FF7 Technology

[Dragon Mage]

Okay, I was wondering what is the technological capibility of the world FF7 is set in? You can't really tell how advanced or otherwise the world is in the game. For example; they can genetically engineer human beings but there are only a handfull of airplanes in the world? They've gained space-reaching capabilities, but there are no satellites? How could they have cell phones without a satellite? They have energy guns, and yet they issue swords as the standard weapon for the best fighters, those in SOLIDER? You can see the gaps. So, I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this, 'cause this needs to be cleared up.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Sure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief).

[PerpetualBurn]

It's just a traditional mix of sword fighting, sci-fi, and magic.

It is always important in a game that the plot itself be logically coherent and possible, but in a game like FFVII I wouldn't even try to analyse the world they live in. It just wouldn't make sense.

[cloud21zidane16]

it woudnt be final fantasy if there were wasnt a sword;)

[Mirage]

Don't need satellites for mobile phones. Also, the rocket the party uses to get into space is the first machine to leave the planet, so naturally there wouldn't be any other artificial satellites orbiting the planet.

[fantasyjunkie]

it woudnt be final fantasy if there were wasnt a sword;)

Yes! Exactly!

[Bolivar]

alot of FF's mix up guns & swords, I think it has alot to do with Japanese Reversion to the sword.

When the gun was really being spread around the world, Japan probably capitalized off of it the most. Shortly after it being introduced, it was being mass produced and people were being armed. There were alot of battles in Japan's "Age of the Country at War" where the battles were that of WWI, only about a hundred years before.

Guns were probably used more and better in Japan than anywhere else in the world for a long time, but it caused alot of cultural problems. For example, a no-name peasant could now kill just as many people as a samurai.

This caused Japan's government to start several policies which would eventually lead to the depopularization of the gun in favor of the sword.

This is symbolized in the game that the Shinra MP's (peasants) use guns, where as SOLDIER (Samurai) use swords.

In short, it's one of those things about Final Fantasy that most non-Japanese players don't get.

[Zeromus_X]

Sure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief).

[Bolivar]

They have energy guns, and yet they issue swords as the standard weapon for the best fighters, those in SOLIDER?

This quote emphasizes the cultural difference between American and Japanese fans of the series.

YOU consider a gun progress over a sword, however the Japanese thought the complete opposite.

Alot of sentiments held by American players are not necessarily held in Japan, and this is probably why alot of the players have a problem with the direction the series has headed.

[Dragon Mage]

it woudnt be final fantasy if there were wasnt a sword
Good point.


It is always important in a game that the plot itself be logically coherent and possible, but in a game like FFVII I wouldn't even try to analyse the world they live in. It just wouldn't make sense.

But people analyze the characters to the umpteenth degree. Why not their world?


Don't need satellites for mobile phones. Also, the rocket the party uses to get into space is the first machine to leave the planet, so naturally there wouldn't be any other artificial satellites orbiting the planet.

No, but satellites would sure help. And the rocket wasn't the first machine to leave the planet. It was the 26th one to do so.


YOU consider a gun progress over a sword, however the Japanese thought the complete opposite.

Natuarally the Japanese would think such, as that is part of their culture. I can see where, in the game, they're trying to get through the level of skill required in order to use a sword, and thus make those who do, better fighters, but it just seemed a little backward at first, since you could turn out really good soldiers faster.

[Neo Blackheart]

Just stop thinking about why you have guns and swords.

as well ask why barret is able to have a changeable gun put on his arm. What I believe is it is a future in which most all of the technology has cesed to exist and they are just then gaining the ability again to use it.

This is also how a book series goes by the name of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. IT is set after airplanes and everything but after the world "Broke" meaning it was put in to disaster They then started geting the stuff back and even stuff that was not invented before the "Breaking"

This is I believe the world of FFVII

Also kinda like FFX where the Machines "Machina" was old and they where just learning how to use them again.

[Dragon Mage]

Hey, it's the cool new thing to learn how to use a sword nowadays, isn't it? I'm cool with that. And I'm an NRA member, so I'm cool with guns. Guns will get upgraded but swords will never die out. So I'm fine with guns and swords. (except for the fact that everyone think the Japanese were the only ones that knew how to use a sword and the katana is the only good sword ever made. That just ticks me off.)

And what disaster occured to make them lose that technology? The world seems pretty stable to me, in history. The mako reactors were actually a breakthrough in technology that was just discovered and putting the other alternitave fuel sources out of buisness.

But what really gets me is the fact that there are only a handful of air planes out there. What's up with that?

[Zeromus_X]

*sigh* (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief)

[Araciel]

wow

that's a lot of analysis for something that looks cool in a video game

[Aralith]

No, but satellites would sure help. And the rocket wasn't the first machine to leave the planet. It was the 26th one to do so.
Well, it was the 26th object, but it certainly wasn't the 26th object in space that had a use. Remember, Cid would have been the first man in space. The Russians first put a man in space in 1961; two years before the first communications satelite that was capable of staying in the same place over the earth was put into space. Plus, who's to say that any of the other 25 objects Shinra put into space weren't communications satelite (and not just satelites with no purpose other than being in space; i.e. Sputnik). So, it is entirely possible that they had the technology to get a man into space and not satelites. And that's assuming that there aren't any satelites up there.

