Is everyone else actually using all the characters?

[dgresevfan]

I find I keep sticking to the same 3 characters. Theoretically some variety would be nice, but needing to keep up with materia equipping and weapon upgrading for the entire character list seems like it would be unwise to attempt.

Would be nice if you could swap front and back lines in combat because at least then you could theoretically swap in the right party members for a fight after scanning the enemy.

[AllergicToBrainRot]

Depends what I am fighting up against. Say up against an enemy that has a one hit close range attack. I use range character.

[Coffee Addict]

i used to switch as needed but once i got yuffie i dont see the point in using anyone else she pretty much fills all the roles

[IL_Davu]

this came right after FFVI, which was considered the best FF of all time for many years (I don't know what happened, it seems like people were replaced and now in the collective unconscious they think FFVII is the best ever).

Anyway, FFVI was a chapter that instead of focusing on a single character, made you live the group's experience by constantly changing perspectives.

In fact, if you look at it, this is reflected here as well; there are several parts where the group splits up, etc., which already happened in remake part 1. (Without giving spoilers beyond what happens here in Rebirth in part 3, this thing of changing groups is more present).

Anyway, if you think about it, when part 3 will be available and you can start from part 1 and play them all in a row, you'll be able to do that many times... And when you go into hard mode, you have to build all the characters, not just for the final boss but for many other things. (I don't know where you are in the game, but in some parts, the game splits the party).

[TneX]

I think it's perfectly normal that we have 3 favorites who we use as a "main" party.
This game makes it a non-effort to keep up with the others too thanks to the party quick swap on the overworld, and also the fact that everyone is at the same level and no chance of characters getting left behind like the original.

I don't see equiping new weapons and materia as that much effort. If you mean unlocking weapon abilities, I don't remember it taking longer than 3-4 battles at most. Then you can just quick swap back to your main party once you are done.

[dgresevfan]

Ah so the levels are spread across inactive party members as well? I suspected but was unsure.

But yes, FF6 did it better. That game would have been ridiculous with that many characters if not for essentially forcing you to play as them.

Right now I am using Cloud, Barret, and Tifa. I'm wondering whether I should swap out Tifa for Aerith, but Tifa is the romance option I'm trying to go for, so she's in there for the synergy attacks.

[restarter]

ya I do. I think they are all quite fun to play.

[sajmon]

You are forced to play certain characters throughout the game quite often, so you will play everyone whether you like it or not lol

[LexAnimex]

I mainly use Yuffie and Red because I really like their gameplay. I just wish I could walk around as someone else than Cloud.

[wendigo211]

I normally swap them as they get new weapons with abilities to learn. I sometimes swap them depending on the enemies around. E.g. Barret is good for flying enemies, Tifa is good for bosses since she can increase the Staggered modifier, Yuffie is good for dealing elemental damage, etc.

[valium]

All but Cait Sith, who has by far the worst combat loop for me.

[Xao]

At first I was sticking mostly with Cloud, Red and Aerith, as they are probably the strongest characters in the game *out of the box.* ...But as I go through the game I find myself playing around with the others more and more, because I'm discovering less obvious strategies and strengths.

Barret was the first that I started to realize was actually stupidly strong, roughly at around the mythril mine. I don't know why people think he's weak.

He builds ATB absurdly fast and outputs a constant stream of high DPS, due to his special action. It hits almost as hard as a command, and it builds a huge amount of ATB. Then you spend that ATB to buff up and start belting out a hail of bullets. At which point it becomes obvious that he has some of the easiest stagger building in the game.

I haven't even talked about how durable he is. He's absolutely busted as a tank, and he can take damage for the whole team. With Lifesaver running at a high level, he's got 9000 health, and you mostly only have to worry about healing him which makes healing far more ATB efficient. If he's on a team, it's almost impossible for anyone to die unless some kind of instant kill/removal is involved.

Towards the end of the game, I've been running what I call the "Disney Team" in Arena and Combat Simulator fights, Aerith, Red and Cait Sith. I started playing around with them since I discovered how absurd their burst damage can be as a team.

Cait Sith is really slept on, he gets some really absurd stuff for free. Some of it is a bit RNG dependent, but he gets free spell casting in dice, a crit boost for the whole team, and he can just fart out a massive damage eidolon attack more or less at will. I haven't played around with slots yet, but I only just got it.

I will say that I don't really understand why people think Yuffie is so strong. She's flexible, but so is Cloud, Red and Aerith, and their abilities are way stronger. Her clone is maybe the one standout thing with her, and yes Windstorm does absolutely stunlock some encounters, but she just doesn't have the damage output other characters have, and she's really fragile. Maybe I'm missing something, but I think she's way overhyped.

[Tiberius]

I do use all characters