Well your joke about Kitase is technically wrong. The Lightning Saga wasn't his last time as a major producer of a multi-title or expansive work. Mobius Final Fantasy was, and it certainly just did not simply end happily.
I definitely disagree that the now defunct Mobius Final Fantasy should be considered Kitase's last "multi-title, expansive" work, but I hear the rest of what you're saying and will consider it. I didn't know that was his last work as a producer so that's interesting, thanks.
Well, the various Mobius storyline chapters and crossovers, and specifically, the Fatal Calling and Eclipse Contact FFVII Remake events, were specifically overseen and written by him and Nojima respectively. And they considered those specific FFVII events as creatively connected and continuations of the Compilation of FFVII. Mobius was a very special project for Kitase, and he was very much involved in that mobile game saga. It was definitely an expansive and highly creative work. And the project spanned 5 years. So it technically lasted longer than the Lightning Saga.
Hm, I think you may have misunderstood at least some folks when they've said that then. I'm confident I as well have been saying "changed the past," but by that I'm referring to the party's actions influencing an alternate timeline to go down a different course at a moment in the past (relative to our present).
At least here on this forum, I think pretty much everyone means it that way. Possible I'm wrong about that, though.
I remember disagreeing with you specifically on Remake being a sequel haha. And disagreeing that the Whisper trio represent Sephiroth's remnants. Now I think you and the others are right. Good times though.
The statement and intent of that statement is to illustrate that two Clouds with two different histories cannot exist simultaneously within the same space/timeline.
Which gives the audience the notion that there's now a separate timeline or universe where there's a Cloud now who has a vastly different past experience compared to the one we know from FFVII.
This part is what the audience may or may not take away from it. As of right now, they have not actually explained what’s actually going on since that’s the whole mystery of the remake. Kind of defeats the purpose of the mystery if they already spoiled themselves in the ultimania.
A new timeline, possibly. But is it new because it’s different, or is it new because it’s separate and different? Are there two parallel timelines existing at the same time, or have we reconstructed a single timeline into something else? That’s the question I’m raising. Is it a nitpick? Maybe, maybe not!
I'm not sure how 2 would work. Time and space are different, yet it's the same timeline? If it were the same timeline, then Cloud wouldn't be "Cloud" anymore. Causality would demand that with the changing of past events, the future be changed to accommodate them.
Depends on which theory of time travel you subscribe to. Steins;Gate does a pretty good job of exploring different models of time travel, so it’s not too foreign to me considering I’m such a fan of that VN/anime.
The scene in question is Cloud being carried by Zack, while we’re also watching Cloud and co. leave Midgar. In that case, yes, both events take place in the same space but different times. Not strictly because it’s a separate timeline, though still possible, but because it’s literally two events that happened at two different points in time from one another.
So why would Cloud’s current memories not be rewritten to make up for the change in history? That’s to be seen, but there’s two possible factors that the writers can use. For one, Cloud’s memories are already damaged by Jenova. So neither Cloud nor the audience is fully aware of what’s real, what used to be real, what isn’t real anymore etc. anyways. We see glimpses of that with Biggs and Zack but still TBD. The other factor is the singularity, which could have possibly preserved Cloud and the gang’s original memories while everybody outside of the singularity has their memories rewritten but I’m just ripping off Steins;Gate at that point.
For context, the main character of Steins;Gate experiences a phenomenon where he can send text messages to himself and others to the past, and doing so rewrites the timeline by way of the butterfly effect. However, he himself has the ability to preserve his memories across different timelines, while everybody else’s memories are rewritten to line up with each altered history. The side effect of this is that his own memories remain unaltered, so his own memories of history do not match with everybody else’s.
Not just baselessly, INTENTIONALLY trolling. I’m being tongue-in-cheek but what I’m really saying is considering how hard Cloud gets mindscrewed in the OG, it’d make for a pretty good troll by Sephiroth if the whole thing was an elaborate, Jenova-fueled acid trip.
This part is what the audience may or may not take away from it. As of right now, they have not actually explained what’s actually going on since that’s the whole mystery of the remake. Kind of defeats the purpose of the mystery if they already spoiled themselves in the ultimania.
It's not spoiling, it's clarification. This was the same conclusion others reached as well, but some (such as myself) were hesitant to take the dive into believing it so it merely clarified the position. And this isn't the mystery. It's the foundation of what will be the mystery. We technically don't know what the mystery exactly is. The story hasn't really done anything yet.
