Sector 7 - Seventh Heaven

Little baby?

Barret
Hey! Don' act like you don't know what I mean!
I'm tellin' you...

Out of my way

Barret
Heh! Jes calm down.
Can't have people suspectin' us.

Don't care

Gossip
Oh, well excuse ME!

No, what?

Gossip
There's a news update. They say that there was a terrorist explosion up above, and that this time it was a Mako Reactor!!
You know what this means?

Cloud
- Don't care
- No, what?

Yep, that's me

So what. Everyone's a beginner sometime.

Black-haired Man
Don't act so big, amateur. Seein' as how I'm such a warm hearted guy, I'll show ya the ropes.
You come back here tomorrow. I got some things I gots ta do.

I used to be with SOLDIER, the name's Cloud

The name's Cloud. Used to be with SOLDIER, I got no business with you.

Black-haired Man
Hmmph!! Well, I never heard of ya!

What, that again?

Big Man
I guess you must be sick of hearing it... But it's been so long since there was any real news here.
You're worried where it's all heading, right?

............

Big Man
Everything's in a buzz 'bout that terrorist group AVALANCHE blowin' up the Sector 1 Mako Reactor.
On the surface they say they're an anti-Shinra group, but in reality...
They say they're just out to kill as many people as they can.
Gyaaaa, Haaa haaa!!
That's a good one, ain't it!? While they're bustin' things up on top, the only ones makin' out good are us weapon stores!
Now, if we can just get rid of this back stock, we'll be doin' ok.

Yeah

Tifa
I should have known.
He's always pushing people around, and you've always been in fights ever since you were little.
I was worried.

Not this time

Tifa
Hmm. You've grown up.
When you were little you used to get into fights at the drop of a hat.

If you bought a flower...

Tifa
Flowers? How nice...
You almost never see them here in the slums.
But...
A flower for me? Oh Cloud, you shouldn't have...

Cloud
No big.
- Give it to Tifa
- Give it to Marlene

If you didn't buy a flower...

Tifa
I'm so glad everyone's safe.

No

Biggs
What!? You tellin' me you're too good to drink with me?
Don't act big-headed jus' because you were in SOLDIER!

Yeah, why not?

Biggs
Oh!! That's more like it!!
Even if you were with SOLDIER, you're still a rookie here. So you'd better listen to whatever I tell ya!

About what?

Wedge
Tifa always lets me taste her cooking.
And look at me now, I'm rolly-polly.
Don't know whether I should be happy or sad. But it's the good food and drinks that make this shop famous.

I'm not interested in your stories

Wedge
Cloud...... ......forget it.

If you gave the flower to Marlene...

Barret
Huh? Where'd you get that flower?

Marlene
Cloud gave it to me.

Barret
Oh......
Did you thank him?

Marlene
............
Thank you, Cloud.
We'll take care of you.

'Bout what?

Gossip
About that little girl named Tifa and that bar called '7th Heaven'.
I'm not only informed, I'm kinda nosey too. Anyhow, I got the scoop.
You wanna hear?

Cloud
- You bet!
- Don't care

Don't care

Gossip
Oh really? Well, aren't you a cool one!

I don't feel like it

Tifa
OHH!!
I can make a drink just as good as anyone else.
Everyone says, my drinks taste the best!

Give me something hard

Tifa
Just a minute. I'll make one for you.
You know, I'm relieved you made it back safely.

Cloud
What's with you all of a sudden? That wasn't even a tough job.

Tifa
I guess not...
You were in SOLDIER.
Make sure you get your pay from Barret.

Cloud
Don't worry. Once I get that money, I'm outta here.

Yeah...

Wedge
The next mission will be to blow up the Sector 5 Reactor.
Cloud, you're great! Don't you ever get nervous?
Or are you like, impervious to feelings? Naw, that couldn't be it.

No...

Wedge
Well, that's ok. Don't worry about me. I don't look like it, but I'm a coward at heart.

Blow off

Wedge
Yeah, well. You look kind of lonely to me.
If you ever got anything you want to get off your chest, you can always talk to me.

I really don't care

Wedge
You're terrible. Real cold blooded.

Barret's snoring kept me up......

Tifa
psstpsst...
(keep it down, they'll hear you. Barret's always edgy before an operation.)

Next to you, who wouldn't?

Tifa
I don't know what you mean.

Ok, I'll explain it

A tutorial begins.

