cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
There's been a bit of discussion over the years on how the dual-layered metropolis of Midgar was built in under a decade. Previously we looked at real-world examples to explain the city's rapid development, but with the English release of Remake's Material Ultimania, our speculation can be put to rest. The book contains a complete timeline (with pictures!) of Midgar's construction. It also answers a number questions I didn't know I had, such as the origin of the Train Graveyard and influence the war with Wutai had on mako usage.
I've transcribed the timeline text to Google Sheets:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uWEOb8z9a6dhDJ5SBR0kazAwfnjJKL16LNJlhpn-2Xg/edit?usp=sharing
Please consider purchasing the Matieral Ultimania for yourself if possible. Personally, I find the development resources and notes within it to be more valuable than the story/gameplay overview that the regular Ultimania provides. It's packed with good info. I learn something new every time I pick it up. Seeing the years of hard work and creativity that went into Remake has made me appreciate the title even more.
Below is a dot point list that attempts to combine the "Year" and "Events" columns from the timeline. There are more columns in the Google Sheet above that detail the "Changes in Midgar" and changes "Beneath the Plate", so please give that read.
Midgar Timeline
I've transcribed the timeline text to Google Sheets:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uWEOb8z9a6dhDJ5SBR0kazAwfnjJKL16LNJlhpn-2Xg/edit?usp=sharing
Please consider purchasing the Matieral Ultimania for yourself if possible. Personally, I find the development resources and notes within it to be more valuable than the story/gameplay overview that the regular Ultimania provides. It's packed with good info. I learn something new every time I pick it up. Seeing the years of hard work and creativity that went into Remake has made me appreciate the title even more.
Below is a dot point list that attempts to combine the "Year" and "Events" columns from the timeline. There are more columns in the Google Sheet above that detail the "Changes in Midgar" and changes "Beneath the Plate", so please give that read.
Midgar Timeline
~2000 years ago◦ Jenova, the “calamity from the skies,” arrives from space.
[μ]–εγλ 1959
◦ Shinra Manufacturing (now the Electric Power Company) discovers mako energy.
Mako technology development period (9 years)
In addition to its application in weapons manufacturing, the advent of this new, super-efficient form of energy leads to dramatic advances in the machinery and techniques needed for the eventful construction of Midgar. It is largely due to the benefits of mako energy that a construction project as unfathomably massive as Midgar is able to be completed in less than a decade.
[μ]–εγλ 1968
◦ The first mako reactor is built near Nibelheim.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1969
◦ The Midgar construction project is launched.
The Nibel Reactor proved highly beneficial, leading to the launch of the "Midgar Project" by Shinra, and the subsequent construction of the city.
The Midgar Project is aimed at "establishing a safe and prosperous way of life through mako energy (while furthering Shinra's expansion)." After it becomes clear that the operation of mako reactors has harmful effects on the environment, Shinra devises a plan to separate the lower and upper levels of Midgar via a plate to:
• Isolate the effects of changes to the environment.
• Keep dangerous monsters contained underneath the plate.
• Foster competition by establishing different standards of living in the lower and upper parts of the city.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1969The Nibel Reactor proved highly beneficial, leading to the launch of the "Midgar Project" by Shinra, and the subsequent construction of the city.
The Midgar Project is aimed at "establishing a safe and prosperous way of life through mako energy (while furthering Shinra's expansion)." After it becomes clear that the operation of mako reactors has harmful effects on the environment, Shinra devises a plan to separate the lower and upper levels of Midgar via a plate to:
• Isolate the effects of changes to the environment.
• Keep dangerous monsters contained underneath the plate.
• Foster competition by establishing different standards of living in the lower and upper parts of the city.
◦ Construction of Midgar begins (Year 0 of Construction)
After a mako hotspot is discovered in the location where Midgar now stands, Shinra gets to work on Midgar's construction.
To ensure construction proceeds safely and efficiently while utilizing a large labor force, Shinra begins by building a wall around Midgar's perimeter to ensure wild beasts won't disturb the company's construction workers. It also erects Mako Reactor 0 to supply energy for the project.
* At this point, construction was still possible without a wall, as the monsters had not yet turned excessively violent due to the eventual effects of environmental degradation.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1971After a mako hotspot is discovered in the location where Midgar now stands, Shinra gets to work on Midgar's construction.
To ensure construction proceeds safely and efficiently while utilizing a large labor force, Shinra begins by building a wall around Midgar's perimeter to ensure wild beasts won't disturb the company's construction workers. It also erects Mako Reactor 0 to supply energy for the project.
* At this point, construction was still possible without a wall, as the monsters had not yet turned excessively violent due to the eventual effects of environmental degradation.
◦ Construction of Midgar begins (Year 2 of Construction).
Mako Reactor 0 begins operating in the center of Midgar, later the site of the central pillar. With the establishment of a stable energy supply and the use of weapons to maintain order, the construction of Midgar proceeds in earnest.
