Playing FFVII for the first time thread

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Danseru, I think your sig wins the prize for "real life creature that looks most like a Pokemon."

 

[Vendel]

I'm thinking of trying to leave so whoever has the highest affection for Cloud at the time will join so I'll take her, then I'll chose the other girl to go when taking Barret to Dyne, stuff like that.

Let me just say this. If you want to keep things equal take Red or Yuffie to see Dyne.

If you take

Spoiler

Aerith

(all things being equal) you WILL get her date scene.

 

[Ite]

Yeah the game is really Aeris-bias, if you so much as have her in your party post-Midgar you've gotta date her.

 

[Danseru-kun]

Danseru, I think your sig wins the prize for "real life creature that looks most like a Pokemon."

That's an albino Axolotl, Xela said you can have them as pets! And it deserves to be on my sig because it can smile like that.

And why did I forget to mention:

We may be retreating... But we're still victorious.

That line becomes more funny and awesome when you actually play the game.

Did I mention that I kinda ship Tserith now? XD

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Did I mention that I kinda ship Tserith now? XD

That's because you know an awesome ship when you see it sailing by!

 

[Danseru-kun]

^

I know Tseng has mixed affections for Aerith and that makes it awesome. I also like ships with age gaps involved.

Again, I really want to say something about the LTD but I'll reserve it once I finish the game.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Let me just say this. If you want to keep things equal take Red or Yuffie to see Dyne.

If you take

Spoiler

Aerith

(all things being equal) you WILL get her date scene.

Yeah the game is really Aeris-bias, if you so much as have her in your party post-Midgar you've gotta date her.

It's not, though there are a few sequences that are very bizarrely weighted, like taking her to see Dyne netting her +10 affection. "Cloud, you took me to see a man have a complete psychotic breakdown and try and kill the man he used to call best friend, forcing said friend to kill him in return. TAKE ME!"

 

[Ghost X]

Weren't there stranger ways to get affection points? Like events the dating candidates had nothing to do with, or am I confusing this for another game . *drinks cup of tea by myself, gains affection points with Tanning Mom* Nuuu!

 

[Fangu]

Weren't there stranger ways to get affection points? Like events the dating candidates had nothing to do with, or am I confusing this for another game . *drinks cup of tea by myself, gains affection points with Tanning Mom* Nuuu!

I'll bet these are huge arguments in the LTD - "clearly he must love her more since going to a boring place doing random stuff gives more love points!"

lol about Red being left a comb, Danseru XD Your updates are funny PS,

Spoiler: Place you mentioned you can revisit, spoiler tagged if you want to play completely guideless

that hermit is worth paying a visit later

 

[Danseru-kun]

Okay, I want to post updates as much as possible because I might forget them. Now, 25 hours into the game:

Gowsh CC flashbacks make me emotional. I love how they hinted Zack with the scratches in the testubes "Feeding time...let's escape" something like that. And the report about two subjects escaping together and one getting shot while the other gets left behind.
Made a fortune getting lost in Mt. Nibel, farmed Gold Armlets on the way
Still haven't figured out how to get the chest in the cave, will come back later
Aqualung is awesome
Hate the blue aliens and giant mantises
Weee tube slides!
Now in Rocket Town

 

[Selphie Tilmitt]

Thanks peeps I was going to take Tifa to Dyne though because Danseru logic on that makes sense/I agree (I usually take Aerith because favourite character bias but )

So if Aerith joins me when I try to leave Gold Saucer/she goes with me to explore and meet Cait Sith should I still take Tifa to Dyne, or Red XIII/Yuffie?

Danseru, I think your sig wins the prize for "real life creature that looks most like a Pokemon."

It ... it's real? It's kind of cute but also ...

Gonna have nightmares

**

Just saved on the world map outside Midgar. Cloud L15, Hardedge, Carbon Bangle, All + Restore, Ice, Braver, Cross Slash, Tifa L15 Metal Knuckle, Carbon Bangle, Star Pendant, Fire, Steal, Beatrush. Somersault, Aerith L13(!) Striking Staff, Mythril Armlet, All + Restore, Lightning, Healing Wind, Seal Evil. Barret has Big Shot + Mindblow (finally learned it after the bosses on the elevator), Red XIII only has Sled Fang.

Also stop removing my Hyper status game!

