Features

Feature: Revisiting the Lifestream (Part III)

By Lusipurr
32 Comments

Lusipurr.com moves into the third week of our Feature: Revisiting the Lifesteam!

Final Fantasy VII US Box Art

Final Fantasy VII US Box Art

A fortnight ago, Lusipurr.com began a collective playthrough of Final Fantasy VII. The title for this four-week feature enterprise is Revisiting the Lifestream. Week three, running from today until next Saturday, will be a collective playthrough from the Temple of the Ancients through the destruction of Mideel. Please post your comments (positive or negative) on this post!

Of course, any sort of discussion about Final Fantasy VII is acceptable. Feel free to discuss any issues which are on your mind about the game as a whole, or anything thus far! What do you think of the script, the translation, the soundtrack, the battle system, the characters, the art direction, the cutscenes; anything and everything is open for discussion.

Meanwhile, Lusipurr.com staff members will post daily updates on their playthrough, including any issues or thoughts they have had. Readers are encouraged to do the same; if you have friends who might be interested in this feature, please get them involved as well!

32 Comments

  1. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.03 at 12:52 | Permalink
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    Looking forward to the end of Disc 1 and the permanent removal of Aerith from my party!

  2. volke93
    Posted 2009.10.03 at 20:50 | Permalink
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    im not even done with part 2 lol

  3. SiliconNooB
    Posted 2009.10.03 at 22:17 | Permalink
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    I have just got the Highwind and am searching for huge materias.

  4. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.04 at 02:07 | Permalink
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    I stopped playing last Monday as I had reached the point where Aerith leaves the party, which was the 20h mark.

    I will therefore play this week to get to the point where we are supposed to stop again. I estimate from Temple of the Ancients to the point above is about 30h. Of course, your mileage may vary.

    The biggest coup for me last week was getting Vincent who I am now trying to use without getting frustrated and switching to Tifa. Not looking forward to parties commanded by Cid. At least I’ll still have Cait-Sith. Tifa is good in a fight and her limit breaks are awesome if you can hit the YEAH! every time.

  5. Bup
    Posted 2009.10.04 at 03:08 | Permalink
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    I would play this game if there was a way to skip disc 1. That’s when it starts getting really good.

  6. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.04 at 11:13 | Permalink
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    @Bup: Maybe I could send you my savegame somehow. I’m just past the end of Disc 1 in the next villiage (can’t remember the name).

  7. SiliconNooB
    Posted 2009.10.04 at 20:32 | Permalink
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    Just play it on an emulater and download an end of disk 1 savestate from Gamefaqs.

  8. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.05 at 21:57 | Permalink
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    Gah, I miss Great Gospel already! I had to heal my party manually during a boss fight this morning. Now I feel dirty.

    I’m escaping from Junon now and looking forward to the time when I’ve got a full party again. Am I the only one that finds the slap fight consistently funny? For some reason, I chuckle whenever I get to it.

  9. El_Hefe
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 14:08 | Permalink
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    I always loved the first trek to the northern continent.
    Great music all the way up! Especially at the city of the ancients.

    I always enjoyed the snowboarding run at Icicle Lodge as opposed to the one in Gold Saucer.

    Who here tries to get Omnislash on the first disc?

    There has to be some over achievers here, heheh.

  10. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 14:35 | Permalink
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    Once I get everyone, I go and get them up to Limit Break 3 near the first forest you encounter in the game.

    I give someone the Enemy Skill materia and have them use Matra Magic on the groups of enemies (they come in groups of 5 usually, and 3 occasionally) that appear there. I also use Hypers to make everyone hit their limit breaks often. This usually tears through the limit breaks pretty quick.

    Then I get everyone’s Limit Break 4 as soon as I can, with the exception of Cloud because I really hate fighting in the stupid battle arena. His is usually the very last I get.

    Also, I forgot you can take the buggy into the Junon ferry, so Darth is not as hardcore as I thought he was.

    LAZY. Go get a Gold chocobo!

  11. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 19:47 | Permalink
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    @Lusipurr: Yeah, I know, I’m taking it easy this playthrough (actually, I’m debating whether or not to get a gold chocobo at all). I follow pretty much the same strategy for limit breaks, but I use a bolt-all in Sector 6 so Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, and Barret have all their level 3 limits by the time I get out of Midgar. Then I use the forest outside Junon to pick up Yuffie and get her and Red XIII’s, and Mt. Nibelheim for Cid and Vincent’s. It’s a strategy that’s served me well in the past.