And I see what you mean about Stiens Gate. Basically, the timeline was changed around the main characters, but they're all technically the same, just in another world. So that's a third option, but I also find that one to be extremely unlikely as well because then it becomes a complete clusterfuck in managing how this game of FFVII will unfold, balancing any of what's supposed to come in reference to what will come.
I mean, it's possible but I find that outcome as likely as Crisis Core 2: Electric Boogaloo. Like, they could go in that direction, but that would be messiest, and most bizarre way of showcasing the story that would only be going by shock value. And why showcase the separation and difference between Zack's version of Stamp and the original? Furthermore, memories and tangible reality are not the same thing. It would require there to somehow be two Buster Swords because why would Cloud carry Zack's sword? In the universe he would be in, regardless of if he had the same memories and experiences or not, that sword would belong to Zack. xD
But they didn’t actually clarify anything though, they explained what the audience is seeing onscreen and acknowledged how weird it is, but that we’ll find out what’s going on soon enough. There’d hardly be this much room to theorize otherwise.
When asked “In the ending, Zack being alive changes things a lot, what made you do it?” Nomura answered, “That would be the climax of all the mysteries we planned for part 1 (laughs).” So you’re right that we don’t quite know what exactly the mystery is, but explaining what’s actually happening would require spoiling future parts so I’m presuming we won’t get proper clarification until future installments of the game itself explains it.
because then it becomes a complete clusterfuck in managing how this game of FFVII will unfold, balancing any of what's supposed to come in reference to what will come.
Actually, I don’t think it’s too different from the graph in the OP. I think whatever direction you go in, it’ll take a hell of a lot of attention to detail to get everything right. All I really did was take out the multiple parallel timelines aspect but like you pointed out, there’s not much of a functional difference there.
Depends on what happens to Zack after what we’ve been shown. Some think Zack is just going to die as he did in the OG, which I think would make the whole thing pointless. Maybe Zack was captured? There’s that one theory about him being a “this guy are sick”...
I'm not getting involved in the discussion at large, but there are people here on the forums (and discord) that think it is a "Back to the Future" style kind of time-travel going on. That there is only one time-line and that it has been changed by someone, something or even many people traveling back in time to keep the OG from not happening... or in the case of the Whipers, from happening again.
Although, I'm currently thinking it's also got the FF8 style of Time-Travel mixed up in there somehow... that people's consciousnesses are being sent back, and however it goes will be how it was always "meant" to go. But that's perfectly compatible with "Back to the Future" style of time-travel...
To put FF7Remake in "Back to the Future" terminology...
The Twin Pines timeline is analogous to the Beagle Timeline.
The Lone Pines timeline is analogous to the Terrier Timeline.
The "split" in the two timelines (and where one starts overwriting the other) is when Marty travels back to the past for the very first time and runs over one of the "Twin Pines" on the edge of the property that would later to become the Twin/Lone Pines shopping mall.
For FFVII, the split would be whenever someone traveled back to the past for the first time... which so far, we have no information about. Either when in the future someone first traveled back or when in the past they first landed. Or even who time-traveled first. Or on what "round" of time-traveling we're even on...
This also assumes that FF7Remake is like... Back to the Future 1... and not Back to the Future 2 or 3 where you've got multiple people traveling back and forth between different points in time and mucking up the time-line for each other. Which... given Sephrioth and Aerith both seem to be from the future and are working at odds to each other could... honestly end up happening without too much going on. The Whispers are yet another source of messing with the time-line too... so that just makes it even more messy.
A lot of the discussion has quieted down about the kind of time-travel because so much of it devolves into "just wait for more info from the next game" at this point. Except for the fact that the Whispers really are from a future they would like to keep happening... which suggests that that future can be changed still... that's not very debatable given the enemy info.
But they didn’t actually clarify anything though, they explained what the audience is seeing onscreen and acknowledged how weird it is, but that we’ll find out what’s going on soon enough. There’d hardly be this much room to theorize otherwise.
That's a clarification. They explained it. It's an explanation of the phenomena and contextualizes it as something specifically relevant to time travel and manipulation. Zack is alive and overcame what was meant to kill him. There were people believing it was simply a flashback, a thematic parallel or Zack would just get killed off screen. It was most certainly clarification.