Edit - I just got creamed by the Midgar Zolem! Ooouch. I decided to try the fight even though I'm usually much higher levelled with moar/better limits learned after Midgar. Took excess materias off peeps so their HPs wouldn't be bogged down, put everyone in the back row, gave Aerith the Element + Fire materia combo plus the best magic defence gear for Beta. Everyone was doing so well for a while, they even managed to get it to it's raised up stage. Then it knocked out/removed Cloud away from the battle and killed Tifa. I had Aerith use a Phoenix down on Tifa but it kept killing Tifa every time I used a Phoenix Down! Then it left Tifa alone ... but killed Aerith, then it was Tifa's turn for Phoenix Down spam on Aerith ... but then I decided it might be a better idea to try to fully heal Tifa's HP but the Zolem killed her as I was frantically looking through my inventory for a Hi-Potion

Decided to swallow my pride and cough up some money for Chocobo Lures/greens to catch a darn chocobo. About a half dozen failed attempts to catch one later I was all for having another go at the Midgar Zolem and to keep trying till Beta was obtained just so I could put on battle boots and jump up and down/curb stomp the rest of disc one but next battle I finally caught a chocobo!

*Stole and equip Atomic Scissors for Barret even though I'm not using him
*Learned Matra Magic
*Stole and equipped Grand Glove for Tifa <3
*Learned Flame Thrower

 

[Danseru-kun]

Thanks peeps I was going to take Tifa to Dyne though because Danseru logic on that makes sense/I agree (I usually take Aerith because favourite character bias but )

So if Aerith joins me when I try to leave Gold Saucer/she goes with me to explore and meet Cait Sith should I still take Tifa to Dyne, or Red XIII/Yuffie?

You'll get the Aerith date if you take her to Dyne, it gives her a high bonus points.

It ... it's real? It's kind of cute but also ...

Gonna have nightmares

Yes it's real and you can have them as pets I think (though I prefer these creatures to be left in the wild.) It's an axolotl but an albino one, the normal one is dark gray-greenish.

Here's more that I actually wanted to include in my sig too:

Anyway, 28 hours into the game:

Cid's story is my favorite so far, I love the idea of a man giving up his dreams because he doesn't want to be murderer. Of course I know the plot twist already.
Cid flashback is the best so far, rocket suspense and drama
"Sit you a$$ down and drink your goddamn tea!"
Fatman is the best boss ever. I mean, where can we find a badass fat guy that has balls and awesomeness to take on three guys using only a pistol and escape to get hit by a truck?
LOL plane boat
Went to Wutai but got pissed in finding Yuffie, but at least I know where the Turks drink. I skipped the quest for now and went back to my last save point.
'Kay Gold Saucer, spent around 5000 Gil on basketball at Wonder Square. Got 11 GP.
The Mog game is dumb
Gosh there's a highway game! *plays it* No GP!?
Got 25 points in the Battle Arena then I gave up because I was lazy

Dun dun dun dun dun....

I got the Tifa date

Well even though I'm a Cloti I was kinda wishing I get the Aerith date because I think that fits the story better. But then taking Tifa to Dyne also fits the story better. So yeah.

Now landed on the island of the Temple of the Ancient and trying to find what they call a Lunar Harp.

My party so far:

Cloud- Lvl 41, Equipped with Rune Blade, Edincoat and Jem Ring. Has Deathblow, Fire lvl 3, Elemental, and in the second row, Restore lvl 2, All, Cover, Enemy Skill, Long Range, Choco/Mog
Barret- Lvl 36 Has anti-Fire ring, Has Lvl 2 Lightning, Fire and Cure
Tifa- Lvl 37, has the second Edincoat, Has All, Ice, Enemy Skill, Sense, Time, Barrier, Destruct (New Materias being tested for now)
Aeris - Lvl 36, Has Lvl 2 Restore, Revive, Lightning, Earth, Heal, Ramuh
Red XIII- Lvl 35- Same as Barret
Yuffie- Lvl 36 - Has Steal
Cait Sith- Lvl 35 - too lazy to write
Vincent - Lvl 36- too lazy to write
Cid- Lvl 39- too lazy to write

I don't do so much effort to unlock Aeris' Limit Breaks since I know I'll lose her soon. So far she's only in Level 1.

Edit: Forgot to mention I put the counterattack materia to Tifa, I also have summon stones Ifrit, Shiva, Titan, Ramuh and probably more or none I can't remember

Okay, I'll try to finish Disc 1 today or tomorrow.

 

[Selphie Tilmitt]

Congratulations!

