts following you around. It's pretty ridiculous and annoying, but so is the park, so whatevs. Then the Shinra soldiers are all massacred by (apparently) Barret and you're all thrown in prison together. Thieves and coin-faces and sand worms and spiky-wheeled robots are after you. Cait Sith joins you in battle. Mog and the cat are not only capable melee fighters, they have one of the highest base magic stats of anyone. And dice is a flipping sweet limit break. By the time it's all resolved, you have a buggy, capable of fitting everyone inside, so there's no reason not to take him.

If any changes need to be made in order to sell the , they simply need to make him useful *in* the Gold Saucer (he gets them past the Shinra soldiers? He helps them play mog house?) and his usefulness in Corel Prison must make him an attractive and trustworthy option.