What the Compilation Should have been

[Lord Noctis]

Nanaki found a mate and Sephiroth jumped into the pit rather than being thrown?

Sorry, I can't seem to hear you over the sound of BC not existing.

 

[Dashell]

Good answer.

 

[Ite]

Speaking of Nanaki... get rid of that fucking Gilligan crap. That was maybe the biggest wtf moment in the Compilation.

 

[Dashell]

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

I actually liked how BC had little to no effect on the overall story of the Comp. Not every event is going to tie into the fate of the major characters and the world at large. Doesn't mean said events have to be less interesting. That's why, in another thread, I thought a series of "day in the life" type events might be cool.

 

[Roger]

I actually liked how BC had little to no effect on the overall story of the Comp. Not every event is going to tie into the fate of the major characters and the world at large. Doesn't mean said events have to be less interesting. That's why, in another thread, I thought a series of "day in the life" type events might be cool.

But it did tie in, they even had the player Turk on go the Nibelheim mission with Cloud, Zack and Sephiroth (just think about how cheap that is), they failed to do anything meaningful while the game feeds off of surplus cameo appearances of actually decent characters. I can appreciate the attempt, but they didn't really tell a seperate story, I'd say DoC had more guts in that regard (course, they had the bigger animation budget).

 

[Dana Scully]

I would have been perfectly happy if BC just dealt with the Turks/Shinra vs original!AVALANCHE with some espionage action set during the Wutai War, rather than trying to force yet another rendition of Nibelheim down our throats (and IIRC, is it in the BC version of Nibelheim where, ultimately, it is a cat that leads Zangan to Tifa, and so saves her life? Like, waht). I don't even mind if they have the Turks in Nibelheim after it's burned down and shit, but stop adding people to that scene, goddammit, there was no Genesis and no Turk and it should have stayed that way.

I mean, it's okay to make a game that doesn't directly tie in with the original. You have this whole world/social/political system to play with, use it.

 

[GodRoy]

How about no leather-clad-girly-men, and no gay emo personalities? Too much change? Well I would just settle that if they would have kept Cloud's personality the same and tried to make him look just a tad more manly, especially from BC, they would have improved the game ten fold.

What it should have done was stayed true to the original game. And take out Vincent's winkle-picker shoes for God's sake.

 

[Dana Scully]

And take out Vincent's winkle-picker shoes for God's sake.

NEVER.

Seriously, the shoes are way too much a part of Vincent to get rid of now.

 

[GodRoy]

NEVER.

Seriously, the shoes are way too much a part of Vincent to get rid of now.

To quote three days grace, it's never too late! Besides how he manages to walk around in them is beyond me. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, maybe his ronald mcdonald impersonation is a part of his mysterious personality.


Or I could be right and they need to go away along with his over the top emoness in Dirge of Cerberus.

 

[Dana Scully]

I think I'm just against changing it now because they were part of his original character design. They also always struck me - and this became more apparent in DoC - that they were meant as close-combat weapons.

No, really. I don't know what they're called, but I've seen similar metal pointy shoes (winklepickers, snerk) in other games, often paired with Wolverine-style claws. Ninja Gaiden had them, for example. And let's be honest, getting kicked in the face with those things would really, really suck.

I do wish they had stuck with the original design in regards to his shirt, as well. Rolled up black dress shirt was so much better than leather. But with Nomura, I suppose moar leather is to be expected. :/

 

[GodRoy]

I think I'm just against changing it now because they were part of his original character design. They also always struck me - and this became more apparent in DoC - that they were meant as close-combat weapons.

No, really. I don't know what they're called, but I've seen similar metal pointy shoes (winklepickers, snerk) in other games, often paired with Wolverine-style claws. Ninja Gaiden had them, for example. And let's be honest, getting kicked in the face with those things would really, really suck.

I do wish they had stuck with the original design in regards to his shirt, as well. Rolled up black dress shirt was so much better than leather. But with Nomura, I suppose moar leather is to be expected. :/

Good point, but almost all the characters got the clothes changed so would it really bother you that bad if a new game came out and his shoes were just boots that were simple with no zippers or buckles?

And besides, just because it may be a weapon doesn't defend that it looks like one of the worst designs for a weapon. TBH, a guy wearing those shoes would make me laugh before terrifying me. If I got kicked by one everyone else would be making fun of me that I got beat with a winkle-picker.

Yes, a rolled-up dress shirt would not only make more sense but look a lot better. I don't mind Nomura halfway through his character designs, as long as someone is there to smack him in the back of the head for every zipper, buckle, belt, and leather article of clothing.