Awww, thanks for the pics and info about the axolotl The second pic is actually really cute, I like it now, don't think I'll have nightmares anymore. I agree about them being in the wild, I didn't know there were beings so unique, wonderful and amazing still out there, makes me feel better about the world! **

**

You know I have the sneaking suspicion I am also going to end up with the Tifa date. I think I've actually been a bit of a jerk to/not as nice to I could of been to Aerith - I pushed one barrel wrong by mistake, told her Tifa was my girlfriend, didn't talk to her till last in the Shinra cells, didn't give her any party priority for being in the team yet and she also died during the motorcycle/truck race (PC controls! <_<) Meanwhile I gave Tifa a flower, let her make me a drink, said how could she say that about me forgetting the promise, said who wouldn't have a good rest sleeping next to her, agreed with her about finding another way into Shinra building, gave her team priority while in the Shinra Building, keeping her with me for the boss after rescuing Aerith, went into her house, stole her knickers, played her piano, agreed with her about war and took her to see Dyne! Oh yeah did I mention saying she was my girlfriend?

At least for Aerith I did say I hope so to Marlene about liking Cloud, didn't try to send her home , told her I'd take her to see the airship and took her to explore the Gold Saucer/meet Cait Sith. I also didn't mean to screw up the barrels or let her die during the motorcycle chase! For party priority in the Shinra building I guess I wasn't really thinking about it at the time (or I'd have used Barret/Red XIII or Aerith/Tifa instead of Tifa/Red XIII <_<) and for Shinra cells I was trying not to show favouritism by talking to her first but I probably shouldn't have left her till last either, that was kinda mean <_< Also I'm just assuming anybody dying during the motorcyle thing matters in game but I still feel bad about it!

So yeah if I don't get the Tifa date I'll eat my hat!

By the way I would like to take Aerith with me in Cave of Gi because I enjoy using her in battle and like training her for her limit breaks (esp since PC version has a chievo for getting Great Gospel) but if it'll unfairly manip the date I won't do it, so if anybody could let me know whether it's safe to take her with me or not (Ryu?) thanks =) I also won't take her if Tifa still hasn't learned her first level 2 limit by then (Cloud already has Blade Beam and Aerith Breath of the Earth).

-WARNING - Huge ass update coming up next (I'm saved after getting the buggy <_<)

 

[Danseru-kun]

Okay 32 hours into the game

Took me more than an hour to figure out to remember that I have to go to the Temple f the Ancients first before I try to find the Lunar Harp. At least I got the ninja materia from the forest.
Went back to the old man in the cave, said that "powerful materia...:
Okay saw Tseng at the temple, said "I'm still alive..." so I believed him
Baffles me that Aeris cries but never even tried to heal him
Ughhh so far my most hated stage is the Temple of the Ancients. I cheated and used a guide because I cannot see the vines very much in my PSP but even the... Frequently occurring RANDOM BATTLES and FROGS!
I love the small purple wizard, he's so nice
Okay got crushed by those C-shaped boulders for minutes, took me a while to figure out how to go under them.
I fell off the clock at some point but since I want to search all the rooms I went back to my last save point.
Went into all the clock rooms
Okay found the Egyptian room, Sephiroth trolls me

Sephiroth: Blah blah doom *disappears*
Me: Moves forward
*Sephiroth appears again*
Sephiroth: Wee Promised Land! *disappears*
*repeats process*

Picked "take it" out of three choices
I think that even if I don't know any spoilers, Cait Sith's sacrifice won't really make me sad since there's barely anything in the story to get attached to him.
Ow poor Tifa getting jealous at Cait Sith's prediction
Dun dun dun Cloud is going into the dark side
Aw poor Aeris getting beaten up
Cloud dream makes me awwww
Baffles me why the next inn Cloud was taken in is Gongaga, but probably there have been in a journey while he's asleep.
Again, baffles me how Aeris escaped the party and was able to go to the Forgotten Capital without using the plane boat.
Now in the Bone Village looking for the harp, but I'll try to pay the hermit in the cave a last visit

 

[Lex]

About that clock room Danseru-kun - did you get the treasure at the bottom when you were knocked off? Also, when you leave from the bottom then came back up you still could have searched all the rooms .

Again, baffles me how Aeris escaped the party and was able to go to the Forgotten Capital without using the plane boat.

Good point. What also concerns me is why the 7 of them that were conscious didn't notice/ were unable to stop her in time, considering Cloud had just beat her up. My headcanon says they were both unconscious somewhere and the party left them to rest and she used the solitude to escape or something. Either that or she wasn't unconscious at all and she escaped while the party were dealing with an unconscious Cloud.

 

[Danseru-kun]

^

NOOOOOO I wasn't able to get the treasure! I thought if I fell down I would never come back to the clock again.

 

[Lex]

It's a gimmick weapon for Cloud with no materia slots called the Nail Bat. As far as treasures go, it's a good weapon (high attack) but other than that I usually skip it anyway tbh. Materia slots are more useful to me.