    @El_Hefe: I considered trying for Omnislash when you have to stop over at the Gold Saucer before the Temple of the Ancients, but I didn’t see it on the prize list. I can’t remember exactly what you need to get it, but I thought it showed up there, right? It might not be available until Gold Saucer re-opens later in the game. If I’m wrong, I’ll kick myself, because I was totally going to try for that, since I had a setup that could get through gauntlet fairly easily (with a little luck) and plenty of MP.

  12. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 21:21 | Permalink
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    Disc 2!
    @Darth: Omnislash isn’t on the first page of the Battle Circl rewards–it’s on page 2 or 3(?) I believe, for 32,000 battle points.
    I also think you can get it from day one, but I’m not certain.

  13. El_Hefe
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 22:40 | Permalink
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    I think its actually 64000 bp on disc one but it goes down to 32000 on disc 2 (Final Attack Materia takes its place as the most expensive prize if I remember correctly). I faintly remember because I got 32000 bp and got all excited only to realize that it was 64000 bp early on.

    I guess they were trying to punish people for trying to be too badass early on.

    Those damn Japanese sadists!

  14. El_Hefe
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 22:44 | Permalink
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    Or maybe its W Summon that takes its place?
    Damn, its hard to remember back that far…

  15. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 23:41 | Permalink
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    I would entirely believe I missed something stupid like “it’s not on the first page.” As promised, I have kicked myself.

  16. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.06 at 23:50 | Permalink
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    Pix or it didn’t happen.

  17. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.07 at 00:33 | Permalink
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    I look like a coked up hooker, but here:

    http://tinypic.com/r/347trg2/4

  18. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.07 at 11:49 | Permalink
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    I guess it did happen!

  19. Squalldane
    Posted 2009.10.07 at 14:10 | Permalink
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    I’ve finally caught up to the latest podcast, and will join the ff7 discussion today. Although I am behind, I will make a noble effort to catch up. I have save files ready for these days.

    *Thinks back to the save file of Level 60 characters in the forest right before heading into Junon for the first time*

    And yes, I also got Great Gospel, although I really do not remember how I did it, as it was five years ago. I’ll refresh my memory and my save files and get back to you all.

  20. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.07 at 14:17 | Permalink
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    Well done, Squall. Thanks for coming along!

  21. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.07 at 19:39 | Permalink
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    Huzzah! My party’s finally back to full strength as of this morning, time to run around doing side missions until Saturday! Maybe it’s time I finally pick up Omnislash (if I can find it this time).

    Also, welcome aboard Squalldane!

  22. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.08 at 17:23 | Permalink
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    With so little to do, I got a bit ahead.
    I am outside the final dungeon with everyone ready to go in. I need to run in and plunder the treasures before coming out to save, but that can wait.

    I also need to go around the world and collect a few remaining things: Knights of the Round, Typhoon, &c. I don’t have Omnislash yet, either. (I hate the Battle Arena minigame; I always get screwed.)

    No Gold Chocobo here, so there’s that to do as well for the sake of completion, but I really don’t want to. Boooo~~~

  23. DarthGibblet
    Posted 2009.10.08 at 20:10 | Permalink
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    Is anybody going for KotR by defeating Emerald Weapon (or is it Ruby that nets you a gold choboco? I forget now) instead of the breading minigame? I’ve never tried it myself, I was curious if anybody does it that way.

  24. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.08 at 21:09 | Permalink
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    Ruby gives you the item that you can trade for the Gold Chocobo.

    I forgot about that, which is strange as that is the only way I have ever done this.

  25. Squalldane
    Posted 2009.10.09 at 02:30 | Permalink
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    Just a couple of quick comments before I hit the sack.

