The Last To Post Wins!

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Ok!

Then it's Shallistera time!

[DragonFlames]

3 minutes ago, Reisalin Stout said:

Ok!

Then it's Shallistera time!

Have fun!

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Thanks!

 

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Just watched a quiz show and learned that a Mexican beer called Corona exists.

So I know a skill in Fire Emblem, a musical artist, a beer trademark and an ailment with that name.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Reisalin Stout

[Shrimpica]

5 fucking levels. That fight was super tough. man. Why is the exp limit 9999 anyway. I should have gotten 27k exp game. pls.

Also, Tio MVP. the only one who could damage the guy.

5 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Look at the bright side, at least you had the sleep you missed due to Ao's hype train not stopping.

Hype not stopping. I will probably miss some more sleep in the next days xD

I am at intermission before Finale now 😄

Edit: Finale now with fucking hype & Information overload

Edited April 5, 2020 by Shrimperor

[DragonFlames]

4 hours ago, Reisalin Stout said:

So I know a skill in Fire Emblem, a musical artist, a beer trademark and an ailment with that name.

Also the aura of plasma that surrounds the sun (as well as every star) at all times.

2 hours ago, Shrimperor said:

Also, Tio MVP. the only one who could damage the guy.

Why am I not surprised by this?

2 hours ago, Shrimperor said:

Edit: Finale now with fucking hype & Information overload

Hey, so that's where CS3 got that idea from!

---

The next party member that joined me in Mary Skelter earlier gave me a nostalgia overload. Her name is Thumbelina, which was the very first fairytale of many my grandma used to read to me when I was a child. Come to think of it, maybe that was what sparked my interest in these kinds of stories as well as mythology as a whole.
Also, she looks like a readheaded loli version of Noire, which is kind of funny. No signs of her being a Tsundere, though. Not yet, anyway. The best part by far is her special skill though: she can shrink items. I don't know what possible benefits that could have, but I guess time will tell on that front.

[Armagon]

8 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Speaking of VII, it turns out FFVII Remake isn't a remake of FFVII in the sense that its narrative simply didn't have some new side content added, they went ahead and ended Midgar maaaaaaaaaaaasively differently. Nomura looks to be at it with his Kingdom Hearts esotericism again, and I can't remember the source, but I think he said somewhere he only plans one KH game's plot ahead. Not good. Poor VII (no, I'm not being sarcastic), the only version of VII that Nomura didn't botch will be forever stuck with hideously aged graphics and a flawed English translation.

Yeah, that's been my main concern ever since I found out it was Nomura who was handling FF7R. But I didn't start to see the real red flags until we got the first trailer since E3 2015. And then, the final trailer we got recently had left me with even more doubts. 

I haven't seen the ending to FF7R, I have some idea thanks to the final trailer, but could you tell me what the ending is (through DMs since Remake technically isn't out yet)?  I don't have any way to play FF7R so spoilers isn't a concern for me personally.

8 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

And to speak of Xenoblade, I'm hoping that after Future Connected (SPOILERS)...

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

Thankfully, I don't think we have to worry about that. Unlike Nomura, Takahashi actually does know how to write and has planned out multiple games ahead in the past, even if his full vision got interrupted by higher-ups twice. Of course, Takahashi won't be writing Xeno forever, but that bridge will be crossed when we get there.

In regards to the future of Xenoblade, I do think Takahashi is going back to making an interconnected story (since he can actually do it now without higher-ups and sales interfereing) but taking a much different approach than Gears or Saga. Instead of making a multi-part epic, Xenoblade games will mostly be standalone in their own universes but they will all have a common center, that center being The Experiment. Or more specifically, the Conduit. I don't see every Xenoblade game having it's connection to The Experiment be as clear as Xenoblade 1 and 2 but the Conduit will probably show up multiple times in the future. At least once per universe. 

I just bring up The Experiment because Klaus did state that it scattered people into dimensions. Half of Klaus and at least half of Galea ended up in Xenoblade 1 but who's to say the rest of humanity didn't end up somewhere else. There's already the theory that the Saamarians the original humans from Xenoblade 2's world who got displaced after Klaus hit the big red button.

 

6 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Although another explanation could be that I'm using an SD-card reader to get the screenshots from my SD card to my computer.