When asked “In the ending, Zack being alive changes things a lot, what made you do it?” Nomura answered, “That would be the climax of all the mysteries we planned for part 1 (laughs).” So you’re right that we don’t quite know what exactly the mystery is, but explaining what’s actually happening would require spoiling future parts so I’m presuming we won’t get proper clarification until future installments of the game itself explains it.
No it doesn't. We're just being made aware of what happened in Part 1. We have no idea what the ramifications or what narrative intentions will unfold thanks to this story decision. We just know, "this happened." What "this" will lead to, is completely unknown.
Actually, I don’t think it’s too different from the graph in the OP. I think whatever direction you go in, it’ll take a hell of a lot of attention to detail to get everything right. All I really did was take out the multiple parallel timelines aspect but like you pointed out, there’s not much of a functional difference there.
Well no, it definitely is different and disparate from what's being implied with the game and their clarification of the difference between the 2 Clouds. And that results in different outcomes and narrative thematic processes. Like, if you just throw characters in another world for essentially inherent shock value or extreme change, that's pointless and doesn't really make sense.
There's a difference between using a "what-if" parallel other-world to tease certain consistent themes, characterizations or even alternate scenarios which ultimately still resolve themselves consistent with the text.... Versus doing something completely arbitrary that has no rhyme or reason just for shock. Such as, dropping all the main characters into a simulacrum of the world of FFVII. This isn't Sliders. Like, what would be the point in having them inhabit an AU and then leaving them there in FFVII? Having Zack somehow magically live and join the main party and somehow be the new main party member or protagonist just "because" is bizarre and unnecessary. It simply threads nowhere and doesn't comport with anything done thus far with the writers. Like, it can happen, but why would it happen? What would be the story they're trying even tell with that?
Some, myself not included, may argue FF7R already does that but I’d rather not open that can of worms again
Well that's not true. We haven't seen what they've done yet. There's a difference between apprehension for the future, and mourning the destruction of the present product. You can say what you want about part 1 but 90% of Part 1 is FFVII, and the last 10%? A weirdass bizarre ending. But it still ultimately aligns itself to its respective portion of the story and the search for Sephiroth. The caveat however, is how long will that pattern persist, or will it at all? That's the question which remains to be answered. They could easily make Part 2 in the same way as Part 1. And so on and so on with each installment until the they use the finale to resolve whatever this new sub-plot is. They could change it entirely as well. But we won't know. But it's not "the messiest and most bizarre" because we don't have any subsequent narrative or context to even analyze.
And this is what I'm talking about with getting too caught up in an unknown and setting up expectations with speculations needlessly. People are fixated so heavily on this one unknown that they are simply oblivious to the 90% of the game that exists. Some are so bizarrely tunnel visioned on this ending and it's hiterto unknown potential that they forget the rest of the game that exists that they enjoyed. That's silly to me. It's missing the forest for the trees. Wait and see what the actual mess is before mourning the supposed destruction of the text. We don't know what will happen yet, so jumping the gun here based on speculation is a negative outcome of that speculation.
Depends on what happens to Zack after what we’ve been shown. Some think Zack is just going to die as he did in the OG, which I think would make the whole thing pointless. Maybe Zack was captured? There’s that one theory about him being a “this guy are sick”...
Well Zack is alive. Anything else to the contrary is speculation stacked on more speculation. In the timeline and snippet of events showcased there in the end, Zack is alive and he is alive until the text says otherwise. We can't assume anything else.
We just need to look for what version of Stamp might be hiding in any new trailers or magazine screenshots when the time comes. That will tell us so much right there.
If it's the old Stamp, there's definitely no timeline overwriting happening.
A lot of the discussion has quieted down about the kind of time-travel because so much of it devolves into "just wait for more info from the next game" at this point. Except for the fact that the Whispers really are from a future they would like to keep happening... which suggests that that future can be changed still... that's not very debatable given the enemy info.
I hate time travel stories so much.
But what I think is really sad is that instead of talking about what FFVII and FFVIIR mean in terms of their themes - death, love, enviromentalism, capitalism, identity, memory - we are tying ourselves up in knots over how many time lines there are and whether the Mega-Whispers derive from or become manifestations of Sephiroth's will. I mean, I suppose these things are interesting in the way a puzzle is interesting, to those who find them interesting, but they lack a meaningful connection to our own world.
This was their “clarification”, it pretty much boils down to “Hey, look at this! Isn’t this weird! We know too! Ah, but you’ll have to stay tuned to find out what’s going on!”