[d£v!l'$ ph0£n!x]

anyway there are satellites, otherwise barret wouldn't be able to use his limit break

[TRANS_AM409]

well they dont have satalites because shinra ascraped the space priject before ever reaching space and the plane thing shinra has plenty of planes two wrecked in ocean the air ship the 20 or so at the deck at junon not to mention all the helicoptors it reapetdly shows any body else probably cant afford them.

[PerpetualBurn]

But people analyze the characters to the umpteenth degree. Why not their world?

Because of the sheer number of phenomena that would require a bizarre explanation. At the very least, they would suddenly have to explain how Cloud can carry so many weapons and items at once. And why every character has access to this stock of items in battle as if they're taking them from their own pocket, yet the supply counts for the whole team. It would just be silly.

[Skyblade]

No, but satellites would sure help. And the rocket wasn't the first machine to leave the planet. It was the 26th one to do so.
Well, it was the 26th object, but it certainly wasn't the 26th object in space that had a use. Remember, Cid would have been the first man in space. The Russians first put a man in space in 1961; two years before the first communications satelite that was capable of staying in the same place over the earth was put into space. Plus, who's to say that any of the other 25 objects Shinra put into space weren't communications satelite (and not just satelites with no purpose other than being in space; i.e. Sputnik). So, it is entirely possible that they had the technology to get a man into space and not satelites. And that's assuming that there aren't any satelites up there.

Actually, it is the 26th rocket, but it could still have been the first one in space. The originals might not have left the atmosphere. Then there are tests, unsuccessful launches, cancelled launches to redisign/improve the rockets, catastrophes during flight, etc... Shinra No. 26 could very well have been the first object to make it to space.

[Dragon Mage]

he plane thing shinra has plenty of planes two wrecked in ocean the air ship the 20 or so at the deck at junon not to mention all the helicoptors it reapetdly shows any body else probably cant afford them.

If they had plenty of planes, then why did the president of shinra, who practically owns the world (if you know what I mean), would go to a civillian to use their plane? Helicopters aren't as fast as planes. And when was there 20 at Junon? I don't remember seeing those.


And that's assuming that there aren't any satelites up there.

I should hope there were. How would you use the PHS in the game otherwise? And in the movie, Cloud had a cell phone that was of modern technology. If they had just gotten satellites up, then they wouldn't have phones like that.

And I get what you mean by the link, so you don't have to keep going to it.

[the_sandman]

lol, look at the classic final fantasys...there were no such things as airplanes or any flying transportation in the medieval era.

[Dragon Mage]

But those were set in times where they wouldn't have that. FF7 is set in a modern time.

[Zeromus_X]

Even the older Final Fantasies had technology. It just wasn't until FFVI until it became more widespread, increasing in FFVII and FFVIII.

[Mirage]

lol, look at the classic final fantasys...there were no such things as airplanes or any flying transportation in the medieval era.

Didn't you ever notice the airships?

Continuing with the mobile phones. No, you really don't need satellites for mobile phones. You only need stationary comminucation antennas spread thorough the world, connected to phone centrals using underground cables, or even radiowaves. It sure would be useful having satellites to connect continents, but it's not needed. Remember, the incredible amounts of data travelling between North America and Europe use underground communication cables, not satellites, except in a few instances. There's no problem sending audio data through cables like those. As far as I know, there's even less latency when using cables than when using satellites for communication.

Furthermore, yes, it is the 26th rocket built, but the game says nothing about the previous ones ever reaching outer space. Also, the game says nothing about there not being satellites in space. It is fully possible to have a level of technology that allows unmanned satellites to be lauched, without even trying to send up humans. Maybe they just didn't prioritize sending humans into space? On earth, it was a race about being the first person in space, but I don't think Shinra, as the only company with the funds to do it, had any competition from other nations.

Actually, I think Barret having a limit break that is named "Satellite Beam" is a pretty good indication that there are satellites in space, else it would be pretty hard for a satellite to blast the enemies.

[Dragon Mage]

but the game says nothing about the previous ones ever reaching outer space.

Cid had said that, before the launch disaster, Shinra was pouring money and effort into the space program. Usually, when something as expensive and as monumental as a space program fails, you don't pursue it more strongly then ever, so I would have to say that yes, most, if not all, of the previous flights had made it into outer space.

And the satellite thing is mostly cleared up (thanx mirage) but one small question:would satellites be launched if you hadn't sent a man into space, in order to repair them? Or would they just send up another machine to do that? If it's a machined, then okay, the satellite thing is cleared up.

[Mirage]

I'm not sure, but I don't really think satellites break too often, and when they do, I'm not sure if they're repaired. COnsidering there's only one nation capable of launching satellites, I would think there's plenty of room for new ones, so they wouldn't have to worry about them crashing into eachothers.

Oh, also. Shinra are a bunch of warmongers. I don't think we should rule out the possibility that they used the weapons department budget to finance orbiting weapons, such as the satellite Barret's limit break utilizes.

[Dragon Mage]

I see. That makes sense. I didn't think about that before, with only shinra being able to launch satellites. O.K. Thank you!

Oh and btw, I believe they do repair them. I remember that the Hubble telescope had to have the main lens replaced or something like that. They sent up a shuttle to fix it.

[Mirage]

The hubble telescope costs a ton more than what a regular satellite costs though.

[Dragon Mage]

Not these days. A new, modern satellite would cost about as much as the Hubble, when it was made. Either way, there's a crap load of money on the line.