Summary:
A breather after the intensity of Cloud’s flashback. We explore the
town of Kalm, and grind up in the surrounding overworld for upgrades.
The party heads south, finds a chocobo farm, and then gets eaten by a
missile-launching 30 foot cobra.
Present – Kalm Inn
-THAT’S IT? That’s the story? I guess Cloud wouldn’t have stood a chance then, but how did he escape alive? He doesn’t remember. Sephiroth disappeared, and Shinra declared him dead.
-Wow. Cloud asks the same thing. I’m not used to characters addressing story holes in the text so directly. I love it.
-The whole party addresses a lot of these holes now. Why was Jenova in the Shinra Building? Who’s helping Sephiroth? How did Tifa survive and escape?
-Cetra wrap: there are three remaining. Aeris, Sephiroth, and Jenova herself. Is Aeris descended from Jenova, or is there some other line of Cetra?
-Time to move on. Almost. There’s an item in a cabinet that’s too high for me to reach. This is a longshot, but maybe… No. Tried putting Barret first in the party instead of Cloud, but my world avatar is still Cloud. (I was hoping Barret would be tall enough to reach the item.)
---
Kalm
-Someone in a black cloak with a scary sword walked east. This sounds like Sephiroth, but could be an intentional misdirect.
-We meet a Shinra fangirl. Well, that’s not fair. That’s like calling me an electricity fanboy. She says that the Mako Shinra brings her makes live so much more convenient. It’s an energy source, and one that Shinra markets as oil/electricity.
And yet her kid upstairs says that life was better before Mako, since now plants and animals are disappearing rapidly. Closer to oil than electricity maybe.
-Shopping around Kalm. And by “shopping,” I mean “stealing innocent townsfolks’ stuff” like a Peacemaker and Guard Source.
-Monsters appeared in the Mythril Mines to the south. I think I remember this from FFIII.
-Lots of juicy material and weapons in the store, but I have so little gil. I think I’ll grind a bit and come back snortly.
---
Overworld
-Grinded a bit and got weapon upgrades for everyone. Finally upgraded that goofy sword Cloud had been using from the beginning. The new sword lacks a bit of character, though way better damage for each.
-I like the evil motorcycle monsters. I HATE the Prowlers, guys who steal my stuff and then disappear.
-How does leveling-up work for characters not currently in my party? Anything automatic, or do I have to keep cycling them in to stay on level? [Note: this is one of those few questions I’d actually love an answer to :) ]
-This is the first overworld I can remember with navigable elevation.
-Ok. Two leads I can follow-up on now. The man with the sword heading east, or mines to the south. I first try east, but all I see is a river and impassable terrain. South it is.
-I FOUGHT AN ELEPHANT MONSTER NAMED “ELFADUNK” WHOSE SPECIAL ATTACK WAS SITTING AND SPRAYING WATER OUT OF HIS TRUNK
Cutest enemy since the flying-pigs-with-wings, the Fairy Orcs of FFV.
---
Chocobo Farm
-What does the chocobo say? Well, apparently in FFVII, it says “Wark.”
-So in this game, I can catch a chocobo by equipping a Chocobo Lure (material) and walking on chocobo tracks in the overworld. I fight a pack of monsters with a chocobo in it, kill the monsters, and use “Greens” to lure the chocobo.
-Bought a Chocobo Lure and… hm, there are different greens. Got one Gysahl and one Krakka Greens.
-A chocobo can cross the marshes. And it’s the only way to avoid being attacked by something called “Midgar Zolom.” Superboss? Probably not this early, but maybe just a really tough monster.
-Ah. It’s A 30-foot fall serpent. Sounds pleasant.
---
Overworld
-Nothing to the east.
-I see the marsh. Saving, and going to try walking through it to see if the Midgar Zolom is beatable.
-AAAARGH!! We actually see her shadow race up to me as soon as I walked into the marsh. She’s HUGE. If you've read my prior playthroughs, you know how much giant monsters freak me out, and boy does this hit that fear.
Midgar Zolom.
-Aaaaaand that’s a big no. I lasted a while, but she just hits way too hard and has too much life. Plus, she can launch missiles at me.