We see two Clouds, but we don’t know which one is which or if they actually are two separate Clouds or if we’re seeing the same Cloud but at two different times. The only thing they said is that “it is assumed that they should not exist in the same time and space”, but they haven’t explained why they appear to. They say “this version of Stamp contradicts the previous designs” but no explanation why. “If Zack is alive, then Cloud shouldn’t have this sword...” but why?
I don’t even disagree about the timelines thing, it could very well be possible, I just think people have a way of reading into the words of the devs too much.
Well that's not true. We haven't seen what they've done yet. There's a difference between apprehension for the future, and mourning the destruction of the present product. You can say what you want about part 1 but 90% of Part 1 is FFVII, and the last 10%? A weirdass bizarre ending. But it still ultimately aligns itself to its respective portion of the story and the search for Sephiroth. The caveat however, is how long will that pattern persist, or will it at all? That's the question which remains to be answered. They could easily make Part 2 in the same way as Part 1. And so on and so on with each installment until the they use the finale to resolve whatever this new sub-plot is. They could change it entirely as well. But we won't know. But it's not "the messiest and most bizarre" because we don't have any subsequent narrative or context to even analyze.
And this is what I'm talking about with getting too caught up in an unknown and setting up expectations with speculations needlessly. People are fixated so heavily on this one unknown that they are simply oblivious to the 90% of the game that exists. Some are so bizarrely tunnel visioned on this ending and it's hiterto unknown potential that they forget the rest of the game that exists that they enjoyed. That's silly to me. It's missing the forest for the trees. Wait and see what the actual mess is before mourning the supposed destruction of the text. We don't know what will happen yet, so jumping the gun here based on speculation is a negative outcome of that speculation.
Depends on which version of Stamp Cloud remembers I guess, or if we’re looking at the old timeline or a new one. We’ll need a lot more than that before making any definitive statements I’m afraid. I’m expecting all sorts of red herrings going forward.
I hate time travel stories so much.
But what I think is really sad is that instead of talking about what FFVII and FFVIIR mean in terms of their themes - death, love, enviromentalism, capitalism, identity, memory - we are tying ourselves up in knots over how many time lines there are and whether the Mega-Whispers derive from or become manifestations of Sephiroth's will. I mean, I suppose these things are interesting in the way a puzzle is interesting, to those who find them interesting, but they lack a meaningful connection to our own world.
I mean, what else could be said that hasn’t already been discussed for 20+ years? Plus I don’t think those themes really start to manifest until later in the game except for the capitalism and environmentalism I guess but those themes are pretty straightforward, not much else to discuss there I think.
I mean, I suppose these things are interesting in the way a puzzle is interesting, to those who find them interesting, but they lack a meaningful connection to our own world.
I can understand this frustration. Though, I'll share my experience anyway. For a lot of my favorite games, including the original FF7, I didn't start playing them because of their themes. In FF7's case, I was a kiddo and got obsessed with getting a 100% save file. I replayed FF7 a lot to that end. With each playthrough, I was re-exposed to its commentary on environmentalism, capitalism, and identity. Now I consider the original to be one of the most influential things in my life. Heck, I always tell me brother, "FF7 didn't become my favorite game until after my second playthrough." So yeah, I do talk about dog breeds a lot, but rest assured, I also never skip Barret's speech in the elevator on complacency. This is just my way of continuing to explore FF7.
Shoot, sure as hell didn’t clarify any of my questions
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This was their “clarification”, it pretty much boils down to “Hey, look at this! Isn’t this weird! We know too! Ah, but you’ll have to stay tuned to find out what’s going on!”
Well that's what I'm saying. I'm saying it only clarified what we're seeing/saw. Not what's going to happen or what the overall intention is.
There's value in this because there were folks, including myself, who didn't even know what it was exactly we were looking at. That's clarification.
We see two Clouds, but we don’t know which one is which or if they actually are two separate versions. The only thing they said is that “it is assumed that they should not exist in the same time and space”, but they haven’t explained why they appear to. They say “this version of Stamp contradicts the previous designs” but no explanation why. “If Zack is alive, then Cloud shouldn’t have this sword...” but why?
I don’t even disagree about the timelines thing, it could very well be possible, I just think people have a way of reading into the words of the devs too much.
You're getting hung up on the semantics of how they write this information. This is how Ultimanias posit and reveal new information. They say it questioningly, and sensationally. But it's the same thing. They're demonstrating an important concept through an indirect questioning sorta way.