That's probably why. I usually just uploaded directly to Twitter and copy the image url from there and that's why the watermarks show up.

6 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Shallistera looks prettier between the two, but Shalotte seems like the more fun character.

Shallotte falls in your typical Atelier protags category. Shalliestera is a lot more quiet in comparison (a bit too quiet sometimes).

6 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

If it helps, judging from the descriptions, Shallistera's story could be potentially more interesting - that is, if there is a difference between the two at all.
The premise is intriguing to me, at the very least.

Both stories are the same, what changes is the perspective. To be specifc, the first four chapters and chapter 6 are different depending on who you chose but the story will always end the same. There's also two character endings for each route and a true ending unlocked after seeing all the character endings (which means playing both routes).

5 hours ago, Reisalin Stout said:

Just watched a quiz show and learned that a Mexican beer called Corona exists.

Wait, how did you not know Corona existed? I don't drink beer because I legally can't (and even if I was 21, I wouldn't want to) but I see it in stores all the time.

I didn't know it was Mexican though.

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Armagon

[Lightcosmo]

9 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Speaking of VII, it turns out FFVII Remake isn't a remake of FFVII in the sense that its narrative simply didn't have some new side content added, they went ahead and ended Midgar maaaaaaaaaaaasively differently. Nomura looks to be at it with his Kingdom Hearts esotericism again, and I can't remember the source, but I think he said somewhere he only plans one KH game's plot ahead. Not good. Poor VII (no, I'm not being sarcastic), the only version of VII that Nomura didn't botch will be forever stuck with hideously aged graphics and a flawed English translation.

But, #%@&^ is so good for swearing cover ups! Honestly, those make me laugh way more than they should.

[Interdimensional Observer]

8 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Imagine my surprise to know it was not even close. Years later I learned that all three disc carry the entire game anyway. The only thing they don't share is the FMV's. For those you need to swap the discs; but other than that you can play through Disc 1 story in, say, Disc 3, and it'd be fine.

But, the FMVs are an important part of VII. For the time, they were the cutting edge of presentation, and presentation has usually since VII at least been a core part of FF- you argue the dramatic opening of IV is 16-bit top tier presentation too, maybe. FFVIII wouldn't have had to have been 4 Discs if they left out the "home video" that plays during the credits where Zell eats until he chokes and needs help (thats all I distinctly remember of it).

 

5 hours ago, Reisalin Stout said:

Just watched a quiz show and learned that a Mexican beer called Corona exists.

So I know a skill in Fire Emblem, a musical artist, a beer trademark and an ailment with that name.

And, it is Latin meaning "wreath, crown".

Presumably, the FE skill, since it's for Light Priestesses and Saints, would get its name from the plasma around a star. The plasma gently surrounds- crowns- the surface of a star. Think less of a giant gilded crown with jewels, and more one of those stereotypical wreaths worn by a Roman Emperor. Thats my guess.

[Lightcosmo]

6 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

But, the FMVs are an important part of VII. For the time, they were the cutting edge of presentation, and presentation has usually since VII at least been a core part of FF- you argue the dramatic opening of IV is 16-bit top tier presentation too, maybe. FFVIII wouldn't have had to have been 4 Discs if they left out the "home video" that plays during the credits where Zell eats until he chokes and needs help (thats all I distinctly remember of it).

The thing that stood out the most in VIII's ending, to me at least, was the fact that apparently Seifer fishes? Like, I do not see him as a fisher at all, considering. That's all that I think of when I think about it!

Also, poor, poor Zell.

Edited April 5, 2020 by lightcosmo

[Sidereal Wraith]

Emperor save us all...

[Armagon]

30 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

But, #%@&^ is so good for swearing cover ups! Honestly, those make me laugh way more than they should.

I really hope Remake keeps these. Cause it'd be a lot funnier now that there's full voice acting.

____________

Unrelated but I hate calling it "Final Fantasy 7 Remake". It sounds too tentative. Should've been called Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Surprised Nomura didn't go with that, honestly.

[Lightcosmo]

Just now, Armagon said:

I really hope Remake keeps these. Cause it'd be a lot funnier now that there's full voice acting.

____________

Unrelated but I hate calling it "Final Fantasy 7 Remake". It sounds too tentative. Should've been called Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Surprised Nomura didn't go with that, honestly.