 

[Dana Scully]

Good point, but almost all the characters got the clothes changed so would it really bother you that bad if a new game came out and his shoes were just boots that were simple with no zippers or buckles?

Point. I suppose they were trying to perceive his 'mystique' or whatever, but you're right - why give everyone else new outfits and not change his?

I heard a theory once that Vincent's outfit is so strange and eclectic because it allows him to transform into his demons more easily (cape becomes Chaos' wings, boots/gauntlets turn into claws, etc). Dunno if I buy it, but it would explain why he never seems to change his clothes in 3 years.

 

[GodRoy]

Point. I suppose they were trying to perceive his 'mystique' or whatever, but you're right - why give everyone else new outfits and not change his?

I heard a theory once that Vincent's outfit is so strange and eclectic because it allows him to transform into his demons more easily (cape becomes Chaos' wings, boots/gauntlets turn into claws, etc). Dunno if I buy it, but it would explain why he never seems to change his clothes in 3 years.

The only other thing I think it could have been to make a half assed excuse for why his clothes are so retarded is that he got experimented on and now has clothes either attached to him like edward scissor hands or it's just a mess down there and the leather is holding him together.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Vincent needs to rejoin the Turks. He'd look super-hot in their sexy suits.

I could bear Vincent's weirdness because everyone else was wearing fairly normal, sensible clothing - the kind of thing you might actually, normally wear. I'm now trying to play FFXII but their outfits are just making me rage. Ashe's skirt! Basch's whatever under his half-buttoned shirt - it looks like something a kindergardener made in weaving class! Vaan's stupid boots - just the thing for the desert, don't you know. Vossler's bloody pointless belt!!! Balthier's metal birkenstocks...

Funnily enough, I think Fran's OK.

 

[Roger]

Speaking off Vincent's original character design,

He used a sensible handgun, his cloak wasn't tattered and his legs/torso ratio was the same as everyone else, as opposed to now where he's the only character left who looks inhumanly disproportional if you look at him long enough. His outfit was way aggarated in DoC and I don't see the point in giving the one guy that isn't overcompensating with his weapon attention if you are just going to retcon the thing into him having huge threebarrelled gun anyway.

 

[Max Payne]

Most of Vincent's guns in FF7 were real guns, or based on actual guns designs.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Since when has anything in FFVII been sensible? This is the same guy who transforms into Hollywood B movie monsters when he gets mad. I don't really think it matters whether or not his gun has 1 barrel or 3

 

[GodRoy]

Since when has anything in FFVII been sensible? This is the same guy who transforms into Hollywood B movie monsters when he gets mad. I don't really think it matters whether or not his gun has 1 barrel or 3

The majority of the original game made sense, not that it was realistic in any way. But true, I lol'd at the chainsaw wielding monster form he had during one of his limits. But still, it's more tolerable with one barrel and less laughable without the pointy, huge shoes and tight leather outfit.

 

[Roger]

Since when has anything in FFVII been sensible? This is the same guy who transforms into Hollywood B movie monsters when he gets mad. I don't really think it matters whether or not his gun has 1 barrel or 3

I didn't have to look at frankenstein throughout FFVII, now did I?

Kind of a slow day so I'm just gonna ***** so more about what the Compilation should have been.

Now let me just say that in and of themselves I enjoyed every compilation title save LO, I even like AC and DoC.

1. It should have been a comprehensive story that acknowledges each other. Now the compilation kind of does this, Cissnei's mission to capture Cloud and Zack, Weiss and Nero picking up their brother Genesis at the end of CC, Reno mention "the old crew" in ACC, Genesis picking up his brother Weiss/Nero at the end of DoC. But on whole CC wanted to have **** all to do with CC and LO.

In BC Zack was a ladiesman with many girlfriends who hits on the female Turks, was friends with Essai and Sebastian and was involved in the AVALANCHE conflict. Nothing in that sentence holds true in CC, despite it taking place concurrently. I mean, they decided to take more Zack a more basic protagonist in CC, fine take the easy way out, they decided not to make things more complicated by including the Turk on the Nibeheim mission or give attention to AVALANCHE sure, but how hard could it have been to include Essai and Sebastian in CC?

2. DoC, WTF Nomura. Now we all know what Nomura is famous for. Example

And on the whole, FFVII and spin-offs have gotten the better end of the deal, Elfe's outfit was a little crowded but everyone else in BC was wearing suits, labcoats or uniforms so that's good, CC had Nomura in one his better moods, he straightened out Gackts outfit quite a bit and on the whole it looks good.

Spoiler

It's a little late to start on Sephiroths outfit but other then that.

But DoC just happened to see Nomura in his more eccentric mood ever.