I find it super interesting that the development team is purposefully withholding details on when Aerith began seeing the Whispers. We know the Whispers appear to keep fate on track. It follows that someone with memories of fated events would be the Whispers' biggest concern. I theorize that the event which caused Aerith to see the Whispers is the same event that gave her memories of the original game. How this event is portrayed in a future part will reveal heaps about the relationship between Remake and the original game, which is why the developers don't want to spill the beans on it just yet.
It's been stated in many ways that Remake is not meant to replace the original game. I take this literally. I don't think Nomura and the gang are seeking to reverse or overwrite anything with time travel shenanigans. Doing so would risk invalidating our memories of the whole series. I actually don't think time travel is involved at all, at least not in the traditional sense. I theorize a new function of the lifestream will be established that allows for multiple "branches" to exist at once. To build on the "life" theme, imagine a tree. Each branch varies slightly, but fate (i.e. Whispers) ensure the cycle of life and death is kept the same. Perhaps the Whispers also ensure things don't get messy when branches inevitably intersect (e.g. the singularity we see at the end of FF7R). I theorize the original game and Compilation titles exist on their own branch and some event (maybe another singularity?) caused Aerith in the Remake branch to receive memories of the original game.
Time to burn the midnight oil and open the ol' MS Paint.
Quick recap:
Beagle branch - where Remake takes place
Terrier branch - where Zack's scenes take place
Gut feelings
I've got no evidence to back the following claims. This is just what I feel in my gut will happen. Aerith, Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge will all survive in the Beagle branch. Zack will survive in the Terrier branch. I think Remake will have a very happy ending. However, we will see Aerith's death faked somehow, or some kind of revival/return event. All I'm saying is that she'll be back by the end. I just doubt they'd have us go through the trouble of defeating fate without it leading to some serious plot changes.
Cloud receives a vision of laying Aerith's body to rest in Chapter 18. Sure the image is all distorted, but Cloud's the hero, he'll figure out what it means and fight to prevent it. With that setup, I don't think Remake is gritty enough to have Cloud fail to save Aerith twice. I mean, c'mon, Remake has already revived Biggs, removed Avalanche's terrorist accountability, and removed the trail blood from the Shinra Building. The tone of Remake so far does not indicate to me that its bite is any worse than its bark. Consider this: the last time Kitase was producer for an epic, multi-title project it had a very happy ending where everyone survived and Lightning became a Louis Vuitton model.
I consider myself lucky to have enjoyed part 1's ending. However, that does not guarantee I will enjoy future parts. For example, I adore FF13, but am not able to sit through its sequels. I learned the hard way from another game the dangers of setting my expectations too high. For me, each part is a clean slate. I'm not going to "wait and see" how something unravels to decide if I like it or not. I'm going to analyze how something makes me feels right now, even if it is a mystery. I can only hope the combat, characterization, and soundtrack continue to be as strong as they are in part 1. As long as those pillars are intact, I think I can take whatever this ride throws at me.
So I guess a lot depends on the mindset you bring to games. I didn't get into gaming until I was an adult, and my views, the meaning I seek from my fiction, has been formed by books, literature. For me video games are just interactive novels. Stuff like completionism, getting all the trophies etc... doesn't even come onto my radar. If a game doesn't have a compelling narrative and thought-provoking ideas, it's not my cup of tea.
I think that completely depends on what the exact relationship between the OG and remake is, which is still to be determined. I think the remake does more than enough to separate itself from the OG even if the general narrative direction is the same (maybe).
This is so bizarre to me, why would anybody want that?
Well, to clarify, I don't mean that I was going "F THE OG!", I just mean that when I went into the remake I was hoping for it to change some of the context of the OG, obvious example being the LTD. I hoped the Remake would just straight up remove any doubt what their motivations are so that that interpretation of the OG could die with it.
People often say those who aren't ok with the ending just hate change, which isn't the case.
CC changed a lot of FFVII as well, some for worse, some for the better, and I loved that game.
Clearly the final scene with Zack was a marketing tactic.
Think about it: Fate has been defeated, the group heads off towards the horizon to pursue whatever as-yet-unwritten future awaits them.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT MIDGAR....(in another universe)
Zack has (unbeknownst to him) been given a second lease on life. He defeated an entire Shinra platoon, and also managed to keep his mako-addled best bud alive. He's obviously gonna head to see Aerith, the man's had a years-long dry spell by this point. And also, you know, it's a place to stay. Anyway, the ending of the remake is clearly drumming up excitement for...