Yeah, that's one of the highlights of FF VII's story for me, is that those are so funny in a lot of scenes. Although I am not a huge fan of VII, even I can admit that that dialogue, was great.

[Acacia Sgt]

I have a feeling Cid might be toned down to be like in the rest of the compilation.

That said, it'd be hilarious if they keep all the symbol swearing and for the voiced dialogue it's pure censor bleeps. XD

They better keep the GODDAMN TEA.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

4 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Also the aura of plasma that surrounds the sun (as well as every star) at all times.

Oh yes, that's right!

I remember this term.

3 hours ago, Armagon said:

Wait, how did you not know Corona existed? I don't drink beer because I legally can't (and even if I was 21, I wouldn't want to) but I see it in stores all the time.

I didn't know it was Mexican though.

I know a few beer trademarks like Heineken from The Netherlands, Efes from Turkey, Pils from Czech Republic and Fosters from Australia, but I never ever heared Corona.

After checking out how the beer looks like, I can't say for certain I've seen it in a store yet.

I couldn't even name a beer from the US.

2 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

And, it is Latin meaning "wreath, crown".

Presumably, the FE skill, since it's for Light Priestesses and Saints, would get its name from the plasma around a star. The plasma gently surrounds- crowns- the surface of a star. Think less of a giant gilded crown with jewels, and more one of those stereotypical wreaths worn by a Roman Emperor. Thats my guess.

After reading Dragonflames's explanation I was thinking about it too.

 

 

Anyways done with chapter 1 in Shallie.

I like the gameplay so far.

I'm surprised that I could beat the first "elite" monster in my very first attempt thanks to Jurie's craft which blinds the opponent.

 

Shallistera is quiet- what I expected - so it doesn't bother me too much.

It suits to her appearance.

[Acacia Sgt]

I'd say, best thing of the Corona beer... the commercials.

I don't drink beer; but those commercials were amusing to watch.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

This spot should have been brought in my country's TV, so everyone would have known of it.

Though I still would have not known likely because I don't watch advertisement at all.

[Acacia Sgt]

5 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

And, it is Latin meaning "wreath, crown".

Presumably, the FE skill, since it's for Light Priestesses and Saints, would get its name from the plasma around a star. The plasma gently surrounds- crowns- the surface of a star. Think less of a giant gilded crown with jewels, and more one of those stereotypical wreaths worn by a Roman Emperor. Thats my guess.

I suppose that's what localization went with.

In Japan, the skill is known as 暁光, which means Morning Light. Or, shall we say... a Radiant Dawn?

... maybe that's also why it got changed...

Edited April 5, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[Interdimensional Observer]

8 hours ago, lightcosmo said:

But, #%@&^ is so good for swearing cover ups! Honestly, those make me laugh way more than they should.

Of course, there is a 90% chance nothing Barret said should've been swears. According to this:

Spoiler

"So this is the start of the discussion of swear words in Japanese-to-English translations. It’s a really interesting topic but also pretty lengthy, so I’ll try to stick to the key points.

Basically, Japanese doesn’t use “swearing” as we do. Instead, Japanese consists of multiple politeness levels, and depending on your social standing between you and the speaker, your intent, and such stuff, you pick from the appropriate politeness level. You talk up to your teachers for example, while a department head at a company will talk down to his subordinates. There are different levels, and one of the lowest levels to talk to someone is the closest equivalent to our swearing.

A quick example of “eat”. Here are a bunch of different levels of telling someone to eat.

• Omeshiagari kudasaimase
• Omeshiagatte kudasai
• Tabete kudasai
• Tabete kure
• Tabete
• Tabero
• Kue

The proper word to use depends on who’s talking, who’s being spoken to, what their relationship is, what the intent is, and other context things. By going against what’s proper, you can talk rudely, which is what swearing accomplishes in our language (and other similar languages).

Even words like “kuso” have multiple translations, you could call it the “shit” in one case, while in other case it could be as harmless as “dang it!”. You’d even hear “kuso” in Pokemon anime I’m sure, for example. I know I heard it in Beyblade often enough.

Because all of this is so subjective, swearing in translation can vary pretty crazily depending on the translator. Generally, the more experience, the better the swearing turns out. That’s why with fan translations (particularly anime and manga) you tend to see tons of swearing in what would seem to be kids’ shows or what have you.

