How do YOU play Final Fantasy VII?

[scorptatious]

No, I'm not asking about how I'm supposed to play the game. So before people call me a noob or a dumbass. Read what I have to say.

Considering that FF7's materia system allows almost complete customization of all the characters, which kinds of materia do you normally assign to certain party members, and what roles do you normally assign them?

Me, I like to give the cover materia, a restore materia, and a barrier materia to Cloud, that way he can sort of serve as a paladin type character, in which he can defend party members, and use buffs and healing to lighten the load of the main healer of the group if necessary.

Spoiler: Kind of like Cecil from Final Fantasy IV

For characters who are more physical based than other characters, such as Barret, I give him little to no materia so he can make the best of his physical abilities. As equiping materia lowers physical attack and defense.

Aeris/Aerith, I usually give her restore and most if not all the summon materia I have with me.

For Red XIII, I kind of see him as a red mage type of character in which he can basically handle any job at the minimum standards. So I usually give him most of the magic (both healing and offensive based) materia. At least until he gets his ultimate weapon.

These are a few examples. So I'd like to know, how did you guys handle your characters? What materia did you usually give each and what jobs do they normally handle?

[Heartless Angel]

I usually ran Cloud as my straight out damage dealer. No magic, stat boosters, command and support materia only.

Vincent as my offensive mage, I also let him handle the support magic, like haste, barrier, crap like that. I also fit him with the paired materia for status infliction and such.

Tifa as my white mage and summoner.

[Dodie16]

I usually use Yuffie, Vincent and Cloud as my main party, so I suppose I can give a quick run-down of what I like to set up for them materia-wise:

Cloud gets 2x-cut materia (and when it levels up to 4x, even better!), Counter-Attack, Long-range, a few offensive-based magic materia (most likely lightning, fire, ice...basic spells), and All materia attached to where I deem fit. Left-over slots are for boosting stats (HP Plus and such), and other Independent or Support Materia.

Vincent and Yuffie have pretty much the same set up with one another, though I stock Yuffie with a bit more Healing and Defensive materia, with the those usually boosted with the All materia. I suppose she would be the "white mage" of the group. Vincent also gets Counter Materia and Slash-All, so he can really do some damage.

I don't really use summon materia much on my party, so if those do make it into my set-up, it's usually one or two between all my characters, and who gets it usually depends on who has a remaining slot for it.

Everything else is really just what I need for the time, but that's basically what I like to keep on my characters.

[JuzamDjinn]

In my latest round in the end:

Cloud: 4xCut/Counter, final attack/pheonix, a few independent mateia, and about several Counter attack. (The WEAPONs fell fast...) Crystal Armlet or something like that.

Tifa: loaded us with all the MSTR CMD, luckplus, sneck Glove, another physical character. give her a Zedritch

Yuffie: My Mage, MST MAG, MST SUM, MP+s
Wiz. Bracelette I think.

[Zidane77]

I usually use:
-Cloud as strong fighter and blue mage,also with master magic,summon magic.
-Barret only as gunner (occasionally has supportive magic).
-Tifa as fighter (but usually white mage as well).
-Red (Totally a Red/Blue mage, and a fighter as well.).
-Cait Sith (Black mage and summon magic).
-Aeris (White mage and summon magic,also use her as a blue mage).
-Yuffie (Fighter and blue mage, but mainly use her for morphing)
-Vincent (Gunner but also let him have supportive and time based magics,blue mage)
-Cid (Fighter with supportive magic)

Usually have them all on fury so they have faster limit break and mainly use command,indepentent and support materia.
The only magic materia i use is master magic for Cloud and then i always have Phoenix linked with Final attack materia.
Then i rarely use summons,mostly for fun. I only use KOTR on Ruby Weapon but the challenge in the future is beating him with only Cloud. That's a good challenge

So basically my best mages are Cloud,Cait Sith and Aeris.
I rarely use Cait Sith and Tifa actually, although Tifa's my favorite character, i just usually have Vincent and Yuffie in my party.
Endlessly powering up Vincent's gun and Yuffie morphing

[loaf]

Played this gamem many times. I can only remember 2 times though since they were the latest. The first time was basically everyone had their own set of materia. (fire, ice, cure, lightning) also the others eventually. That way it almost feels like VI but I set them up differently due to the limit of materia slots.

