Tiny Bronco Theft in Remake??

[leadmyskeptic]

This is a bit of a 'small' question, and perhaps I should've just made it a post in one of the broader "Remake" threads, but eh...well, anyway, here goes:

So there's been a fair amount of discussion about 'immersion-breaking'/whimsical/overly fantastical (etc) elements of the original FFVII that might clash with the graphically updated and more thematically straight-faced Remake, not to mention the apparent difference in playstyles effecting certain events. One thing that recently sprang to mind as an element that was difficult to justify even in the OG, let alone in a modern game, was Rufus and co's trip to Rocket Town to demand Cid turn over the Tiny Bronco. A massive, world-dominating corporation with an entire military at its disposal seemingly in desperate need of a rickety, Cessna-style passenger plane (or "Doctor Killer", as they are nicknamed in the US) stands out as humorously inexplicable even among the periodically whimsical happenings of VII '97. Yet, this event is a fairly important part of the narrative, serving to introduce Cid, set up the next phase of the main plot, and grant the party the traditional 'middle' vehicle (unlocks new parts of the map without granting the whole kit and kaboodle that will come later). How do you guys think they will deal with this sequence in the Remake? Will they create some sort of expansive explanation for why Shinra is in such dire straits, rewrite the event entirely, or what?

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I guess they could have Rufus' airship gently crash near Rocket Town due to it not being airworthy and him insisting it take off anyway, and then they would have to grab the nearest thing, Cid's Tiny Bronco.

[Tennyo]

Do we even need Rufus there? Maybe he just passed a law banning anyone from flying and troops from Shinra come to confiscate the plane?

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Rufus is following Sephiroth, though, isn't he? Because... mako.... reunion....

[Kain424]

Honestly, I never really understood this scene. I thought it was possible they didn't quite have any airworthy planes until they go ahead and introduce the Gelnika later and have the airship show up.

[Obsidian Fire]

The Gelnika is introduced in Junon. I never understood why Rufus didn't start using it then...

[Theozilla]

I also imagine the Tiny Bronco will likely be suped-up to be like a small passenger plane size (so the entire party can fit in it). I also don’t see Cloud and Cid hanging on to wings being kept, so they’ll probably change it to them somehow getting inside the plane during the take off.

[Kain424]

I liked that bit. I hope they have some of the clinging to the side of the airplane. At least when they first grab it.

[Tennyo]

LicoriceAllsorts wrote:

Rufus is following Sephiroth, though, isn't he? Because... mako.... reunion....

Doesn't mean he needs to stop in Rocket Town. Maybe he bypasses it.

[Mr. Ite]

As far as the OG writes it, Rufus and Heidegger address this directly in Junon:

Heidegger
The long range airship is still being prepared.
It should be ready in about three more days. Gya haa haa!

Rufus
Even the Air Force's Gelnika?

Heidegger
......Gya haa haa!

This is why they have to take the cargo ship. It appears the Gelnika(s) are under repair as well as the Highwind. Rufus taking the cargo ship and the Tiny Bronco are due to his impatience.

What I want to know is... everything between the Rufus Parade and the Temple of the Ancients happened in 3 days??? I used about 50 tents in that time.

[Minato]

Mr. Ite wrote:

As far as the OG writes it, Rufus and Heidegger address this directly in Junon:

Heidegger
The long range airship is still being prepared.
It should be ready in about three more days. Gya haa haa!

Rufus
Even the Air Force's Gelnika?

Heidegger
......Gya haa haa!

This is why they have to take the cargo ship. It appears the Gelnika(s) are under repair as well as the Highwind. Rufus taking the cargo ship and the Tiny Bronco are due to his impatience.

What I want to know is... everything between the Rufus Parade and the Temple of the Ancients happened in 3 days??? I used about 50 tents in that time.

The Turks' operation with Reeve and Cait Sith is disconnected enough that Rufus and Heidegger don't know that Cait Sith still being with AVALANCHE means Reeve betrayed them. So really it only means that Junon Parade till Rocket City must have taken less then three days. Still moronic tho.

[Addy Carver]

Jesus fuck I need to play this godsdamned game again. I forgot a lot of the subtle details.

Anyway, I loved the scene where they try to make a break for it in the Tiny Bronco and get shot down, I don't care how ludicrous it seems to the rest of the game (I mean Cid has an actual rocket in his back yard, there's no safety clearance or anything), I'm looking forward to a high-res version of it.

[Shademp]

I certainly hope that the remake will either rewrite the Tiny Bronco scenario or write convincing reasons that Shinra bothers to travel to Rocket Town to retrieve the vehicle.

I can easily see Rufus, in his more efficiency-centric economic plans, ordering that any left-behind resources be retrieved for the industry. The Tiny Bronco might be a laughable vehicle but its parts could probably be re-used, whether it be for building new vehicles or weapons.

The main issue with this rewrite is that it wouldn't explain why Cid overhears about Shinra's search for the Temple of the Ancients. In the original script the Tiny Bronco is clearly meant to help Rufus in his hunt for Sephiroth.

Rufus
“I want to borrow
the Tiny Bronco.”

...

Rufus
“We're going after Sephiroth.
But seems like we've been going
in the wrong direction.”
“But now,
we think we know where he's headed.
But, we have to cross the ocean.
That's why we want your plane…”

{CID}
“So, where we headed?”
“Rufus was goin' after Sephiroth to
the Temple of the Ancients.”

{CLOUD}
“Really!?…Where is it?
That Temple of the Ancients?”

{CID}
“Dunno. That numbskull kid was tellin' me
he was headin 'The wrong direction'…
so maybe it's off this way?”

Then again with how secretive Shinra is supposed to be it seems odd even in the original script that Cid would learn about their search for the Temple of the Ancients. Perhaps additional rewrites are in order, one that explains better how Cid got this information. I can easily see Palmer clumsingly spilling the beans, although that would repeat Elena's clumsiness from the Mythril Mines event.

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Perhaps they wanted Cid to fly it for them? It's only big enough for 2 people.

I wish it were an air balloon.

[Clement Rage]

The Gelnika probably needs a runway or airstrip to land, which you're not going to find anywhere near the temple.

The Tiny Bronco is a lot more nimble, it can take off vertically, and might even be able to land on water. It makes a very good scout plane, doesn't mean Rufus was planning to fly it himself.

Maybe something went wrong preparing the Highwind, or they needed a scout plane to fly ahead of it?