SPOILERS Predictions for Part 2? (*Open Spoilers for Part 1*)
- Thread starter Roundhouse
- Start date
LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
Shademp ought to be writing these games. I'd love to play the game you're describing
It's hard to see how Avalanche can deliver all the materia in Midgar before taking down Shinra. But if they just have to make a down payment, they can do that.
I would love to see these three forces locked in a struggle for dominance, completely blind to, as everyone likes to put it, "the real threat to the planet". If Sephiroth triumphs, it will be irrelevant which of the three - Shinra, Wutai, Avalanche - emerge victorious, but they're too caught up in their own narrow concerns to see that. I would also like to see each of the three of them convinced that they offer the best way forward for mankind.
It's hard to see how Avalanche can deliver all the materia in Midgar before taking down Shinra. But if they just have to make a down payment, they can do that.
I would love to see these three forces locked in a struggle for dominance, completely blind to, as everyone likes to put it, "the real threat to the planet". If Sephiroth triumphs, it will be irrelevant which of the three - Shinra, Wutai, Avalanche - emerge victorious, but they're too caught up in their own narrow concerns to see that. I would also like to see each of the three of them convinced that they offer the best way forward for mankind.
youffie
Pro Adventurer
Once again, very nice write up, @Shademp! I always felt that one of the purposes of Yuffie and Vincent was to provide much needed lore – Yuffie is our key to Wutai and the Wutai war, Vincent is our key to the Jenova project – but because they didn't have enough time, they were never developed as they could have (I think this is particularly obvious in Vincent's very brief flashback scene, and the fact that he is the only character that doesn't really have his own subquest). There's so much they could do with Wutai to really flesh out the world, and I feel this is probably the expansion that I'm looking forward to the most right now.
ALSO so much possibly great new Yuffie material, finally.
ALSO so much possibly great new Yuffie material, finally.
LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
The only problem with Shademp's predictions is that if we don't get them, I'll be disappointed!
Master Bates
Do you enjoy your life?
- AKA
- Mr. Koiwai
Only solution is for Shademp to submit to SE an application letter to work on writing the latter parts of the Compilation.
Or trust Nomurajima he'll think the same way as Shademp.
Or trust No
The Twilight Mexican
Ex-SeeD-ingly good
- AKA
- TresDias
The ever lovely hito (@Strangelove ) gots us covered:@The Twilight Mexican whelp, that didn't work
I tried to changing my game's text to Japanese however changing my system language and the game's language setting, still left all the in-game text as English. I don't know how to actually change the game's text to Japanese. Is that even possible and I'm just not aware of it?
Transcription and mi traducción:
---
特異点
「運命の分かれ道」、その向こう側の世界でセフィロスから星の行く末を告げられるクラウド。
終末の7秒前の世界。
星を巡る人々の運命は敷かれたレールを外れまだ存在しない未来へと向かい、走り始める——。
Singularity
In the world on the other side of the "Crossroads of Destiny," Cloud hears from Sephiroth about the planet's end.
Seven seconds before the end of the world.
The fate of the people around the planet diverges from the rails already laid, and begins racing towards a future that does not yet exist ...
---
Cannon_Fodder
Pro Adventurer
I hope gameplay predictions are okay too. I think that each of the remaining characters is going to have some overlap in their combat specialty with someone from part one, just executed very differently. For example, in part 1 Tifa is by far the best at increasing the stagger bonus, but she has a very up-close style of play that you might not like. So in later parts, maybe you could bring someone like Vincent instead, who would have a variety of ways of increasing the stagger bonus using guns and abilities.
Another example is counters: in part 1, only Cloud's the only one with counters, especially melee counters that do heavy damage. In part 2, Yuffie might get her own version of a counter that has her evade attacks and debuff the attacker (because they're annoyed) instead of doing heavy damage.
Another example is counters: in part 1, only Cloud's the only one with counters, especially melee counters that do heavy damage. In part 2, Yuffie might get her own version of a counter that has her evade attacks and debuff the attacker (because they're annoyed) instead of doing heavy damage.
Makoeyes987
Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
- AKA
- Smooth Criminal
There's one aspect I think that speaks to a time loop, and it's a detail I've not seen anyone really think about or reflect on.