The second time I would make sure each character I'm using at the time had their own custom set depending on what I had at the time. Some characters would be magic only and one tank. I've done one tank, 1 heal bot and 1 black mage. tank melee black mage/red mage.

I like having some characters with one or two summons or 1 character with more then 5 on them.

[Kuja]

I mainly have Cloud(well of course), Vincent and Nanaki in my party, and for Cloud, I have him equipped with one or two summons, and also the 2x Cut, and a few elemental materia. For Vincent, I don't really have any materia equipped on him, besides the Skill one, and for Red, I have him equipped with the Cure, time, and barrier materia, and maybe one or two summons.

[Pete]

I didn't really give specifics to anyone. The past few times, I've tried to be a completionist, so I'd load everyone up with as much materia as I could, regardless of the stat hits they'd take, and just master things left and right. I never really tried to make any one character fill a specific role, except for Barret and Cid; they'd be my heavy hitters, and so I'd try to boost their attack and HP as much as I could. Other than that it was a materia free for all.

These were also the saves where I'd go and get Aeris' Great Gospel on disc 1, just because I could. I'd have more than my fair share of limits as well as mastered materia by the end of disc 1, and I think at one point, I had a level 65 Cloud.

Don't judge me, it was a loooooong week when I had my wisdom teeth out.

[Unknown Entity]

I don't really assign classes, haha... no. From when I first played the game, I tended to assign each character an element depending on how they look. Cloud just seemed to be like a Lightening kind of guy, Red XIII a Fire kind of animal, etc. Cloud and Aeris more or less turned out to be healers I suppose, as they always had the healing magic. Cloud and Vincent always got the best Summon magic too (Cloud: Knights of the Round; Vincent: Hades... it's creepy and suits him well).

I guess that kind of happens when you play certain video games when you're young, heh. I've not played it in a while and the case is right by my television... hmm... I might try something new next time.

[Calvan]

Generally my endgame party is Cloud, Barret, And Red XIII.

Cloud being my major Damage dealer, I generally have him equipped with Materia that assist with this, Even better when i have omnislash.

Barret is my secondary damage dealer as well as healer. Again I equip him with Materia for this purpose.

Then Red is my Mage/Summoner.

However I generally abuse limit breaks, Keeping all of my characters on Fury.

I've recently started a new game.
So i'm thinking of doing things a little different this time.

Maybe a different end game party.
Perhaps Cait sith and Yuffie...

[the_savior21]

usually i use cloud as an damage dealer with support materia and high stats vincent or red as a black mage with paired materia like all and stuff also high hp and things like cover and yuffie or tifa with high speed as a white mage/summoner and stuff like steal

one time i was bored and raised tifa as a damage dealer red as normal and cloud as a white mage/summoner

[markandrewkinzett]

Materia equipping is different for each person and their own style of play. My friend was trying (and failing) to kill the Weapons and he asked me if his characters were strong enough to do it. I did this but first I had to re equip all his materia because his setup was abysmal but that was his style of play so this means you find your own way of equipping materia so I am not gonna recommned anything as it may not work due to your style of play.

[lady ashe]

Cloud as attacker straight out

[Diamond Dust]

Never really bothered pre-planning based on character but instead have always just ensured that each of the three party members has a useful combination of materia at their disposal. To be able to set up Wall, Regen and Haste in one global turn (one from each party member) is probably the best example of this.

[Tamahome]

Solo single man. N yea I kno it is so much harder but so much more worth it. Not on the site but I am a member of soldier!!! I make this!!! F septh and Zack I'm in the cloud with cloud high ho wanna die

[Cloud Strife]

I balance them all out. That way, no matter what someone can heal, another can fight, and another can provide buffs if needed. Or they all can just go to town attacking, or sit back and everyone can heal everyone.

[DrewYeahhh]

I use Cloud as a tank, Nanaki as a Red mage and tifa as white mage/.

[Tamahome]

I use to play like that Cloud on the first or second run but since their is no nu game plus I as looking to make tha game a lil more challenging

[DrewYeahhh]

I use to play like that Cloud on the first or second run but since their is no nu game plus I as looking to make tha game a lil more challenging

Yeah i was going to use a guide to complete it a hundred percent because I don't remeber how to do everything.