Mako Reactor 0 begins operating in the center of Midgar, later the site of the central pillar. With the establishment of a stable energy supply and the use of weapons to maintain order, the construction of Midgar proceeds in earnest.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1972 - [μ]–εγλ Circa 1973◦ The Midgar perimeter and Mako Reactor 1 are completed (Years 3-4 of Construction).
Sped up by the operation of Mako Reactor 0, construction concentrates on ensuring safety and the generation of energy, with both the perimeter and Mako Reactor 1 completed in Construction Years 3-4.
From this point on, more and more ground is leveled to allow for the construction of Mako Reactors 2 through 8, along with plate-supporting pillars and the plate itself. This period also sees an influx of construction workers and the establishment of lodgings and small commercial and recreational facilities that would later form the basis for Midgar's slums.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1974 - [μ]–εγλ Circa 1975Sped up by the operation of Mako Reactor 0, construction concentrates on ensuring safety and the generation of energy, with both the perimeter and Mako Reactor 1 completed in Construction Years 3-4.
From this point on, more and more ground is leveled to allow for the construction of Mako Reactors 2 through 8, along with plate-supporting pillars and the plate itself. This period also sees an influx of construction workers and the establishment of lodgings and small commercial and recreational facilities that would later form the basis for Midgar's slums.
◦ The Midgar train system and Sector 1 plate are completed (Years 5-6 of Construction).
Once the plate in the first sectors is finished, traveling between the surface and the upper part of the city becomes more important. To facilitate this, a switchyard is erected in a location that would eventually come to be known as the Sector 7 Undercity.
As the train system begins operating and the movement of goods and people becomes more efficient, the construction of additional portions of the plate also accelerates.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1976Once the plate in the first sectors is finished, traveling between the surface and the upper part of the city becomes more important. To facilitate this, a switchyard is erected in a location that would eventually come to be known as the Sector 7 Undercity.
As the train system begins operating and the movement of goods and people becomes more efficient, the construction of additional portions of the plate also accelerates.
◦ Mako Reactor 8 commences operations.
◦ Migration to the top of the plate is in full swing.
Construction of the final mako reactor, Mako Reactor 8, is completed and operations commence. With a bountiful supply of energy being generated by the mako reactors, migration to the top of the plate begins.
[μ]–εγλ Circa 1976◦ Migration to the top of the plate is in full swing.
Construction of the final mako reactor, Mako Reactor 8, is completed and operations commence. With a bountiful supply of energy being generated by the mako reactors, migration to the top of the plate begins.
◦ Plate Number 6 collapses.
Weight in excess of its load-bearing capacity is thought to be the cause of the Plate Number 6 fall. Fortunately, immigration to Sector 6 has not started and there are few casualties, although the area under the plate becomes impassable due to debris.
Restoration of the area is delayed when Shinra does not allocate any funds for that purpose; at the start of the game, the area is still in ruins, the collapsed expressway included.
[μ]–εγλ 1976Weight in excess of its load-bearing capacity is thought to be the cause of the Plate Number 6 fall. Fortunately, immigration to Sector 6 has not started and there are few casualties, although the area under the plate becomes impassable due to debris.
Restoration of the area is delayed when Shinra does not allocate any funds for that purpose; at the start of the game, the area is still in ruins, the collapsed expressway included.
◦ Construction of Midgar
◦ Relocation of Shinra HQ to Midgar
With construction of the mako reactors and plate completed as planned, the company relocated its headquarters to the Shinra Building. With this, the construction of Midgar is finally completed.
The population of Midgar as a whole increases rapidly as a result of large-scale efforts to attract immigrants (especially high-income potential taxpayers).
However, the number of people wishing to emigrate far exceeds the maximum number who can live on the plate. Therefore, Shinra proceeds with its original plan to open the former construction workers' housing quarters for the use of all low-income citizens.
Period of stability before the war with Wutai (9 years)◦ Relocation of Shinra HQ to Midgar
With construction of the mako reactors and plate completed as planned, the company relocated its headquarters to the Shinra Building. With this, the construction of Midgar is finally completed.
The population of Midgar as a whole increases rapidly as a result of large-scale efforts to attract immigrants (especially high-income potential taxpayers).
However, the number of people wishing to emigrate far exceeds the maximum number who can live on the plate. Therefore, Shinra proceeds with its original plan to open the former construction workers' housing quarters for the use of all low-income citizens.
◦ Stability in Midgar
In the period immediately following Midgar's construction, any impact to the environment is still negligible. Similarly, opposition from the lower classes is not yet as strong as it is at the beginning of the game, since most citizens are sated by the never-before-seen level of abundance granted by mako energy.
Nevertheless, the poor, perpetually twilit living environments, coupled with the significant income gap in comparison to those living topside, lead many to deride these areas as "slums." The term "slum," despite its common usage, is by no means official, with Shinra preferring "undercity" as a euphemistic catchall for the area beneath the plates.
[μ]–εγλ 1985In the period immediately following Midgar's construction, any impact to the environment is still negligible. Similarly, opposition from the lower classes is not yet as strong as it is at the beginning of the game, since most citizens are sated by the never-before-seen level of abundance granted by mako energy.