Very few people in their critiques of the ending seem to have any idea on how to improve it aside from “just don’t do it”, so yeah it’s easy to assume that people who don’t like the ending just hate change. You’re talking about video games, an art form with an audience notorious for complaining about everything, coupled with a remake of one of the most beloved video games of all time that goes out of its way to do something different.
Of course there’s going to be people who fundamentally disagree with the direction of the ending no matter how much you clean up the “execution”. Maybe those people don’t hate change overall or are representative of everybody who disliked the ending, but there are people who hate that this change exists because of what it potentionally represents for the future. And I say fair enough, just be transparent about it. But in the end though, what really changed?
The ending is such a deliberate detour from the OG that I don’t see how it could retroactively change the context of it. I could go back to the OG and not even think about the Whispers because they just didn’t exist at that point. That’s why I don’t consider FF7R a sequel, in my mind I treat it like I’d treat a remake of a film or a show.
1) Keeping Aerith alive doesn't harm FFVII at all, mainly because the remake isn't FFVII. It's FFVII: Remake. If anything, keeping Aerith alive would be great, because it would serve to distance the OG from the new games even more than the current changes have (which are just small enough for people to argue that it's still the same story). It shouldn't impact the OG narrative in any way, so I'm a bit confused as to why it's an issue in terms of the OG/FFVII.
2) Some believe that the Zack stuff at the end was taking place in the same timeline as the other events with Cloud and co, while others believe there are multiple timelines -- I'm not actually sure which theory is more popular, probably the latter, but I do think the former is feasible. Kinda curious to see which they go with..
3) I think the key won't actually be the Beagle timeline at all. I think the one we need to really look out for is the Corgi timeline when it intersects with the Dalmation one. That's where the singularity will occur and lead to a temporal distortion of an epic scale, giving rise to the Tuxedo Cat timeline where Sephiroth reigns.
If anything, keeping Aerith alive would be great, because it would serve to distance the OG from the new games even more than the current changes have (which are just small enough for people to argue that it's still the same story).
The Whisper stuff just adds an extra layer to the story and allows for some more detours and padding, but I think having Aerith survive would change the narrative direction too much. The creators clearly don’t want to tell the exact same story again, but they don’t seem to want to completely change it up either and I doubt they’d want to reverse a death that’s so iconic and integral to the rest of the story.
At least Zack’s death was an event that took place before the story itself, and the game treats his now apparent survival with the awareness that it’s an anomaly instead of a traditional retcon where we’d just be expected to accept that he was alive all along. I do agree that Aerith surviving in FF7R wouldn’t harm the OG, but I’m not convinced they’d want to go that far. At this point, I think they’re just building up hope of Aerith’s survival so that her death is even more impactful.
I think if Aerith stays alive, it will be in t he Terrier timeline, not "our" timeline. The devs have said that they're keeping the skeletton of FFVII, so I'm expecting Aerith to die - plus she needs to, for the story of life and death to take placee. If there's no death, the whole story about accepting it as part of life is gone, and it's a huge aspect of FFVII. And no, others' death won't really replace it. In the Terrier timeline, if Zack survives, then it's a different story that is going to unfold, because Zack himself threatens the FFVII plot - so it can only be ok if he survives somewhere where him living won't affect the FFVII story. Zack is the hero that Cloud isn't, so I do expect him to be able to save Aerith.
Aerith could survive, but if that doesn't come at some other great cost, the narrative tension suffers significantly. At the moment I think they're trying to keep the fandom guessing of whether it will happen or not. Since killing her didn't work last time, Sephiroth may have a new plan.
I think if Aerith stays alive, it will be in t he Terrier timeline, not "our" timeline. The devs have said that they're keeping the skeletton of FFVII, so I'm expecting Aerith to die - plus she needs to, for the story of life and death to take placee. If there's no death, the whole story about accepting it as part of life is gone, and it's a huge aspect of FFVII. And no, others' death won't really replace it. In the Terrier timeline, if Zack survives, then it's a different story that is going to unfold, because Zack himself threatens the FFVII plot - so it can only be ok if he survives somewhere where him living won't affect the FFVII story. Zack is the hero that Cloud isn't, so I do expect him to be able to save Aerith.