    It is official… the gaming gods are against me. All I wanted to do was get my PSX copy of FF7 working on my PS3 with my PSX memory card save files. The only way i can make this possible is by transferring my old psx files to my PS2 mem cards because Sony is a proprietary whore and won’t even let their own memory card adapter for PS3 read PSX mem cards (just PS2)

    So, I was looking for the cable to the TV for my old PS2. after a half hour of searching and finding one, I realized that the one I had hooked up to my PS3 was, in fact, the AV cable for my PS2. Then, I realized my power cable was no where to be found. I searched for another good half hour for the slim PS2 power adapter… >,< No luck. Quick thinking, I bust out my old PS1, connect the AV cable from PS2 to PS1. Grab my PSP slim charger (I'm quite the Sony fan, eh?) and unplug the converter portion of the PSP charger. And to my avail, it is the same plug! Woot! PSX works like a charm! I'm even using the old school controller with out the analog, Haha. My save files are intact and I'm going to use them when I get there. I have a save file at the Temple of the Ancients where all my characters are Level 60+, and I have Aeris' Great Gospel.

    Some quick thoughts –
    -Barrett is much more entertaining if you imagine his voice as Sgt. Doakes (Dexter season 1, 2)
    -Limit Break system is the best, bar none.
    -I'm STILL confused as of why cloud gets these random voices in his head, after countless times of me going through the story of this classic. (like when he's about to blow up the first reactor, or when he's about to blow up the second reactor and remembers Tifa)
    -I always go to config and set the ATB to active. I'm impatient.

    I'll catch up soon! I'm just about to leave Midgar haha

  26. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.09 at 05:28 | Permalink
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    @Squall: The proprietary memory card reader for the PS3 reads both PS1 and PS2 memory cards. This is how I move my save file from my PSP to my PS1 Memory Card and back.

    You might want to check the connexions on your memory card and make sure they are clean. (Blow on them.) Sometimes it may work in one device and not another because of their finicky nature.

  27. Squalldane
    Posted 2009.10.09 at 07:37 | Permalink
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    Hmm… I’ll check it out. I tried numerous times to get my PS1 mem cards working with it. One of my memory cards is a Madcatz, so I’m sure that’s the reason why that one won’t be read. The other is an official Sony.

  28. Squalldane
    Posted 2009.10.09 at 08:28 | Permalink
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    Yeah, you were right. The Sony PS1 mem card just needed some persuasion, I had to mess around with the USB cord for a little while. Thanks!

  29. darthgibblet
    Posted 2009.10.09 at 19:40 | Permalink
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    @Lusipurr/Squalldane: Can you copy save games off the PS3 onto a PS2/PS1 memory card with that adaptor? I don’t own it myself, since one of my friends had it early on in the PS3′s life cycle and said you could only copy memory cards to the PS3, not vice versa. If it was a 2-way street, I’d order one off Amazon immediately, since I’m pretty paranoid about save game corruption on my PS3 (at least for the games I’m currently playing through. I’m not much for keeping savegame archives around).

    Also, I just picked up Omnislash from the battle arena. Now to mine some power sources!

  30. Squalldane
    Posted 2009.10.09 at 22:50 | Permalink
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    I’ll give it a try after my playthrough of the first disc :) I…CAn’T…Qu1T…PL4y1nG…

    But, I’ve always read that it’s impossible.

  31. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.10.10 at 02:50 | Permalink
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    Bloody wordpress is down for writes to the server so I have to wait to post this.

    @Darth: Yes, you can. It’s a little connector that hooks to the end of a USB cable such as you use to charge the PS3 controller. You can then plug PS1 and PS2 memory cards into it. These show up in the PS3 XMB, where you can copy to and from them.

    Incidentally, you can do the same thing with your PSP if you connect it to your PS3 in USB mode.

    It’s worth noting that you can’t use these within the game itself–you can only save to the virtual memory sticks on the hard drive of the PS3. However, once in the PS3 menu, you can copy those files to the PSP or the memory cards via the connector device–and vice versa.

  32. darthgibblet
    Posted 2009.10.10 at 12:11 | Permalink
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    @Lusipurr: Thanks, that’s a lot better than the way he described it. He said there was only one option that would copy all the contents ot the memory card to a virtual card on the PS3′s hard drive. Like I said, this was within a few months of the PS3′s launch, so maybe they added functionality to it. IN either case, I’ll order one up, since it would be really handy to be able to play my save files on my upstairs PS2 instead of being tied in to the PS3. Up until now, I have been using the PSP to back up my save files in case my PS3 is completely bricked for some reason.

    I’ve been paranoid about the PS3′s handling of virtual memory cards ever since my friend (same one as above) had his entire card corrupted 1/2 way through his playthrough of FFXII. Granted, again, this was right around launch, so I bet that problem’s been taken care of by now, but you never know.