Cloud
Sure, I'll explain how Materia works.
First, access the menu.
You know the basic functions.
The triangle button brings up the menu.
Directional buttons move the cursor,
like this.
Select each menu by using the OK button.
If you want to leave the menu,
just push the CANCEL button.
See? Let's go ahead.
Now you're in this menu.
Select [Materia] sub menu.
Select who you want to use it.
Now look at my weapon here.
Each weapon and armor has slots in it.
Choose which slot you want to put Materia in.
Now select the Materia you want to use.
This is curative Materia.
If you want to know what its effect is,
line the cursor up with [Check],
and push the OK button.
It's just like selecting battle commands.
Just line the cursor up to [Magic],
you can see that the available magic has increased.
Now you can use new magic [Cure].
And that's all there is to equipping Materia.
See? It wasn't that tough!
When you want to remove any Materia,
it's as easy as pointing to the materia slot,
and pushing the triangle button.
There's just one thing you have to be careful of.
Whenever you equip Materia,
your situation changes.
Parts of you may become stronger...
while others get weaker.
Normally, when you equip [Magic] Materia,
your magic power will get stronger.
But your physical strength weakens.
So, Materia's kind of a double-edged sword.
On the left side of the screen,
you can see the Materia's effect on you.
It's wise not to overuse Magic Materia.
But try out various things.
Push the CANCEL button to exit the sub menu.
Ok, that's about it.
I'll give you some advanced tips later.

Barret
Shi......! What's this 'It wasn't that tough!' crap!
I'm clueless......
Well, you handle the Materia then!

You wouldn't understand

Barret
So this is what makes them guys in SOLDIER so great, huh!?
Ok. I'll ask Jessie again later. But you're in charge of the Materia!

1 gil

Kid
Damn, man!! Just forget about it!

10 gil

Kid
Oh man, oh man......
Go ahead 'n' help yourself to the room.

nothin'

Kid
Cheap %#*^...

How to save?

Cloud
Now I'll tell you about saving.
You know what'll happen if you don't save?
That's right.
Everything you worked so hard to do will be lost!
You never know when there might be a power outage.
And you've got a long battle ahead of you.
It pays to save often
and take breaks when you need them.
Anyway you'll need a Memory card to save your games.
But, uh, none of the stores around here sell any.
You'll have to get some at a (real) store.
I guess you already have a Memory card.
Put the Card firmly into the slot.
Put it in either the right or left side.
Then when you're ready, access the menu.
Select [Save].
Remember you can't just save wherever you want.
You can only save at places marked [Save Point].
When you find one, a message will appear.
Whenever you reach a [Save Point],
you'll want to save your game.
Slot 1 is on the left,
slot 2 on the right. Choose either one.
Next, choose your file and save it.
Each Memory card can hold up to 15 files.
If you have files from other games on it,
there will be less room to save.
The screen only shows 3 files at a time so,
press the directional buttons to scroll down the list,
and you can see the rest.
Remember, the more files you have,
the longer it will take to load.
One last thing.
The Memory card is a delicate device.
Be careful when handling it.
Never remove it while saving or loading.
Don't get mad even if you lose.
If that happens, just chill out,
and let your head, and your console, cool down.
That's all.
Remember to save often so you don't lose your games.

How to heal your allies?

If you don't have any Potions in your inventory:

Cloud
For my explanation, I'll need a Potion.

Ghost
Man, ex-SOLDIER's sure are cheap. OK, I'll GIVE you a Potion...

Cloud will then begin his explanation:

Cloud
You probably already know this but...
HP is your life force.
If HP is lost in battle, you're out of commission.
MP is the source of your magic power.
If your MP's lost, you'll be unable to cast spells.
So, what should we do to cure a damaged ally?
There are three ways.
First, you can rest at an inn at a nearby town.
Second, you can use items to help them recover.
Third, you can use curative magic.
I'll explain about Magic later,
but here we'll talk about items.
Select [Item] from the menu.
Potion restores HP.
If you can't find where Potion is,
access the menu and select [Arrange]
to change the order of items.
You can arrange them however you like.
Order items you'll use in the field.
Order items you'll use in battle.
Prioritize items you can throw in battle.
Order weapons and armor separately.
Order by name
Order by most items held
Order by least items held
By the way,
[Key Items]'s are just that,
items that unlock problems just like a key.
They're very important items to have.
Keep that in mind.
Ok, now select [Use],
Then select [Potion].
Select the person you want to use it on.
If they're already maxed out,
you won't be able to use it on them.
We can restore MP with [Ether].
You use this the same way you did for [Potion].
Just pick a member and use it!
The number appearing next to the item name
tells you how many are available.
Of course, the more you use, the less you'll have.
Some enemies will drop Potions or Ethers,
but you'll want to stock up whenever you're at a store.
One last thing, if someone in your party gets wiped out,
either rest at an inn or use [Phoenix Down].
That's all!