Nuclear launch detected.
---
Next time: cross the marsh on a chocobo to avoid the Midgar Zolom.
Present – Kalm Inn
-THAT’S IT? That’s the story? I guess Cloud wouldn’t have stood a chance then, but how did he escape alive? He doesn’t remember. Sephiroth disappeared, and Shinra declared him dead.
-Wow. Cloud asks the same thing. I’m not used to characters addressing story holes in the text so directly. I love it.
-The whole party addresses a lot of these holes now. Why was Jenova in the Shinra Building? Who’s helping Sephiroth? How did Tifa survive and escape?
-Cetra wrap: there are three remaining. Aeris, Sephiroth, and Jenova herself. Is Aeris descended from Jenova, or is there some other line of Cetra?
-Time to move on. Almost. There’s an item in a cabinet that’s too high for me to reach. This is a longshot, but maybe… No. Tried putting Barret first in the party instead of Cloud, but my world avatar is still Cloud. (I was hoping Barret would be tall enough to reach the item.)
---
Kalm
-Someone in a black cloak with a scary sword walked east. This sounds like Sephiroth, but could be an intentional misdirect.
-We meet a Shinra fangirl. Well, that’s not fair. That’s like calling me an electricity fanboy. She says that the Mako Shinra brings her makes live so much more convenient. It’s an energy source, and one that Shinra markets as oil/electricity.
And yet her kid upstairs says that life was better before Mako, since now plants and animals are disappearing rapidly. Closer to oil than electricity maybe.
-Shopping around Kalm. And by “shopping,” I mean “stealing innocent townsfolks’ stuff” like a Peacemaker and Guard Source.
-Monsters appeared in the Mythril Mines to the south. I think I remember this from FFIII.
-Lots of juicy material and weapons in the store, but I have so little gil. I think I’ll grind a bit and come back snortly.
---
Overworld
-Grinded a bit and got weapon upgrades for everyone. Finally upgraded that goofy sword Cloud had been using from the beginning. The new sword lacks a bit of character, though way better damage for each.
-I like the evil motorcycle monsters. I HATE the Prowlers, guys who steal my stuff and then disappear.
-How does leveling-up work for characters not currently in my party? Anything automatic, or do I have to keep cycling them in to stay on level? [Note: this is one of those few questions I’d actually love an answer to :) ]
-This is the first overworld I can remember with navigable elevation.
-Ok. Two leads I can follow-up on now. The man with the sword heading east, or mines to the south. I first try east, but all I see is a river and impassable terrain. South it is.
-I FOUGHT AN ELEPHANT MONSTER NAMED “ELFADUNK” WHOSE SPECIAL ATTACK WAS SITTING AND SPRAYING WATER OUT OF HIS TRUNK
Cutest enemy since the flying-pigs-with-wings, the Fairy Orcs of FFV.
---
Chocobo Farm
-What does the chocobo say? Well, apparently in FFVII, it says “Wark.”
-So in this game, I can catch a chocobo by equipping a Chocobo Lure (material) and walking on chocobo tracks in the overworld. I fight a pack of monsters with a chocobo in it, kill the monsters, and use “Greens” to lure the chocobo.
-Bought a Chocobo Lure and… hm, there are different greens. Got one Gysahl and one Krakka Greens.
-A chocobo can cross the marshes. And it’s the only way to avoid being attacked by something called “Midgar Zolom.” Superboss? Probably not this early, but maybe just a really tough monster.
-Ah. It’s A 30-foot fall serpent. Sounds pleasant.
---
Overworld
-Nothing to the east.
-I see the marsh. Saving, and going to try walking through it to see if the Midgar Zolom is beatable.
-AAAARGH!! We actually see her shadow race up to me as soon as I walked into the marsh. She’s HUGE. If you've read my prior playthroughs, you know how much giant monsters freak me out, and boy does this hit that fear.
Midgar Zolom.
-Aaaaaand that’s a big no. I lasted a while, but she just hits way too hard and has too much life. Plus, she can launch missiles at me.
Nuclear launch detected.
---
Next time: cross the marsh on a chocobo to avoid the Midgar Zolom.