....How does the planet know what it's destiny is?
How does the planet know that Reno must be kept alive to press the button to drop the Sector 7 plate and that ultimately leads to the combination of events that spurn the party forward to leave Midgar?
Isn't that weird? Isn't that oddly specific to the exact sequence of events of FFVII?
That's really intricate and detailed for a planet to know.
....How does the planet know what it's destiny is?
How does the planet know that Reno must be kept alive to press the button to drop the Sector 7 plate and that ultimately leads to the combination of events that spurn the party forward to leave Midgar?
Isn't that weird? Isn't that oddly specific to the exact sequence of events of FFVII?
That's really intricate and detailed for a planet to know.
Shademp
420
The planet learned the future from our favorite fortune telling machine: Cait Sith. 
Cait Sith is the alpha and the omega. He who cannot die, for he always comes back. Fear his power, for he can slay all the Tsviets with his own mighty paws and tail (see the Extra Missions in Dirge of Cerberus). His ultimate limit break is Instant Victory, but he doesn't rob his friends from the reward of defeating their own enemies and growing from hardship. Cait Sith is THE God of FFVII. Reeve is merely Cait Sith playing at being a human.
Cait Sith is the alpha and the omega. He who cannot die, for he always comes back. Fear his power, for he can slay all the Tsviets with his own mighty paws and tail (see the Extra Missions in Dirge of Cerberus). His ultimate limit break is Instant Victory, but he doesn't rob his friends from the reward of defeating their own enemies and growing from hardship. Cait Sith is THE God of FFVII. Reeve is merely Cait Sith playing at being a human.
The Twilight Mexican
Ex-SeeD-ingly good
- AKA
- TresDias
Doesn't that speak just as much to the possibility of projecting memories or consciousness backward through time via the Lifestream?
Makoeyes987
Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
- AKA
- Smooth Criminal
That's one possibility, and it could be it.
But I'm also taking into consideration Nomura's answer on how Remake carries a double meaning he can't speak to until some years have passed. So while that could be it and make sense, I can't help but feel there's a certain meta perspective he's trying to pull off here.
But yes, that conceivably could be it. Hell, it could even be both. That could be how the Whispers operate and are able to know what needs to be done, when coming from the future or how the knowledge gets transmitted to the planet from it's own future incarnation or something.
It was just something that struct me upon revisiting moments in the game.
Odysseus
Ninja Potato
- AKA
- Ody
I want everyone to know I have actual guilt about continuing to argue about this. Like, I don't really want to, but I feel kind of obligated. I guess just keep in mind that what I say definitely has inherent bias.
I guess for Wedge, its mostly how unnecessarily ambiguous the presentation and wording is about what happened to him. Its like they deliberately created enough room for doubt. Fading to black could be just a sanitizing method to make his death more tasteful, or it could be a way of leaving wiggle room. Cutting to black rather than showing the body is such a common way of misdirecting the audience into believing one thing when the reality is another that I can't believe that square wouldn't know what they were doing. There's also that fact that "followed destiny" != "died." Why not just come out and say it? Why be vague? They're comfortable enough saying other characters died. The party is also unaware of what happened to him, and believe he's still alive. At the very least, that needs to be addressed. Given his relationship with Domino and Avalanche HQ, I can't help but feel like they're setting him up for a bigger role, though that may end up being filled by Biggs.
As for Jessie, all there is is that God forsaken glove. Another person could have recovered it, but I think blah blah blah cinematography, blah blah everything is put in frame for a reason blah blah blah. I've made my point on that one already.
God damn, why do I even care abut a bunch of minor character enough to keep going to bat like this.
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Shademp
420
Because Square made you care and then they messed up the presentation somewhat.
*hugs*
Makoeyes987
Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
- AKA
- Smooth Criminal
I think that's the point.
I think Wedge's loss and Biggs' survival is meant to demonstrate a sort of arbitrary cruelty that is being thrust upon the characters in the pursuit of this adherence to destiny. Which then explains why they would want to summarily challenge it. Yes, it leads to the saving of the planet and what we know as the good and proper ending, but is that really the only way to get there?
It's a means of questioning the audience's desire for a complete adherence to the "destiny" we feel must be followed here. Wedge was saved through a change of events and you are summarily further attached to him. He proves himself useful and continues to grow for the better. Then destiny catches up, and proceeds to correct the mistake.
