Since Yuffie is optional, does anything special happen in Wutai if you dont have her?

[shortylickens]

I seem to recall late in the game an incident with Reno and Elena and such in Wutai. Does all of that still happen even if you've never picked up Yuffie in the game?

Has anyone ever skipped Yuffie and played through until the end?

 

[lamedude]

Yuffie stealing your materia never happens (obviously) thus that sidequest never starts. The HP&MP absorb materia will remain blocked and obviously you won't be able to do the Pagoda battles to get Leviathan. Fun fact the boss, Godo, is the only way to learn Trine on the 4th enemy skill materia. My google-fu says that this quest can't be done on disc 3. I guess Shinra has bigger problems than killing Don Corneo at that point.

 

[shortylickens]

I saw that bit about Trine and the 4th Enemy Skill materia last night. Went investigating, had forgotten theres a bunch of available skills to acquire before you even hit Junon city.

 

[lamedude]

They require patience to get without manipulate though, and a really high level if you're going to fight the Zolom.

 

[shortylickens]

They require patience to get without manipulate though, and a really high level if you're going to fight the Zolom.

Oh yeah good point.

Midgar Zolom just requires fire ring or fire armlet. Actually, those arent found until late game so yeah, I think you are right.

 

[lamedude]

There's a fire ring in the villa basement at Costa del Sol, and if choose the mayor's word on the 1st try (protip use the savepoint first floor and save reload until you get it) you get an elemental material which can halve fire damage at level 1. Back row will make its regular attack survivable (put that long range material in the Mythril Mine to use), but you can't lollygag or it will remove whoever has the enemy skill material equipped from battle. Beta will 1 shot those early battles and matra magic quickly loses its usefulness so its worth it.

 

[shortylickens]

I always get the elemental materia but it only reduces damage, it doesnt eliminate it.

Beta does too much for the elemental materia to save your life.

The enemy skill can be kept if that one person doesnt use physical attacks against the Zolom. Bio is awesome as is M-tentacles if you can swipe some from a certain enemy before you get outside Midgar. Or was it toxic waste?

 

[Virge_]

I feel like I just read someones Facebook conversation log.

(Yes, that was a not-so-sublte suggestion)