Nevertheless, the poor, perpetually twilit living environments, coupled with the significant income gap in comparison to those living topside, lead many to deride these areas as "slums." The term "slum," despite its common usage, is by no means official, with Shinra preferring "undercity" as a euphemistic catchall for the area beneath the plates.
◦ War breaks out between Shinra and Wutai after the latter refuses to allow the construction of a mako reactor within its borders.
Early phase of the war with Wutai (7 years)
◦ Midgar's mako energy production increases due to war; environment worsens as a result.
The war with Wutai gets underway, and Shinra begin operating the mako reactors at a higher output than originally planned in order to produce more weapons and fuel.
As a result of this increase in operations, the environment starts rapidly deteriorating. Meanwhile, destabilized foundations, increasingly aggressive monsters, and the overall deterioration of the perimeter lead to a sharp increase in the number of monster attacks in the slums from this period on.
Although Shinra is aware of the situation, Midgar's economy is predicted upon maintaining the gap between the rich and poor, so it takes no substantive measures to rectify the situation. The company provides essential services and the bare minimum of security, but makes no real effort to reinforce the perimeter or exterminate monsters.
[μ]–εγλ 1992The war with Wutai gets underway, and Shinra begin operating the mako reactors at a higher output than originally planned in order to produce more weapons and fuel.
As a result of this increase in operations, the environment starts rapidly deteriorating. Meanwhile, destabilized foundations, increasingly aggressive monsters, and the overall deterioration of the perimeter lead to a sharp increase in the number of monster attacks in the slums from this period on.
Although Shinra is aware of the situation, Midgar's economy is predicted upon maintaining the gap between the rich and poor, so it takes no substantive measures to rectify the situation. The company provides essential services and the bare minimum of security, but makes no real effort to reinforce the perimeter or exterminate monsters.
◦ Ifalna and Aerith escape the Shinra Building.
◦ Ifalna perishes in the slums.
First half of the war with Wutai (8 years)◦ Ifalna perishes in the slums.
The war drags on, taking its toll on the land and both peoples, leaving Shinra in a dire position as well.
While neither had been used with any regularity before, Shinra now pushes the mass production of both materia and SOLDIER operators to end the war once and for all. As a result, management of the undercity falls by the wayside.
[μ]–εγλ 2000While neither had been used with any regularity before, Shinra now pushes the mass production of both materia and SOLDIER operators to end the war once and for all. As a result, management of the undercity falls by the wayside.
◦ Mass defection of SOLDIERs led by Genesis
This period sees an increase in the use of both materia and SOLDIER operators. These efforts tilt the war in Shinra's favor.
[ν]–εγλ 0001This period sees an increase in the use of both materia and SOLDIER operators. These efforts tilt the war in Shinra's favor.
◦ End of the war between Shinra and Wutai
◦ Anti-Shinra group Avalanche launched by a group of planetologists
The war ends after sixteen years of conflict. Although the mako reactors were meant to return to pre-war production levels, both Shinra and the general population have grown accustomed to the current energy supply. Therefore, reactors continue to produce energy at the same rate, and the damage caused by monsters increases.
Second half of the war with Wutai (6 years)◦ Anti-Shinra group Avalanche launched by a group of planetologists
The war ends after sixteen years of conflict. Although the mako reactors were meant to return to pre-war production levels, both Shinra and the general population have grown accustomed to the current energy supply. Therefore, reactors continue to produce energy at the same rate, and the damage caused by monsters increases.
Following the war, Shinra uses the excess energy it had been generating to extend the plate and restore the topside parts of the city. In the slums, where no improvements are made, anti-Shinra sentiment becomes more widespread than ever before.
However, since the two parts of the city are mutually dependent on each other, public anti-Shinra demonstrations are few and far between; action is mostly taken by terrorist groups such as Avalanche.
[ν]–εγλ 0007However, since the two parts of the city are mutually dependent on each other, public anti-Shinra demonstrations are few and far between; action is mostly taken by terrorist groups such as Avalanche.
◦ Zack is shot dead in the hills near Midgar.
Present day
◦ The newly reformed Avalanche bombs Midgar's Mako Reactor 1.
At the beginning of the game:
• The continuous operation of the mako reactors is exacerbating environmental degradation and increasing monster numbers.
• Shinra is focused on postwar clean-up and extending the plate. It largely neglects the maintenance and security of facilities underneath the plate.
• Due to insufficient supplies of goods and technology, the undercity has developed its own culture and rules, with systems for waste repurposing and neighborhood watched operating in each slum.
500 years afterAt the beginning of the game:
• The continuous operation of the mako reactors is exacerbating environmental degradation and increasing monster numbers.
• Shinra is focused on postwar clean-up and extending the plate. It largely neglects the maintenance and security of facilities underneath the plate.
• Due to insufficient supplies of goods and technology, the undercity has developed its own culture and rules, with systems for waste repurposing and neighborhood watched operating in each slum.
◦ Nanaki and his children gaze upon the ruins of Midgar.
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