Was it really a mistake? Does Wedge now being dead and adhering to destiny really make things right? Or is it all just an arbitrary metric that exists only to validate itself through it's own adherence?
Those are questions it raises.
And the reason they call Wedge's fate as such is, to directly tie it to the thematic present. He died for destiny.
Is the glove even mentioned in the Ultimania? I'm curious to what it says, because I feel if it were a significant enough hook they'd have pointed it out. That's what they've been doing so far. If it's mentioned or teased then there's a strong implication it leads somewhere but the fact Nomura speaks to Biggs and Zack and omits Jessie sorta seems intentional.
Shademp
420
I'm fully expecting Part 2 to have a few instances where alternate timelines briefly bleed into the Remake timeline, like the previously suggested scenario of our main character seeing the design of Stamp changing back and forth. Another example that wouldn't surprise me is if the main characters are watching a play at the Gold Saucer, only to have the actress who plays the princess suddenly turn into Jessie. This would either be a glimpse into the past when she got to play the role one (or few) time(s) before the whole deal that got her into Avalanche, or a glimpse into an alternate present where Jessie continued a career as an actress. This effect may only last a few seconds before the actress turns back into not-Jessie.
Brief little inconsistencies like these may pop up and they'll be visible to multiple party members.
In this sense, Jessie's glove at the end of Part 1 could be an overly vague preview of Jessie-glimpses to come.
Brief little inconsistencies like these may pop up and they'll be visible to multiple party members.
In this sense, Jessie's glove at the end of Part 1 could be an overly vague preview of Jessie-glimpses to come.
Odysseus
Ninja Potato
- AKA
- Ody
I guess that fact that these things require interpretation at all now is kind of my point. Like,
That is all very compelling, and it makes sense, but its also something that you yourself came up with based on the vague sequence and comment we were presented with. It was so clear cut originally; plate falls, people die, the end. Now there's room for argument, and I believe that was on purpose.
I would also like to know about that, though I guess we won't know for sure until somebody more reliable has the book. I guess for now all I can say is that Biggs was mentioned once in passing, and was also flat out shown in part one to be alive anyway. Zack's survival was the big sequel hook mystery, not his. They've mentioned in the Ultimania that there was a lot the couldn't talk about due to it being relevant to a sequel, so they aren't gonna spill the beans on everything in the Ultimania anyway.
That is all very compelling, and it makes sense, but its also something that you yourself came up with based on the vague sequence and comment we were presented with. It was so clear cut originally; plate falls, people die, the end. Now there's room for argument, and I believe that was on purpose.
I would also like to know about that, though I guess we won't know for sure until somebody more reliable has the book. I guess for now all I can say is that Biggs was mentioned once in passing, and was also flat out shown in part one to be alive anyway. Zack's survival was the big sequel hook mystery, not his. They've mentioned in the Ultimania that there was a lot the couldn't talk about due to it being relevant to a sequel, so they aren't gonna spill the beans on everything in the Ultimania anyway.
Shademp why are all of your ideas so good?
Makoeyes987
Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
- AKA
- Smooth Criminal
But that's the very nature of finding/extracting meaning within text/stories/etc. Every story doesn't just openluy try to explain its meaning or themes, they just let them exist and be self evident. Hell, FFVII really didn't try to explain some of itself until a decade later. That's why it takes looking at recurring themes, messages, and past work to analyze it. If the OG is capable of conveying symbolic meaning as communicated by it's authors, I don't see why something just as thematic and philosophical wouldn't be communicated by the same authors within the remake of the previous work they did with previous meaning.
Odysseus
Ninja Potato
- AKA
- Ody
This is a case where they took something very unambiguous from the original and made it more so now. What you see as "self evident" isn't what other people see; I've seen plenty of speculation about this completely removed from myself or TLS. Square created room to argue that didn't previously exist, and I find that interesting.
Shademp
420
With how FFVIIR built the world to feel so much more alive and real, I'm really looking forward to what they do with a place like Fort Condor.