Curative Magic?

Cloud
Now I'll tell you how to use curative magic.
First, access the menu and select [Magic].
Next, select who'll cast the spell.
Pick an ally equipped with [Restore] Materia.
You can select another party member
by using the L1 and R1 buttons.
The function also work in other sub menus.
Better remember that.
This is magic you can use,
monsters you can summon,
and enemy techniques you've learned.
Whenever [Magic] is selected...
the available magic appears on the screen...
So, if you wanted to use [Cure]...
you would select it from the menu...
then select who you want to use it on.
I think Potion is pretty expensive, so...
when you're near an inn and you can restore MP,
it's better to use curative magic rather than Potion.
That's all.

Weapons and armor?

Cloud
Equipping weapons & armor is basic to battle.
Let me show you how it's done.
Just finding or buying new weapons or armor,
isn't enough.
You have to access the menu and select [Equip].
Then, select who you want to equip.
You can change weapons,
armor
and accessories.
Accessories have special effects.
Just select what you want to change.
On the right side of the screen,
here's a list of what can be equipped.
You can see the item's effect here.
Change your weapon with the OK button.
Make sure it'll increase attack/defense levels.
Pay special attention to Materia slots.
The slots that are linked are effective.
Also check the growth rates of Materia.
Now when you want to remove an accessory...
press the triangle button here.
You should never remove weapons or armor.
Because you never know when you'll be attacked.
After you're finished equipping,
you should re-equip your Materia.
That's it!

How to apply Materia?

Cloud
Materia can unleash hidden power in humans.
So let's see how Materia is used.
First, access the menu.
Then select [Materia].
Select who you want to use it.
Pay close attention to my weapon here.
Each weapon and armor has slots in them.
Choose which slot you want to put Materia in.
Now select the Materia you want to use.
This is curative Materia.
If you want to know what its effect is,
line the cursor up with [Check],
and push the OK button.
It's just like selecting battle commands.
Just line the cursor up to [magic],
you can see that the available magic has increased.
Now you can use new magic [Cure].
And that's all there is to equipping Materia.
See? It wasn't that tough!
When you want to remove Materia,
it's as easy as pointing to the materia slot,
and pushing the triangle button.
There's only one thing you have to watch out for.
When you equip Materia, your condition changes.
Parts of you will become stronger...
while others get weaker.
Normally, when you equip [Magic] Materia,
your magic power will get stronger.
But your physical strength weakens.
So, Materia's kind of a double-edged sword.
The left side of the screen,
shows the effect of the Materia.
Try out everything.
And that's all.
I'll tell you about some of the finer points next.

Effective ways to use Materia?

Cloud
Access the menu if you find Materia.
There's a lot of different Materia around.
This is one of them. It's [All] Materia.
If you equip this alone, nothing will happen.
It's a little tricky, but I'll tell you anyway.
Now look at my weapon.
Look closely at those two slots.
They're joined together as linked slots.
You've got to remember to put it into linked slots.
Different Materia will affect each other.
But only if the slots are linked.
Just to show you,
let's put some [All] into one of the slots,
and [Lightning] in the other.
Now we can use [Bolt] on [All] the enemies.
But it's limited to once per battle.
Combine different things
and you'll come up with different results.
Combining [Restore] and [All],
will let you use [Cure] for your entire party.
There are also many useless combinations.
For example, [Restore] and [Lightning]
[Bolt] and [Cure] can be used normally, but
there won't be any compound effect.
Specialized Materia like [All] is called [Support Materia].
You can tell the difference
just by looking at the Materia's color.
This may sound weird, but
did you know Materia grows on its own?
Even if one of your allies uses it,
it will continue to grow with each battle.
As its level increases,
so will the effects of the magic you can use.
I told you [All] works once per battle.
But it can work twice or more as it grows.
When you get it to the master leve,
Materia will divide itself, looking like it's giving birth.
But that master Materia won't grow anymore.
When you can't take Materia on anymore,
you'd better sell it or dump it somewhere.
You can see the useful functions here.
You can [Arange] Materia,
[Remove all] Materia from your weapon.
You can throw Materia into the [Trash].
Oops, relax! I wasn't gonna dump it.
Let's see. This is a special menu for you.
You can exchange all Materia you have between allies,
even if they're not in your party.
Now about Materia's growth.
The growth rate depends on
what weapon or armor it's put into.
Some will double in growth, while others won't grow at all.
In most cases, the Materia's effect won't change
whether you put it into a weapon or armor.
But [Elemental] and [Added Effect]
are completely different depending on whether
they're put into weapons or armor.
You've got to think about
what weapon or armor to use, or
what Materia combinations will be the strongest.
I remember hearing once...
about extraordinary Materia somewhere in the world.
I think I've told you just about everything I can.