Reverse zippers, threebarrelled revolvers, asscapes, cyclops visors, karatepants, Mako streamlined uniforms, mako streamlines on Azuls face, lightsabers, EVERYTHING about Shalua and Nero. What in **** man.

It's so far out of touch with the rest of the compilation, in CC Nomura was like "I dunno what i was smoking, I'll just slap a SOLDIER 1st Class uniform on those two and only show them from the neck down and forget i ever did that.

3. Let's be honest here, if everything above was changed and Red XIII was included in DoC and Before Crisis didn't so cheapenly milk every past event that happened to the FFVII crew we might have a good product but it would't change the situation, fact is the climax of the series being between Cloud and Genesis I can't really see happening. We need Jenova and Sephiroth, but bringing him back yet again would be cheap. Sephiroths return through remnants of Jenova was wasted on the movie.

 

[Masamune]

I'll throw in a few of my old ideas, re: Dirge of Cerberus:

* Vincent is infected with the Jenova virus, which is how he transforms into monsters. Nothing to do with the 'Chaos' crap and whatever. Before anyone mentions Geostigma, viruses don't have cells.

* The Tsviets were supersoldiers raised underground as a safety measure to kill Sephiroth if he ever went rogue. However, they were deemed too volatile and the plan was pulled. After Midgar's collapse, the Tsviets saved the trapped survivors (inc. former SOLDIERs) to form their own guerilla army - which is why the soldiers worship Weiss as their saviour. No futuristic, mega-tech army, with helicopters (from an underground base, duh!?) Deepground would be a small and mobile tactical unit.

* Vincent's guilt and shit would be behind him, like in the original game. Sure, he could find himself brooding over Lucrecia when he has a moment, but he wouldn't blame himself for it. I'd also designate Shalua as his new love interest (after we tidy up her character design), instead of the awkward loli angle with Shelke.

 

[Max Payne]

Dirge of Cerberus simply shouldn't have been made.

 

[minimosey]

In BC Zack was a ladiesman with many girlfriends who hits on the female Turks, was friends with Essai and Sebastian and was involved in the AVALANCHE conflict. Nothing in that sentence holds true in CC, despite it taking place concurrently. I mean, they decided to take more Zack a more basic protagonist in CC, fine take the easy way out, they decided not to make things more complicated by including the Turk on the Nibeheim mission or give attention to AVALANCHE sure, but how hard could it have been to include Essai and Sebastian in CC?

There's some weirdness going on with Aerith, too. Not a change in characterization like Zack's, but if all the episodes are chronological, she definitely got kidnapped while she and Zack were still actively dating. More than that, she tried to run away from Midgar but doesn't think anything about Zack (only mentioning her mother), and there's never any indication in CC of the incident occurring.

They definitely missed out there; "I'd like to spend more time with you" is already bittersweet when you know what's coming next for the couple, but it'd be even more interesting if Aerith said it right after her kidnapping. And what WAS she thinking about leaving Zack behind, even if it was planned to just temporary? Did she leave a note for him or anything? Why was the wind calling her then of all times? Because again, if BC's episodes are all chronological...Aerith's "call" comes right before the monster problem in Mt. Nibel is discovered and all the shit with Sephiroth goes down. You can spin some wonderful ideas about the Planet sensing something off there and trying to warn Aerith, with "what might have been"s if she'd known what to do/hadn't been kidnapped by AVALANCHE--but it's so disconnected from what Zack and Aerith were doing in CC, and though the episodes are next to each other chronologically there's no attempt to tie them in, making it feel like it was really just a throwaway idea. I really think they should have done something more with this, at least somehow referenced their relationship in BC or found a way to reference the BC incident inside CC.

 

[OWA-2]

Meh. There was no real point to covering all of that shit again. They should have had the story self contained in Zack's past. We already knew how he would die and what happened to Sephiroth. Like the event really needed to be covered AGAIN.

Oh, come on. CC's rendition of that event fixed one of the worst retcons created by the Compilation, and gave us a chance of fighting FFVII's Big Bad in his original, human form.

 

[Masamune]

Oh, come on. CC's rendition of that event fixed one of the worst retcons created by the Compilation, and gave us a chance of fighting FFVII's Big Bad in his original, human form.

Squenix admitted that Last Order was only an 'interpretation' of what happened at Nibelheim. Re-retconning events didn't bring anything to the table. I also disagree with fighting Sephiroth in a Boss Stage, considering that in Last Order Sephiroth pissed all over Zack in no time at all - and rightly so. An in-game battle breaks that illusion, imo.

There was so much wrong with Nibelheim in CC.