Fort Condor is mentioned in Crisis Core. Five years prior to the original game, Kunsel and at least one more SOLDIER is assigned to the mako reactor at Fort Condor. Zack is assigned to the Nibelheim reactor at this point. Mission 4-1-6 also references Fort Condor, here as a potential spot where Wutai remnants may be hiding. The fact that the name Fort Condor pops up 5 years prior to the OG (perhaps even 6 or 7 years, depending on when Mission 4-1-6 is unlocked) shows that the villagers have been able to protect the condor for a ridiculously long time against the mighty forces of Shinra, including SOLDIER!
With all that out of the way... There is so much potential here for world building.
- What was the village's name before it turned into Fort Condor? Or is that village adjacent to the fort, retaining its old name?
- Is the mako reactor still active during the time that the condor is nesting there?
- Why did the condor choose to nest here? Did it choose an arbitrary high point? Or is the mako reactor active and the excess heat is good for the egg? If the latter, I hope it's not at risk from mako/radiation poisoning.
- How many villages or even cities are powered by this mako reactor?
- Is the reactor so ugly because it is partially a result of forced labor? Or is it just one of the oldest mako reactor designs that were then never used again?
- Were the villagers against the building of the reactor? Are they currently dependant on mako energy?
- Are giant condors a commonly known thing in the FFVII-verse? Are they super-rare and where can they commonly be found?
- Why is Shinra so adamant on destroying the reactor in OG? Is it just spite against the rebelling villagers?
- On the same note, why is the condor a problem in the first place? It's just...sitting there.
- How in the world is this backwater place with humble villagers able to hire soldiers for years and years and able to hold back the forces of Shinra? And no, THEY HAVE THE HIGH GROUND doesn't count as a valid enough argument!
I predict that in FFVIIR Part 2, Fort Condor may be the first place where we meet another complete Avalanche cell. One that operates under the approval of Avalanche HQ. It will show us Avalanche at their best, protecting precious lives, human and animal alike. Some villagers laud the efforts of Avalanche and indeed this may be ripe recruitment ground for the eco-terrorist group.
In FFVIIR I believe that the condor will have arrived only just recently. This, mixed in with these villages being a backwater place that Shinra cares little about, will add believability that this fort has been able to stand thus far. When the condor arrived, villagers and/or Avalanche shut down the reactor, both to save the condor and its egg from radiation and to see if the condor would leave on its own when the reactor's excess heat was diminished. The condor did not leave and Avalanche are now in it for the long haul, with their primary payment being food, shelter...and a suspiciously high amount of materia being shipped out from the reactor. Materia that, of course, is being gathered as payment to make Wutai join a re-ignited war with Shinra.
Barret will almost be moved to tears by seeing Avalanche "at their best" so to speak. Which will make this Avalanche cell all the more confused when Barret decides against joining them. It's not like Barret can explain "Oh yeah we're chasing after this guy who was declared dead five years ago".
Cloud & team will, of course, throughout the game be able to send gil to Fort Condor and participate from afar in deciding battle strategies. Avalanche HQ will make sure the fort stays defended but they always appreciate extra help.
I reckon giant condors will be rare and usually roam some distant island, but their biology is known well-enough that a biologist may know how long it could take before an egg hatches.
- A mako reactor was built on high, mountainous terrain on the eastern continent. One NPC refers to it as a "mountain reactor". Shinra forced villagers in the vicinity to help with the construction of the reactor. This gave the villagers awareness of the special materia that the reactor contained, which later turns out to be Huge Materia. After Shinra left, an elder of the village sneaked into the reactor and took the Huge Materia.
- At an undisclosed point, probably less than 10 years ago, a giant condor made a nest on top of the reactor and is now warming its egg there. The elder says that this type of egg "hatches only once every few years", but it's unclear if he's speaking from known biology about the condor or just assuming this since the condor may have already been around for a few years without the egg hatching.
- From a visual point of view, this is the ugliest mako reactor in the entire game. Even the Mt. Nibel mako reactor, which is supposed to be the first mako reactor ever built, is way prettier.
- Shinra wants the villagers and the condor off the mountain. Shinra's tactics are worded as so aggressive that they may outright destroy the reactor and kill the condor. Shinra wants the special materia inside the reactor but they don't go all-out with their aggressiveness until they look for Huge Materia specifically for the plan to destroy Meteor. What prompts Shinra to destroy the reactor is never specified.
