Noob question about accessories and stuff

[LicoriceAllsorts]

At what point in the game can I start using them? What do I need to do/get in order to use them?

Also, how do I master materia? I know how to do it in Crisis Core (my friends on the DMW) but not in FFVII which I am playing for the first time ever! I got as far as the fight with the boss after rescuing Aerith without dying, [now there's an ambiguous sentence) and won that battle, but then died in my next random encounter because I hadn't bothered to grind the levels or get enough potion (had none, in fact).

 

[Arianna]

Mastering materia? Use it. Keep it equipped. These two ways will allow it to grow, and so the magic it can do becomes stronger and more diverse. Then, when it's mastered, the screen will say 'MASTER' as well as it will create another new materia orb of it's kind. If you have the ability to equip any cheats, that will help you accomplish this sooner; as far as I know, there is no other way. It's tedius, requiring a lot of patience and determination, if you're going to do it this way.

Accessories and all types of weapons and armor can be used as soon as you have them. Some can be sold off once they are no longer necessary; others you have to keep in your inventory. If you can't sell the particular piece, it will be greyed out when you go to your list of items to sell.

To get a good piece of weaponry for Aerith early on, steal from - gods I'm not good with names, but in the train graveyard, it's the horse/chariot/guy creature. I want to say it's a silver staff? I'm not sure. Also, by stealing from the third class SOLDIERs before going on from the boss battle with the creature Hojo released on you, you can get the StraightEdge sword for Cloud.

 

[DrakeClawfang]

Here, comrade, these pages will tell you a lot about Weapons, Armor and Accessories.

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Final_Fantasy_VII_Weapons
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Final_Fantasy_VII_Accessories
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Final_Fantasy_VII_Armor

As for Materia, as you fight battles with it you earn AP, and when a Materia piece earns enough AP, it will level up, and when it levels up enough it will be considered Mastered. Keep in mind though, that Weapons and Armor affect the growth of the Materia sometimes. The FFWiki also has several good walkthroughs, including mine, if you need further assistance.

 

[Smaddy]

If you want to level up your Materia faster, all you need to do is find equipment/weapons with multiplied growth slots. Next to where the Materia slots are on the Equip screen, there will be either an x1 (normal growth), x2 (double growth), and there's 2 weapons with x3 growth later in the game. So if you can find something with "x2", your Materia will level up faster because anything equipped to it will get double AP.

And then when you defeat an enemy, see how much AP they give out. AP is the Experience Points for Materia. If you can find an enemy that gives out a lot of AP, keep fighting it to level up your Materia. I'm sure there are guides that could provide more detail about it.

Also, Stealing is a good ability to use. You can get all sorts of items from enemies for free, including healing items. Certain enemies can carry better stuff like Accessories, Armor, etc.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Thanks

Thanks so much. With your help, I'm slowly working it out.
Am out of Midgar now. Tifa was killed by the guys pursuing us on bikes, but Barret and Cloud did for the boss thing.