I think the title of the strength attribute might be a little misleading here... rather than physical strength, let's think of it as combat strength (attacking ability, perhaps)... let me explain...Quote:
Originally posted by Rand Al'Tor
Hmm, I think applying logic to this is indeed going too far. After all, how do you explain that Irvine shoots harder when he gets stronger. It's not like he's throwing the bullets is he?
With your sword-swingers, you could argue that strength is strength. The more people they swing their sword at, the more their muscles grow. Simple.
However, the more times they swing their sword, the more they know what part of an enemy is a good part to strike, and how they should swing in order to connect to that point...
Rather than just growing stronger muscles, they are training their minds to make attacks that are effectively strongly.
With a ranged weapon like Rinoa's, it could be a similar thing as strength is involved in the weapon (I believe). However, with her, it would probably be more learning how to aim and fire well than actually increasing physical strength.
Now, with Irvine, we ignore physical strength completely. Why would Irvine get stronger by firing his shotgun anyway? I think in this case it could represent solely the growth of his skills with a shotgun...
For the strength of a weapon, a blade might be considered stronger if it were sharper, lighter (so easier to swing accurately), or the blade was of a special design, e.g. serated. Gloves too might be made sharper and have special blade design (if they have blades at all), or they might be designed to reduce the impact of a person's face on the user's fist and arms...
For guns, we are probably looking at a design that harnesses the explosion (required to propel a bullet) more efficiently, as well as a design that increases accuracy.
So, depending how literally you take "Strength", it may or may not make sense... I'd like to add that of course what has been said about Irvine's shotgun also largely applies to Squall's gun-trigger (is that the right name?) When Squall gains strength, the effectiveness of both his blade- and gun-components rises...
Although I do love thinking about this topic, I think a more important question is how do these peope remain standing after being shot, sliced or impaled?!
(FF7/8)(SPOILER)Okay, so some people survive being impaled by several spikes, whilst other can't even take a single sword through them... How's that fair?!