- Villagers settle at the reactor to protect the condor and its egg from Shinra. The villagers don't have the ability to fight Shinra themselves, so they hire soldiers for the task and accept monetary donations. (OMG Cloud is technically still a mercenary, what luck!) Contributors are allowed to shop and sleep at the fort. The fort is built into the hill, with rooms and tight passages dug out of the earth.
- By OG, Fort Condor has already been a battlefield for long time. The defenders are settled in for a long war and they have sent their wives and children to another village. The man who overlooks the battlefield is the one son of the elder who took the Huge Materia from the reactor and who asks Clouds & team for assistance.
- If you lose the final battle at the fort, it is implied that the condor and all the villagers/defenders are killed.
- When the egg is hatching, the parent condor is engulfed in flame, presumably dies and then the new, giant baby condor flies off on its own. It leaves behind a Phoenix materia, cementing further this connection between the giant condor and the mythical Phoenix.
- At an undisclosed point, probably less than 10 years ago, a giant condor made a nest on top of the reactor and is now warming its egg there. The elder says that this type of egg "hatches only once every few years", but it's unclear if he's speaking from known biology about the condor or just assuming this since the condor may have already been around for a few years without the egg hatching.
- From a visual point of view, this is the ugliest mako reactor in the entire game. Even the Mt. Nibel mako reactor, which is supposed to be the first mako reactor ever built, is way prettier.
- Shinra wants the villagers and the condor off the mountain. Shinra's tactics are worded as so aggressive that they may outright destroy the reactor and kill the condor. Shinra wants the special materia inside the reactor but they don't go all-out with their aggressiveness until they look for Huge Materia specifically for the plan to destroy Meteor. What prompts Shinra to destroy the reactor is never specified.
- Villagers settle at the reactor to protect the condor and its egg from Shinra. The villagers don't have the ability to fight Shinra themselves, so they hire soldiers for the task and accept monetary donations. (OMG Cloud is technically still a mercenary, what luck!) Contributors are allowed to shop and sleep at the fort. The fort is built into the hill, with rooms and tight passages dug out of the earth.
- By OG, Fort Condor has already been a battlefield for long time. The defenders are settled in for a long war and they have sent their wives and children to another village. The man who overlooks the battlefield is the one son of the elder who took the Huge Materia from the reactor and who asks Clouds & team for assistance.
- If you lose the final battle at the fort, it is implied that the condor and all the villagers/defenders are killed.
- When the egg is hatching, the parent condor is engulfed in flame, presumably dies and then the new, giant baby condor flies off on its own. It leaves behind a Phoenix materia, cementing further this connection between the giant condor and the mythical Phoenix.
Fort Condor is mentioned in Crisis Core. Five years prior to the original game, Kunsel and at least one more SOLDIER is assigned to the mako reactor at Fort Condor. Zack is assigned to the Nibelheim reactor at this point. Mission 4-1-6 also references Fort Condor, here as a potential spot where Wutai remnants may be hiding. The fact that the name Fort Condor pops up 5 years prior to the OG (perhaps even 6 or 7 years, depending on when Mission 4-1-6 is unlocked) shows that the villagers have been able to protect the condor for a ridiculously long time against the mighty forces of Shinra, including SOLDIER!
With all that out of the way... There is so much potential here for world building.
- What was the village's name before it turned into Fort Condor? Or is that village adjacent to the fort, retaining its old name?
- Is the mako reactor still active during the time that the condor is nesting there?
- Why did the condor choose to nest here? Did it choose an arbitrary high point? Or is the mako reactor active and the excess heat is good for the egg? If the latter, I hope it's not at risk from mako/radiation poisoning.
- How many villages or even cities are powered by this mako reactor?
- Is the reactor so ugly because it is partially a result of forced labor? Or is it just one of the oldest mako reactor designs that were then never used again?
- Were the villagers against the building of the reactor? Are they currently dependant on mako energy?
- Are giant condors a commonly known thing in the FFVII-verse? Are they super-rare and where can they commonly be found?
- Why is Shinra so adamant on destroying the reactor in OG? Is it just spite against the rebelling villagers?
- On the same note, why is the condor a problem in the first place? It's just...sitting there.