Also, because of all this, I really doubt the Japanese rating system takes this politeness level stuff into account, since it occurs everywhere in Japanese entertainment. It’s also not taboo. You don’t want to talk in everyday situations the way they do in entertainment, but you’re not going to go to hell or get your mouth soaped if you use the wrong level. You’ll just really tick people off,

That you laugh at the swearing may have been intentional, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

The 64-bit era of gaming had plenty of English swearing on non-Nintendo systems (and sometimes even the 64) because it was considered "mature" and not-kiddy. It was in a sense a backlash to NES-SNES localization policies where alcohol, religion, sex, and sometimes even dying were considered taboo terms and had to be vigorously edited out. Sony and Sega and companies that supported them made "translations" that, even if it meant betraying the spirit and the content alike of the Japanese, were edgy because it was cool and kids supposedly didn't want anything that was for babies i.e. Nintendo. 

This style of "mature, but really immature" translation heavily influenced early fan translations, which isn't for the best. Since early fan translators had zero problems destroying the actual characterization of characters and inserting their own dirty quips that had no existence in the Japanese. I believe in localization and not pure uncompromising translation, but that stuff is going too far.

-Note, I am not saying modern professional translations are perfect either. You still get instances of haphazard changes done for sillies that shouldn't have happened- see SaizoxBeruka C. But professionally things have gotten much better.

TL;DR Barret using bleeped swears was probably because it was fun, but they were meant seriously at the same time, not as the total absurdity they are now.

This said, if they included a reference or two to Barret's old #%@&^* behavior, that'd be fine by me.

 

8 hours ago, lightcosmo said:

The thing that stood out the most in VIII's ending, to me at least, was the fact that apparently Seifer fishes? Like, I do not see him as a fisher at all, considering. That's all that I think of when I think about it!

Also, poor, poor Zell.

Fishing requires patience, Seifer definitely looks to lack that, especially when he hops around in battle like he has a full bladder. (I know, he's just mimicking his idol.)

As for Zell, well I think he may be my favorite of the VIII cast. He came off at first as a brash but pathetic punk, yet he surprised me with how intelligent he could be. Definitely had a nice turnaround.

 

5 hours ago, Reisalin Stout said:

I couldn't even name a beer from the US.

Obviously, it's because water tastes better to ye of the land that invented lager bier centuries ago. Why drink the lowest of lows when you live in the land of highest highs?

 

@Armagon That one crackpot Xenoblade theory at the end of the spoilers you mentioned was my idea, you needn't remind me.😛

Though there is a very good chance (not 100% sure of myself) I had a PS1 Square game in mind when I tossed it together, Chrono Cross to be precise. To speak of SPOILERS from Chrono Cross.:

Spoiler

First, as a disclaimer, I don't love the game's narrative, it lacks for drama, direction, and motivation, it feels soulless, or at least the soul is not formed as it should be. The characters are hardly better than ChuChu minus the gigantic Jesus moment. Gameplay has some awkwardness too. The music and visual alone are without significant fault. 

But, there is one relevant moment in Chrono Cross that compares to Xenoblade.

 

In Chrono Cross, after Crono and friends in Chrono Trigger time travelled and saved the world from the alien world parasite monstrosity Lavos in 1999 AD, human civilization in the future did not suddenly die off, and instead advanced even further than it already had.

Humanity progressed to the point that in place known as Chronopolis, they attempted... a project. The project, as ghosts living in the moment from the days before it was carried out when the main protagonist Serge and others explore the research facility indicate, was an attempt to conquer time and make humanity essentially gods.

It failed, the "Time Crash" happened. Chronopolis was sent back many thousands and thousands of years in time, when the El Nido Archipelago that Chrono Cross takes place in didn't exist, except for Gaia's Navel.

The planet then acted up, regarding Chronopolis and its advanced humanity an aberration to its wellbeing. It summoned Dinopolis from a different future, Dinopolis was the utopia of reptilian humanoids who in the timeline of Chrono Trigger died off entirely in the era of cavemen and cavewomen just as the very long ice age began. Dinopolis was created in harmony with nature and the planet.

In the war of the two -polis (poleis?), Chronopolis and its humanity emerged victorious. It sunk Dinopolis, exterminated its inhabitants, and broke its plasma-based lifeform "mother computer" into seven unthreatening pieces.