How to form your battle party?

Cloud
I'll explain your party's order in battle.
First, access the menu and select [Order].
Next, select who you want to switch.
Now, select the position you want.
This will change their position in battle.
In this case
there isn't any advantage/disadvantage.
But when you select the same person twice,
it will place them
in either the front/back row in a battle.
When they're on the left side of the screen,
that'll be the front row...
When they're on the right,
that'll be the back row.
When you're in the front row
and you select [Attack]
you inflict major damage on your enemy.
But you will also receive greater damage.
While in the back row,
although you do less damage to the enemy,
you also receive less damage.
For magic attacks,
there's no difference in damage
between the front & back rows.
There is also no difference
when you use long range weapons.
It's better to keep weaker members...

He moves the cursor to Barret.

in the back row.
And that's it. Of course,
I'm better off in the front row!

How to check your status?

Cloud
You must know your current status.
That's one of the basics of battle.
Access the menu and select [Status].
Next, select the member you want to check.
Were you surprised at the amount of information?
I'll explain the order.
First,
these are your experience points and your level.
The more experience you get in battle,
the stronger you become.
This gauge tells you
how many points you need to get to the next level.
If you can't beat stronger enemies,
raise your level by fighting weaker ones.
You'll improve your physical and magical skills.
Next is HP and MP.
HP is your life force.
When it reaches zero, you won't be able to fight.
MP is the source of your magic power.
Every time you cast magic, you use MP.
and when you run out of MP,
you won't be able to cast spells.
This is called the Limit gauge.
It shows your anger level.
When the gauge is full, you can use a "Limit Technique".
I'll tell you about "Limit Techniques" later.
You know the battle commands
are classified roughly into two groups.
[Attack] is for regular physical attacks.
[Magic] and [Summon] cast magic attacks.
Each has attacking power, defense power,
and escape probabilities.
The value depends on your equipment,
and experience level.
The total effect is on the chart below.
These are commands you can use in battle.
And your presently equipped weapons, armor,
and accessories.
Press the OK button here one more time.
There are all types of attacks...
Some monsters are weak against fire,
others are weak against ice or lightning.
The Materia or items you have
can add these [Elemental]s to your attacks
or protect yourself from them in an enemy attack.
This chart shows your current attributes.
Press the OK button here one more time.
The chart below means [Added Effect]s.
Some enemies will use sneaky attacks on you.
These attacks change your condition,
such as...
sleep, confuse, poison, darkness, petrify,
silence, small, frog, and so on.
These conditions disappear after each battle,
except fury and sadness which will remain.
To cure these conditions quickly,
use items or magic.
There are specific medicines for each condition.
I know I'm repeating myself but,...
when you're taken out in battle,
I mean, when you're almost dead,
use [Life] magic or the item [Phoenix down].
When you change Materia or equipment
it's best to look here to check on them.
Mastering Elementals and Added Effects...
will make your battles safer.
That's all.

About Limit status?

Cloud
Here are a few hints on limit techniques.
When an enemy has pushed your anger to the limits,
you can unleash unimaginable power.
You know what I mean, right?
The trick is how to use it.
Access the menu and select [Limit].
Now select a member.
Now decide what your limit will be.
Lower limits have less power,
but you can use them more often.
If you set your limit higher,
you can inflict great damage,
but you'll have to wait longer.
After using this technique for awhile,
you'll improve your technique.
Your development will change
depending on how you fight.
I can't tell you how it will change.
That's something you'll have to find out by yourself.
I've heard a rumor about secret items
that inspire ultimate techniques.
I don't know whether or not those items really exist.
That's it! Try everything out and use what's best for you!

Other things to watch for?

Cloud
You probably know all this. But just in case, I'll go over it.
Until you get instructions, don't open or take discs out of the PlayStation.
After you open up the Disc Cover, I can't guarantee what'll happen. That's all.

About ATB

Cloud
ATB or Active Time Battle is a system that is always in operation during battle.
Select [Wait] from ATB on the Config Menu and time will stop when you select magic or items during battle.
This gives you time to pick out your commands. This is especially helpful to beginners.
Selecting [Recommended] ATB in the config menu can stop time while the effects of spells and items are taking place during battle.
This lets you take your time looking over the progression of the battle. When you don't want to rush in battle, this is for you!
Personally, I always use [Active], but you can use whichever you like.

The numbers on the screen

Cloud
White numbers appearing on the screen in battle are damage points. Green numbers show restorative points.
You better watch these if you don't want to get wiped out.