- How in the world is this backwater place with humble villagers able to hire soldiers for years and years and able to hold back the forces of Shinra? And no, THEY HAVE THE HIGH GROUND doesn't count as a valid enough argument!
I predict that in FFVIIR Part 2, Fort Condor may be the first place where we meet another complete Avalanche cell. One that operates under the approval of Avalanche HQ. It will show us Avalanche at their best, protecting precious lives, human and animal alike. Some villagers laud the efforts of Avalanche and indeed this may be ripe recruitment ground for the eco-terrorist group.
In FFVIIR I believe that the condor will have arrived only just recently. This, mixed in with these villages being a backwater place that Shinra cares little about, will add believability that this fort has been able to stand thus far. When the condor arrived, villagers and/or Avalanche shut down the reactor, both to save the condor and its egg from radiation and to see if the condor would leave on its own when the reactor's excess heat was diminished. The condor did not leave and Avalanche are now in it for the long haul, with their primary payment being food, shelter...and a suspiciously high amount of materia being shipped out from the reactor. Materia that, of course, is being gathered as payment to make Wutai join a re-ignited war with Shinra.
Barret will almost be moved to tears by seeing Avalanche "at their best" so to speak. Which will make this Avalanche cell all the more confused when Barret decides against joining them. It's not like Barret can explain "Oh yeah we're chasing after this guy who was declared dead five years ago".
Cloud & team will, of course, throughout the game be able to send gil to Fort Condor and participate from afar in deciding battle strategies. Avalanche HQ will make sure the fort stays defended but they always appreciate extra help.
I reckon giant condors will be rare and usually roam some distant island, but their biology is known well-enough that a biologist may know how long it could take before an egg hatches.
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LicoriceAllsorts
Donator
You're really fond of Fort Condor, aren't you, Shademp? It's the one part of the OG I can't be bothered with, but maybe I need to put more effort into it.
i know it's called Fort Condor, but isn't the bird a phoenix? It reproduces exactly like a phoenix. And there is only ever one Phoenix in the world at a time -
OMG, that's how Fort Condor makes all its gil. They are the sole global providers of phoenix downs. That's why Shinra wants to take it so badly! That's why they renamed themselves Fort Condor instead of Fort Phoenix, so that people wouldn't realise the exact nature of the golden goose they were harbouring there.
i know it's called Fort Condor, but isn't the bird a phoenix? It reproduces exactly like a phoenix. And there is only ever one Phoenix in the world at a time -
OMG, that's how Fort Condor makes all its gil. They are the sole global providers of phoenix downs. That's why Shinra wants to take it so badly! That's why they renamed themselves Fort Condor instead of Fort Phoenix, so that people wouldn't realise the exact nature of the golden goose they were harbouring there.
Master Bates
Do you enjoy your life?
- AKA
- Mr. Koiwai
I must admit I didn't pay much attention to Fort Condor before, but those questions have made me think.
Wol
None Shall Remember Those Who Do Not Fight
- AKA
- Rosarian Shield
I wish fans like you were working on these games. I would feel way more secure about their direction, believe me.With how FFVIIR built the world to feel so much more alive and real, I'm really looking forward to what they do with a place like Fort Condor.
- A mako reactor was built on high, mountainous terrain on the eastern continent. One NPC refers to it as a "mountain reactor". Shinra forced villagers in the vicinity to help with the construction of the reactor. This gave the villagers awareness of the special materia that the reactor contained, which later turns out to be Huge Materia. After Shinra left, an elder of the village sneaked into the reactor and took the Huge Materia.
- At an undisclosed point, probably less than 10 years ago, a giant condor made a nest on top of the reactor and is now warming its egg there. The elder says that this type of egg "hatches only once every few years", but it's unclear if he's speaking from known biology about the condor or just assuming this since the condor may have already been around for a few years without the egg hatching.
- From a visual point of view, this is the ugliest mako reactor in the entire game. Even the Mt. Nibel mako reactor, which is supposed to be the first mako reactor ever built, is way prettier.
- Shinra wants the villagers and the condor off the mountain. Shinra's tactics are worded as so aggressive that they may outright destroy the reactor and kill the condor. Shinra wants the special materia inside the reactor but they don't go all-out with their aggressiveness until they look for Huge Materia specifically for the plan to destroy Meteor. What prompts Shinra to destroy the reactor is never specified.