 

[Danseru-kun]

^ Ah I know that! I saw it in a cosplay skit before! That's cute! Agree with Materia slots, I find them more useful.

I think you can also give Aerith a parasol but I don't know where to get it, it's too late anyway.

I also know that Tifa has an underwear somewhere in her house (but I wasn't able to find it) and when I saw the video it looks to me that Cloud sniffs it

 

[Lex]

Aerith's gimmick weapon with no materia slots is the "Umbrella". It's the Disc One prize for scoring more than 5000 points in the speed square. I'm only telling you this because you've passed it already, I wouldn't want to spoil the game for you .

 

[Danseru-kun]

^

OOooh I'm already so spoiled

In terms of story that is. I'm even participating in the LTD without playing the game

 

[Danseru-kun]

Okay 35 hours into the game...

Should have mentioned this before but I realized the first reason of Cid/Vincent is because they shared a room in the Gold Saucer manor
Spent minutes going back to the hermit... then nothing
Found the harp in the Bone Village, I'm sure there's more to dig but I'll come back later
Took Tifa to the Forgotten Capital because I love her and Cid too because he has a trident and it fits
Conch everywhere, wonder if those giant snails still exist
Why are there floating seahorses on land?
I think I missed a cave at the entrance of the Forgotten Capital, the one with a vine hanging
And...

Spoiler

AERIS DIES! I WAS SO SHOCKED I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING

DISC 2!

Went to the snowy village, tore the map right away from the wall
Got punched by Elena
Bought new expensive stuff
My gawd, snowboarding. I killed Cloud several times over. Lost count on how many snowmen and trees I crashed into. Finished at around 5 minutes.
I'm such a bad leader, I took Tifa to the snowy area. Anyway maybe I'm keeping her warm
I killed Cloud several times again when I kept on falling from the ice
Made a fortune getting lost in the snow
Now in the hut where the lost husband was. He's such a dick, he could have just put warning signs and come back home to his family.

Anyway, my reaction to

Spoiler

Aeris's death

Maybe since I am already spoiled a thousand times or maybe because of aesthetics I didn't feel so much emotional. I honestly felt sad and felt little shivers when Cloud was crying out, but the most painful part for me, although optional, is when Tifa touched her face and ran crying.

But mostly it's on her character, even though aesthetics could have helped a lot. I was very depressed at the ending of FF Tactics even if they're just sprites (and I knew that was coming,) and I was very sad at the end of the Reincarnation chapter in Disgaea. I admit that if I played FFVII 10 years ago, she could have been my favorite since she has a pretty dress and a pretty staff and most girls love that. But... okay this is a bit LTD related, I think the impact of her death (on the player, not Cloud) is very much affected on how you favor her, so optionality is a factor. I'll reserve those stuff at my post-game LTD thoughts.

Edit: Zack's death is still sadder and more tragic to me, not because of the aesthetics, but because you play as him all the time and many other reasons I'm lazy to write.

Okay I actually had these thoughts even before I played the game but here it is:

But what's baffling to me is the reason why Aeris had to sneak out. Why did she have to go on alone and leave everyone? Would they slow her down? Because they would be in danger? Logically, having the party around increases the success of whatever she wants to do, especially if it's for the planet's survival.

Again, I'll reserve my thoughts about the LTD but so far... my position that Cloti is canon just got stronger.

Anyway, after the snow stuff I think I may go on a break from playing (or slow down my playtime) and also from posting here... just maybe. I got stuff to do.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I always interpreted it as Aerith realising, after the slapping incident down in the pit when he gives the Black Materia to Sephiroth, that there was something dark and unreliable in Cloud; that he was not himself. She doesn't blame him, but now that she understands what she needs to do with her mother's materia*, she decides it's better to go on alone and complete the mission, rather than risk interference from whatever is controlling Cloud. I think she thinks she is running away from Sephiroth/Jenova, whereas in fact she's running towards them. Aerith has always been an independent spirit and a bit of a loner - not unfriendly or unsocial, but when she has a job to do she prefers to get on with it alone. To me she never felt like a 100% integrated member of the party, but maybe that's because I knew what fate lay in store for her.

* I don't believe that Aerith set off for the Ancient City knowing she was going to die. I agree with Tifa: Aerith wanted to live as much as anybody. She thought she was going to cast Holy, drive off the evil, save everybody (including Cloud) and then come home and start to "get to know him". I think that was her plan.