[Tamahome]

I hear u on that lol jus make sure u get phoenix and knights of the round and link them together

[Kyreaan]

I preferred spreading materia among the main three to where I wouldn't have to assign anyone as a 'class'. I wanted to be well-rounded with everyone, which included Vincent as a party alt. Cloud kept my main Enemy Skill while Tifa and Cait Sith got the second and third. Ice, Flare, Poison, and Earth also stayed with Cloud. Tifa and Cait Sith used everything else. Vincent was kept as my alt to Cait Sith. It was because of the limit breaks, and the storyline had characters run off.

Cloud, Cait Sith, and Vincent all got Ziedrich once I was able to get all three. I thought it just sucked that Ziedrich didn't have materia slots. Tifa got Minerva Band, which was female only with some materia slots. All got Mime. Barrier-All, MBarrier-All, and Wall-All was used, but that was because I didn't want to use Protect Rings or Tetra. I wanted to stick with three Ribbons. After getting Ziedrich, I had to trim down on materia choices. For Cait Sith, I didn't even care about his final weapon. I used the megaphone with 8 slots. The materia was my key, so I never had to worry about weapon strength. Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent usually used the maximum slot weapon; this was also providing materia growth. I was overshadowing everything afterwards. It was Cloud, Cait Sith, and Tifa smiling in the end at Jenova.

[DrewYeahhh]

I hear u on that lol jus make sure u get phoenix and knights of the round and link them together

Yeah the guide i got of ign with loads of materia combinations

Edit

[Diamond Dust]

What good is a combination of Phoenix and KOTR? If all your party members die at the same time you have had it. Phoenix is most useful linked with Final Attack materia - you get at least another go at whatever just handed your backside to you.

[DrewYeahhh]

My first ever run through i played it very basically. like i never understood all the mixing materia and all that but the more i played it the more i learnt and if you ask me its one of the best systems in any Final Fantasy game.

[Dimwitted]

Usually i have yuffie cloud and red,
Use cloud and red as tankers , and use support materia and cover on them with 4x cut
also have hypers on them to get up earth rave and omnislash limits for extra damage
yuffie i have healing support and summons like KoTR and final attack pheonix combo.

[The_Dream_Recluse]

My team rolls like this:

Party:
Cloud
- 2x cut
- HP Plus
- MP Plus
- FullCure/All
- Phoenix summon
- Revive
- Ultima/MP Absorb

Vincent
- HP Plus
- MP Plus
- Comet/HP Absorb
- Contain
- Bahamut summon
- Neo Bahamut summon

Yuffie
- HP Plus
- MP Plus
- Enemy Skill
- Steal
- Sense
- Slash-All
- Leviathan summon
- Cure

Those are the ones that i can remember, i'm not 100% sure if that's all of them.

[xTidesOfWarx]

I used Cloud, Barret, and Cid. Each had 4x cut and final attack revive combo mastered. By the time I got those and had them for each character I was in the 90's so that's all I needed for the final bosses.

[Michael-H]

My party consists of cloud, vincent and cid
cloud coz hey hes the main also omnislash repeated hits, and high hitter
cid he has the best limit break
and vincent well vincents cooool

[MidgarPeaceMaker01]

OMG!!!!!!! I LOVE final fantasy 7 its the best game in ETERNITY!!!!!!

I play this game as this:
Ok. Since you can only play with three people at a time, I distribute the materia amongst them, but I distribute it my class.

Cloud is the one that can do magic, like fire, lightning, and so on.
Tifa is the one that heals when Aeris isn't in the party yet.
Barret is the one that all strength. He doesn't really have material that does anythin g, accept boost your health, and stuff like that.
Cait Sith.....well.....I don't really remember, cuz its been quite a while since I played that game.
I don't really remember Red XIII either. (So sad... :'( )
Sid is the one that also does magic, like cloud, and strength like Barret.
Yuffie is like Barret in how he only has materia that like, for instance, increases his health, mana, and othwr things like that.
And finally Vincent. He is, I think, (if only u could remember...) Does magic? I think. I gotra look back at my characters in that game.

Well, know you know how I play final fantasy 7, the beat game series in ETERNITY!!!!!!!

[Lily]

I just load everyone with materia because I want it mastered. And that's about as strategic as I get... if you could even call it that. I try to level everyone evenly as well, so it was just a case of swapping and changing materia as I go. wasnt really arsed who had what, until I do Emerald weapon, then i have to be stingy with it