- Villagers settle at the reactor to protect the condor and its egg from Shinra. The villagers don't have the ability to fight Shinra themselves, so they hire soldiers for the task and accept monetary donations. (OMG Cloud is technically still a mercenary, what luck!) Contributors are allowed to shop and sleep at the fort. The fort is built into the hill, with rooms and tight passages dug out of the earth.
- By OG, Fort Condor has already been a battlefield for long time. The defenders are settled in for a long war and they have sent their wives and children to another village. The man who overlooks the battlefield is the one son of the elder who took the Huge Materia from the reactor and who asks Clouds & team for assistance.
- If you lose the final battle at the fort, it is implied that the condor and all the villagers/defenders are killed.
- When the egg is hatching, the parent condor is engulfed in flame, presumably dies and then the new, giant baby condor flies off on its own. It leaves behind a Phoenix materia, cementing further this connection between the giant condor and the mythical Phoenix.
Fort Condor is mentioned in Crisis Core. Five years prior to the original game, Kunsel and at least one more SOLDIER is assigned to the mako reactor at Fort Condor. Zack is assigned to the Nibelheim reactor at this point. Mission 4-1-6 also references Fort Condor, here as a potential spot where Wutai remnants may be hiding. The fact that the name Fort Condor pops up 5 years prior to the OG (perhaps even 6 or 7 years, depending on when Mission 4-1-6 is unlocked) shows that the villagers have been able to protect the condor for a ridiculously long time against the mighty forces of Shinra, including SOLDIER!
With all that out of the way... There is so much potential here for world building.
- What was the village's name before it turned into Fort Condor? Or is that village adjacent to the fort, retaining its old name?
- Is the mako reactor still active during the time that the condor is nesting there?
- Why did the condor choose to nest here? Did it choose an arbitrary high point? Or is the mako reactor active and the excess heat is good for the egg? If the latter, I hope it's not at risk from mako/radiation poisoning.
- How many villages or even cities are powered by this mako reactor?
- Is the reactor so ugly because it is partially a result of forced labor? Or is it just one of the oldest mako reactor designs that were then never used again?
- Were the villagers against the building of the reactor? Are they currently dependant on mako energy?
- Are giant condors a commonly known thing in the FFVII-verse? Are they super-rare and where can they commonly be found?
- Why is Shinra so adamant on destroying the reactor in OG? Is it just spite against the rebelling villagers?
- How in the world is this backwater place with humble villagers able to hire soldiers for years and years and able to hold back the forces of Shinra? And no, THEY HAVE THE HIGH GROUND doesn't count as a valid enough argument!
I predict that in FFVIIR Part 2, Fort Condor may be the first place where we meet another complete Avalanche cell. One that operates under the approval of Avalanche HQ. It will show us Avalanche at their best, protecting precious lives, human and animal alike. Some villagers laud the efforts of Avalanche and indeed this may be ripe recruitment ground for the eco-terrorist group.
In FFVIIR I believe that the condor will have arrived only just recently. This, mixed in with these villages being a backwater place that Shinra cares little about, will add believability that this fort has been able to stand thus far. When the condor arrived, villagers and/or Avalanche shut down the reactor, both to save the condor and its egg from radiation and to see if the condor would leave on its own when the reactor's excess heat was diminished. The condor did not leave and Avalanche are now in it for the long haul, with their primary payment being food, shelter...and a suspiciously high amount of materia being shipped out from the reactor. Materia that, of course, is being gathered as payment to make Wutai join a re-ignited war with Shinra.
Barret will almost be moved to tears by seeing Avalanche "at their best" so to speak. Which will make this Avalanche cell all the more confused when Barret decides against joining them. It's not like Barret can explain "Oh yeah we're chasing after this guy who was declared dead five years ago".
Cloud & team will, of course, throughout the game be able to send gil to Fort Condor and participate from afar in deciding battle strategies. Avalanche HQ will make sure the fort stays defended but they always appreciate extra help.
I reckon giant condors will be rare and usually roam some distant island, but their biology is known well-enough that a biologist may know how long it could take before an egg hatches.