This Game is Overrated

[Carl the Llama]

The player characters are a smurfload more powerful than random NPCs, otherwise they wouldn't be able to take down Kefka either. The fact that they've (presumably) absorbed so much power through Magicite probably has a lot to do with it.

Not to mention they can't scale the mountain at any time; that's the whole reason they needed the airship. As soon as you get the airship you can beat the game at any time. It's pretty obvious the only reason they were able to ascend in the final battle was due to defeating the preceding tiers of monsters (since the game won't let you advance without doing so).

They HAD an airship at the end of the world of Balance. As for you presumption, where is the evidence that suggests such a thing? I mean, it's entirely possible to go through the entire game with just relics and weapons so that theory just falls apart right there.

The story: strangely devoid of plotholes for a Final Fantasy title.

I beg to differ, at the end of the world of balance Kefka has the power to call down this light of judgement (or w/e it was called) to make people disappear, yet some how the entire cast of over a dozen people are able to scale a smurf off huge mountain then proceed to have a fight with said "God" without him saying "You know what, smurf you eat death ray" coupled along side the fact that if they were able to scale the mountain at any time, why the hell didn't they kill Kefka right away??? It always baffles the smurf out of me when I play it.

I would also say that this is a pretty major plot hole.

You can make that argument against almost every final boss battle in the series though.

I disagree. In VII you don't get to fight Sephiroth until key plot devices have been fulfilled (removal of the Barrier, finding Cloud, saving the huge materia and escaping from Junon (as you would need the Highwind to get to the North Cave, at which point you are able to face him), you don't have an opportunity to fight Sephiroth (the real Sephiroth) until the very end. In VIII Ultimercia uses Time Compression, the party make their way through that with another series of plot devices that have to be fulfilled (actually transcending time to be able to fight her) which isn't possible until you find Ellone ect. In IX you don't get to face Kuja till he reveals himself and his purpose and Garland throws a monkey wrench in his plan and that the party isn't strong enough till a certain point (the numerous times you were humbled by Beatrix each time it took less and less time to recover). In X you don't get to fight Yu-Yevon until other certain milestones are fulfilled (They believe the only way to kill Sin is to use the Final Summoning and it isn't revealed until the virtual end that they formulate a plan to kill him by other means.

In VI there was no major plot device that would have stopped them jumping onboard an airship (which could have easily been shot down by Kefka btw, yet another plot hole) and running up the mountain killing his chums along the way and then defeating the bastard himself.