 

[Unlucky]

Spoiler

AERIS DIES! I WAS SO SHOCKED I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING

The sarcasm is strong in this one

But mostly it's on her character, even though aesthetics could have helped a lot. I was very depressed at the ending of FF Tactics even if they're just sprites (and I knew that was coming,) and I was very sad at the end of the Reincarnation chapter in Disgaea. I admit that if I played FFVII 10 years ago, she could have been my favorite since she has a pretty dress and a pretty staff and most girls love that. But... okay this is a bit LTD related, I think the impact of her death (on the player, not Cloud) is very much affected on how you favor her, so optionality is a factor. I'll reserve those stuff at my post-game LTD thoughts.

I can relate to this, as I played FFVII when I was fairly young and imo that time Aeris is more compatible to Cloud because of the pretty dress and the forward attitude, while Tifa's traits automatically put her in the friendzone. I just think that if you get attached to her character there's a tendency for you to automatically interpret her relationship to Cloud as romantic and overlook the real deal between Cloud and Tifa. That's what happened to me when I first played the game.

Anyway, after the snow stuff I think I may go on a break from playing (or slow down my playtime) and also from posting here... just maybe. I got stuff to do.

Good luck on that

 

[Selphie Tilmitt]

I ... I got ... the Aerith date. Again.

I was so surprised this time I just rushed it because I wanted to get back access to the main menu so I could quit the game and think about this (PC version, I don't know how to soft reset) So I decided to mess up the play. Aerith got mad and b-slapped Cloud so hard he fell down, then she punted the dragon across the stage "what an unusually strong princess" < Awesme. Then I remembered I could just close the game window and return to Windows so I didn't do the gondola/rest of the date. I'll reload my file and go through the whole date proper later. Want to think about this and do some sidequestan' I'm also a bit tired (work this morning and grocery shopping after) and need a nap.

I should be happy about this since Aerith's my favourite character and I like/believe Clerith but I also like/believe Cloti and I really thought it was going to be Tifa this time, I picked her as my girlfriend, treated her really nicely - better than Aerith, took her to Dyne and all, I also went ahead and took her to Cosmo Caynon since I didn't know if it would eskew matters in Aerith's favour or not and I wanted to continue working on her (Tifa's) limit breaks (Aerith just picked up Fury Brand in the forest with the petrifying dragon things before crossing the river to the canyon area)

*eats hat* =/

 

[Lex]

I always interpreted it as Aerith realising, after the slapping incident down in the pit when he gives the Black Materia to Sephiroth, that there was something dark and unreliable in Cloud; that he was not himself. She doesn't blame him, but now that she understands what she needs to do with her mother's materia*, she decides it's better to go on alone and complete the mission, rather than risk interference from whatever is controlling Cloud. I think she thinks she is running away from Sephiroth/Jenova, whereas in fact she's running towards them. Aerith has always been an independent spirit and a bit of a loner - not unfriendly or unsocial, but when she has a job to do she prefers to get on with it alone. To me she never felt like a 100% integrated member of the party, but maybe that's because I knew what fate lay in store for her.

* I don't believe that Aerith set off for the Ancient City knowing she was going to die. I agree with Tifa: Aerith wanted to live as much as anybody. She thought she was going to cast Holy, drive off the evil, save everybody (including Cloud) and then come home and start to "get to know him". I think that was her plan.

This, I think is one of the things that made her death have such a huge impact. She never set out to die. Her death didn't really mean anything, other than she is now dead. That was their intention, and it worked. To quote Kitase:

In the real world things are very different. You just need to look around you. Nobody wants to die that way. People die of disease and accident. Death comes suddenly and there is no notion of good or bad. It leaves, not a dramatic feeling but great emptiness. When you lose someone you loved very much you feel this big empty space and think, 'If I had known this was coming I would have done things differently.' These are the feelings I wanted to arouse in the players with Aerith's death relatively early in the game. Feelings of reality and not Hollywood.

I never knew she was going to die. When I first played FF7 (in 1997) I didn't have the internet, and I didn't know anyone in real life who'd ever played it. In a way it's funny because there's a screenshot of her death scene on the back cover!

It was definitely a huge shock then, and it's really a shame that a lot of the people who pick it up now already know what's going to happen. I honestly played through the rest of the game expecting her to pop up somewhere, or that there would be a way to save her or something. It sounds stupid now, but it's really easy to see why a lot of people thought she could be revived, and a lot of the rumours on the net were believable when I finally managed to get 56k in 1999.

@Danseru-kun - the most emotional reactions you get are from Tifa and Yuffie. Yuffie's reaction is so sad:

Also, I know you've said you've visited the hermit, but here's when it's useful -

Spoiler

You need to speak to him when the last two digits of the number of battles you've fought matches. He tells you how many battles you've fought, so if he says 122, 133 etc he'll wake up and give you an item. Odd and even numbers matching gives you a different item (for a total of two) but only once.