Chronopolis's own mother computer- FATE- then created the El Nido Archipelago, sent out all of Chronopolis's humans to inhabit the islands, wiped out their memories, erected an impassable natural barrier around Chronopolis. And, FATE set up save points across the world to monitor and constantly adjust people's minds to stay away from Chronopolis. Just like Xenogears, which should be no surprise, since Masato Kato the director of Chrono Cross worked on Xenogears beforehand, and would later do some unrelated work for Monolith on the first Baten Kaitos. All of this was done IIRC to keep Chronopolis undiscovered and history flowing such that it would be reinvented some day so it could continue to exist.

All of this exposition is dumped right at the end of Chrono Cross, which is partly why, despite some cool fundamental premises here, the plot is so-so to me.

 

LONG STORY SHORT, The Experiment is a new Time Crash, albeit dimensional not temporal. Hence me theory-spinning the Samaarians as humans from The Experiment.

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Interdimensional Observer

[Acacia Sgt]

1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

 

  Hide contents

Chrono Cross to be precise.

I don't love the game's narrative, it lacks for drama, direction, and motivation, it feels soulless, or at least the soul is not formed as it should be. The characters are hardly better than ChuChu minus the gigantic Jesus moment. Gameplay has some awkwardness too. The music and visual alone are without significant fault. But, there is one relevant moment in Chrono Cross that compares to Xenoblade.

 

In Chrono Cross, after Crono and friends in Chrono Trigger time travelled and saved the world from the alien world parasite monstrosity Lavos in 1999 AD, human civilization in the future did not suddenly die off, and instead advanced even further than it already had.

Humanity progressed to the point that in place known as Chronopolis, they attempted... a project. The project, as ghosts living in the moment from the days before it was carried out when the main protagonist Serge and others explore the research facility indicate, was an attempt to conquer time and make humanity essentially gods.

It failed, the "Time Crash" happened. Chronopolis was sent back many thousands and thousands of years in time, when the El Nido Archipelago that Chrono Cross takes place in didn't exist, except for Gaia's Navel.

The planet then acted up, regarding Chronopolis and its advanced humanity an aberration to its wellbeing. It summoned Dinopolis from a different future, Dinopolis was the utopia of reptilian humanoids who in the timeline of Chrono Trigger died off entirely in the era of cavemen and cavewomen just as the very long ice age began. Dinopolis was created in harmony with nature and the planet.

In the war of the two -polis (poleis?), Chronopolis and its humanity emerged victorious. It sunk Dinopolis, exterminated its inhabitants, and broke its plasma-based lifeform "mother computer" into seven unthreatening pieces.

Chronopolis's own mother computer- FATE- then created the El Nido Archipelago, sent out all of Chronopolis's humans to inhabit the islands, wiped out their memories, erected an impassable natural barrier around Chronopolis. And, FATE set up save points across the world to monitor and constantly adjust people's minds to stay away from Chronopolis. Just like Xenogears, which should be no surprise, since Masato Kato the director of Chrono Cross worked on Xenogears beforehand, and would later do some unrelated work for Monolith on the first Baten Kaitos. All of this was done IIRC to keep Chronopolis undiscovered and history flowing such that it would be reinvented some day so it could continue to exist.

All of this exposition is dumped right at the end of Chrono Cross, which is partly why, despite some cool fundamental premises here, the plot is so-so to me.

 

LONG STORY SHORT, The Experiment is a new Time Crash, albeit dimensional not temporal. Hence me theory-spinning the Samaarians as humans from The Experiment.

 

Something I'd like to clarify here.

Spoiler

The Time Crash itself wasn't what hurled Chronopolis thousands of years into the past. Or, as some believe, created a time bubble that connected their area of their present with the past. Rather, it was Lavos, a past-version of Lavos yet to be defeated, which sensed the time distortion made by the Time Crash. Figuring that throwing a big wrench to the time line in an effort to sabotage Crono and company's quest to defeat it and prevent its own fate, Lavos was the one who sent Chronopolis into the past.

Just some clarification, since the planet wasn't countering the Time Crash itself; but rather Lavos's own attempt at self-preservation.

