
Originally Posted by
masamune1600
There are a number of locations that, because of Gaia's physical geography, are inaccessible during Disc 1. These locations include Cactus Island, Goblin Island, and (most notably here) Round Island. Further, as mentioned, the stables cannot be rented prior to Disc 2.
There are a vast number of rumors concerning the Tiny Bronco, none of which are true. The plane cannot be repaired, obtained again during Discs 2 and 3, replace the Highwind, assist in fighting Sapphire Weapon, or anything of that nature. Its purpose, in game terms, is to allow access to a number of locations (Wutai, Temple of the Ancients, and so on) that could not otherwise be reached, without giving the player the ability to reach places like Mideel.
While the chocobo breeding sidequest may seem inadequate to yield so potent a materia as Knights of the Round, consider the nature of the quest if you were not already aware of its specifics. Without resorting to an outside source of information, you would have to repeatedly visit the Chocobo Sage, obtain a variety of chocobos from across Gaia, and locate several Carob Nuts, as well as a Zeio Nut. This would seem to be a rather involved quest. You would then have to stumble across Round Island, a location far removed from any landmass, without any indication that it even existed. Eight years after FFVII was released, KotR might seem overly easy to obtain. On an initial playthrough, however, the quest, while not excessively difficult, would have at least seemed more daunting than it does now.