About [change] and [defend]

Cloud
The [change] command can move characters to and from the front and back rows.
In the back row, the damage received is less, but the attacking power is less.
You can make a [change] by pressing the Directional button in battle.
Pushing the Directional button the other direction during battle accesses [defend].
Selecting [defend] reduces the damage you receive by half until the next command.
If you're up against a strong enemy, Don't hesitate to use this one. Of course, I never need it.

About [Escape]

Cloud
I don't really remember ever having to use the [escape] command... but you'll probably need it.
Push the L1 and R1 buttons at the same time, holding them down, and you can escape.

About the gauges

Cloud
During battle, there are several [gauges] displayed. You can't check them now, so just remember what I tell you.
[time gauge] displays the time remaining until your next turn while in battle.
When the gauge is full, you can make your command.
If you don't want to make one, push the △ button and you can move to the next character.
It's convenient when you wanna make Barret work.
The [limit gauge] increases every time you sustain damage. When it is full, you can use the [limit technique].
The gauge is not cleared after each battle, but gradually builds up over time.
It takes a while for it to build up, so you have to think about which times are the best to use it.
You probably don't know about it, but there are conditions of [status], [fury], and [sadness].
When you have [fury], your limit gauge builds up sooner, but your attacking accuracy is lower.
Keep in mind that [sadness] makes your limit gauge build up slower, but the damage you receive is also lessened.
[barrier gauge] is for specialized magic.
The top gauge displays [barrier] or magic defense against attacks. The bottom gauge displays [magic barrier] or defenses against magic attacks.
Both will cut the damage you receive in half. However, over time they will disappear.
Whenever you use [barrier] or [magic barrier] make sure to pay attention to the [barrier gauge].
That's it. Remember that for the next battle.

About [status]

Cloud
[status] means just that. The status of each character.
I'll probably wind up repeating myself, but let me go over a few basic points.
Sleep
You cannot put in a command until you get up.
Poison
Steals your HP in battle.
Fury
Damage is increased, attack accuracy decreased. Tranquilizers will remedy it.
Sadness
Damage is decreased. Hyper will remedy it.
Petrify
Will petrify and become immobilized. Every member will be wiped out.
Confuse
Will attack enemy and ally alike.
Silence
Will be unable to cast magic.
Paralyze
Stops time gauges, commands.
Darkness
Accuracy of hitting attacks decreases.
Frog
Become a frog. I hate this one!
Hoo... I'm beat.
[status change], since this can be changed with magic and items, you should check it whenever you buy things.

About [elementals]

Cloud
[elemental] is the special effect that comes with certain weapons and magic.
It's necessary to move ahead effectively. If you pay attention to the types of elementals you use you'll become intermediate in no time.
I put together this list, but remember, it's just a partial list don't take it too literally.
Fire
Fire effect. Works best on animals and water monsters.
Ice
Ice effect. Works best on fire monsters and things that hate the cold.
Lightning
Lightning effect. Works best on mechanical things.
Earth
Attacks using the earth's power. Doesn't work on flying enemies.
Poison
Poisons enemies. Doesn't work on any poison based enemies.
Gravity
Gravity based attack. These hurt if they hit.
Water
Calls on the earth's water. Works well on fire monsters.
Wind
Calls up the winds. Works well on flying enemies.
Holy
Calls up the Planet's power. Works well on dark monsters.
If you use reciprocal elementals in your attacks, the effect is huge!
Also, if you use the same elemental, your defenses are raised. But, you have to be careful because the opposite is also true.
To see what elementals an enemy has, you need [Sense] Materia. If you get that Materia, you should try using it.

About [help]

Cloud
Looks like you didn't get it the last time I told you. What's wrong with you? You touched in the head?
Well, don't worry. You just need to push the [SELECT] button in battle.
Do that, and the [help message] will walk you through the commands.
It also shows you the name of your enemy, so even I use it once in a while. Make good use of it.

10 gil

Kid
Sweet dreams, pops.

Cloud
hoo...

Cloud rests.

no way

Kid
Tough guy, huh!? You'd better sleep when you can.
You'd better save when you can.
That's the trick to being tough. Remember that, old dude.

A village called Nibelheim

Johnny's Dad
Hm...... you said Nibelheim? Wasn't it in the news a while back?
Something to do with a Reactor accident...
That was the first major Mako accident, so I remember it really being a hot topic.

Who cares?

Johnny's Dad
Ha, Ha!...... Well, there's nothin' wrong with that, I'd say.
But if you still have a family, You outta at least write them.
Even though you may turn your back on your hometown, It'll always be there for you.
Least that's how I see it.