For its worth, since it was all part of Belthasar's Master Plan, it's hard to say if the experiment was doomed to fail (Belthasar set-it up to deliberately fail), or Lavos simply hijacked it (which would still advance Belthasar's plan).

 

[Interdimensional Observer]

Just now, Acacia Sgt said:

Something I'd like to clarify here.

Odd, I did not remember any of that other than the plan being a thing. I'm not even sure if I picked up on that at the time, too much exposition so very late. And nobody playable asks for it to be dumbed down and reexplained IIRC. But I'll trust ye on it.

[Acacia Sgt]

9 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Odd, I did not remember any of that other than the plan being a thing. I'm not even sure if I picked up on that at the time, too much exposition so very late. And nobody playable asks for it to be dumbed down and reexplained IIRC. But I'll trust ye on it.

IT's more or less here:

Spoiler

In the year 2400, during a
   counter-time experiment, the
   Flame goes out of control...
   This causes the dimensions
   to rip apart, resultin' in
   the Time Crash.
   Engulfed in an enormous
   dimensional vortex,
   Chronopolis was hurled ten
   thousand years back in time.
   Perhaps it was the awakenin'
   Lavos who pulled the Frozen
   Flame back through time to it.
   Maybe so that Lavos, who saw
   the possibility that some young
   adventurers might destroy it,
   could create a backup plan.

I think it's dialogue in Chronopolis itself, said by Kid. It's not at the info-dump before the final boss, so perhaps that's why you missed it. Since it's optional dialogue you need to trigger by pretty much inspecting everything at Chronopolis. Everything as in it's placed somewhere in there that I don't remember exactly where, not that you really need to inspect everywhere.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[Acacia Sgt]

Well, got an interesting progress in CK2. I started my first Reconquista war, taking advantage the Umayyad were in a revolt. Sadly, the revolt included the entire Aragon region, so I couldn't target it (revolt leader is a Catholic, though the revolt is to increase Council Power). I had to take over the Castilian region, which includes Toledo. Usually I leave it after Aragon since it's preemptive to avoid Francia and Lombardy from Holy Warr'ing into the region. As it is, the initial King is already quite old, 72, so his time might come sooner or later. His daughter is already an adult, so I no longer worry having to go through a regency.

Speaking of, recently he was able to procure a second daughter. Also my luck, I was able to betroth her with a kid with the Niall Noígíallach Bloodline. Now for this I'll have to wait a few generations before merging the branches; but it will be worth it. This one isn't as important of a bloodline to acquired for me, at least compared to Charles Martel's. The latter is very good in my situation due to the +5 opinion with every single fellow Catholic in the game, as every bit counts, as it were. Niall's, meanwhile, opens up the option for Tanistry succession regardless of culture/government, which can give me flexibility over who is my heir than say, standard Primogeniture; but without the hassle of worrying on the dynasty losing the title if it was regular Elective. Even if I don't end up choosing Tanisttry, at least the option will be there.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[Lightchao42]

So after the flashback of Sephiroth going crazy and torching Nibelheim, I devoted the day to getting Enemy Skills. 90% of that time was spent trying to learn Beta from the Midgar Zolom.

Beta, for the uninitiated, is hilariously overpowered at the point where you can first get it. You're not even supposed to fight the Midgar Zolom when you first encounter it (you're supposed to use a Chocobo to run past it), and it using Beta will easily annihilate the party if you don't prepare for it. To learn enemy skills, the character equipped with the Enemy Skill Materia (Cloud in my case) must survive the attack and survive the battle, so getting Beta is easier said than done. If only Sephiroth joined the party outside Cloud's flashback...

Fortunately I was prepared, but even in the attempts where Cloud did learn Beta, the Zolom had enough health left that he couldn't finish it off before it defeated him. Eventually I learned (by looking it up) that the Midgar Zolom won't use Beta unless you attack it when it's health is low, so my party could just poison it and defend until its health was low enough that Cloud could use Beta to kill it afterwards. Though in my successful attempt that didn't happen, as it was killed by the poison right after using Beta (not that I'm complaining).

Midgar Zolom happens to be a mistranslation of Midgardsormr, but it's not the oddest mistranslation in Final Fantasy VII ("Helletic" instead of "Heretic").

Edited April 6, 2020 by Lightchao42

[Acacia Sgt]

I remember when I did that. Good thing for Sadness status ailment.