The end of disc 1 was detrimental in gameplay terms

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A PLOT DISCUSSION THREAD OF ANY KIND.

My greatest criticism of FF7 is that, gameplay-wise, all the characters are exactly the same right from the start of the game. Once you've customised them with a quick Materia setup, the only difference is how much damage they do because of their level, equipment, whatever. The only thing setting people apart is their Limit skills, and even then they're all a bit samey from start to finish: We first get Braver, Greased Lightning and so on, which all do a bit more damage than usual. Then there's Omnislash, Angermax/Catastrophe, Tifa's full combo, Stardust Ray/Earth Rave, Doom Of The Living, Highwind... all attacks that hit multiple times for a lot of damage, and the only ones which don't are Slots, which does random stuff and never brings out what you really need, and all Vincent's transformations, which aside from Splattercombo are all just single hits.

The only unique character then, in any way, is Aeris. Her Limit Breaks do totally different things, like freezing the enemies (a godsend in some of the earlier boss battles; it stops Lost Number from transforming for one, working far more often than Choco/Mog or Cross Slash, and you'll have switched to Blade Beam by then anyway... but I digress), recharging everyone's Limit Breaks, so coupled with say, Omnislash and Highwind... *evil laugh* and also being the only person who has the power to bestow invincibility upon the party.

So why oh why did Square feel the need to strip us of all this at the end of the first disc? I know of a few people who took Aeris right the way through because they found these alternative abilities very handy, and in one case I knew someone who refused to play the game ever again after she died, for the amount of effort the game just decided he was gonna have to have wasted.

As much as I love this game, this one aspect of it really pisses me off. Your thoughts, anyone?

YOU ARE REMINDED THAT THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A PLOT DISCUSSION THREAD OF ANY KIND.

That's the problem when you introduce a very flexible system such as that of the Materia system instead of the usual assigned classes. I find FFVII far more playable with FFIX for many reasons, one being that there are many more strategies I have yet to use and I can apply them to any character I wish. There isn't much difference plot wise depending on which characters form your party which allows many gamers the freedom to choose their favourites.

To be honest Aeris was always focused on white magic and healing. As the game progresses I realised that battles were becoming much easier as I acquired more materia thus eliminating her uses and any handy supporting roles she could provide would have been compensated for.

I was never a big fan of Aeris in battle and consequently have no idea what this Limit Break recharger is. So I'd imagine like most first-time players I didn't feel like I was robbed of anything, only just the loss of the companionship of someone with a nice personality (oops sorry)

There are notable differences between the characters in terms of stats and materia slots available from weapons. They're not carbon copies of each other. However, given the end-game weapons/armour and the fact that many materia combos can work as well with different individuals, it is common for the lines between the characters to blur, especially later on in the game. Unlike class-based systems such as FF1, 4 and 9, the flexibility allowed, and the fact it is applied to everyone, means that essentially characters become vessels for whatever setup you may have. FF7 is by no means the worst purpotraitor of this however. FF8 took it one step further, whereby the only defintion between characters are their attack damage (from weapons) and limit breaks. Since the stats of the characters are so close there's no much separating them. Late-game FF10 as well will produce nothing but complete copies of characters, but then again the system is designed to do just that.

Personally I feel FF7 was a way of re-invigorating the already ailing ATB system, and allowed for a level of strategy previously unseen in FF (with the possible exception of FF5). Nothing much else has come close since.

If you want Aeris back then just use a Gameshark. Problem solved.

I agree to an extent, but I don't think keeping Aeris was the way to keep variety and strategy in the game. Aeris needed to die, and her limits made her seem more special. Now I always disagree with people who say that the class system is better, well at least those who support the FFIX system. That said, some way to offer advantages to making certain characters do specific things might have been cool. Restricting what characters can do and when they can do it just makes the whole thing a very long movie.

If I was remaking FFVII, I'd consider as well as the support materia which effects what materia does, perhaps giving characters and equipment support effects. If we're talking PS3 that could have huge possibilities. Say have fire materia equipped on Barret mean that he could use his gun arm as a flamethrower, or on Red that he could recharge himself whilst using fire and thus get a boost to his ATB. Not restricting characters or disadvantaging players who give materia to a certain character, but making the decision of who you give materia to important.

Variety and possibilities are good, limitations, not so much. Aeris' limit didn't add much to gameplay (although she was very useful early on), so losing this little addition was worth the plot advantage.

I'm not sure. The characters aren't carbon copies of eachother in that they all have different stats, and ranges for weapons. This is the same way in which III and V were played in that your party members are the same except for possibly different statistics, and then it's up to you to figure out what abilities to give them and how to augment their stats. For example, you can make a black mage by loading them with magic materia, which will result in increasing their Magic Power/Attack.

Aeris had the highest magic in the game, so it was a shame to see her go but Vincent and Red XIII were both decent magic useres at that point, Caith Sith also sufficed too.

VII was well done in this area b/c you don't have to read too far into the gameplay system to be successful - but you can if you want to. Materia allows all kinds of ways to customize your characters even into jobs if you want, it all depends on how you use it.

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Originally Posted by Xurts

If you want Aeris back then just use a Gameshark. Problem solved.

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You should have read his sig.

Most video games are designed to be more difficult as the player progresses. Aeris' abilities were quite strong, but only if you worked to get them. Removing Aeris simply made the game slightly more challenging. You lose all defensive limit breaks, except Yuffie's Clear Tranquil, which is exactly the same as the Healing Wind.

But now we can sell all her stuff and gamble it away in the Chocobo races :choc2:

it's not too different in the other games though. in 8, it's just magic and limits that set them apart, in 10, same again. and 12 as well. 9 really sets itself apart in this situation, but it something that's hard to avoid so i try not to worry about it