Final Fantasy 7 (e)

THE FF7 'DATE' MECHANICS
========================

by Terence Fergusson 

Final Fantasy 7 Copyright 1997, 1998 Square Co., Ltd.  Final Fantasy and
SquareSoft are registered trademarks of Square Co., Ltd.

This document is entirely my work, and was written and is owned by me,
Terence Fergusson.  All copyrights and trademarks are acknowledged where not
specifically mentioned.  If you wish to reproduce this document in any form,
please ask for my permission.

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One of the many mysteries of FF7, has always been the Gold Saucer Date.
Numerous guides and FAQs have listed ways of how to date Yuffie, or Aeris, or
Tifa, or even Barret; but still, some of them have included unnecessary
tasks, or failed in execution.

To this end, I have compiled what I know of the date, and what determines
who you date.  You should be able to use this guide to end with any of the
four options you wish.  This is a generic guide; you can use it to decide
precisely what you want to do, and allow you to determine what the end
product will be.

Note: I am not sure whether I have tested *all* possibilities, but I am
certain I have gotten a large majority of them.  If you find something that
seems to have an effect on the date, and it is not listed here, then I will
be glad to hear it.

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THE AFFECTION VALUES
--------------------

There are four values in the game, and I have termed them 'Affection' values
for the purpose of this document.  At the start of the game, they are set as
thus:
  Aeris:  50
  Tifa:   30
  Yuffie: 10
  Barret:  0

As the game proceeds, certain decisions or tasks you undertake will amend
them.  When you reach the date, whoever has the highest Affection value will
be the one chosen for the cutscene.  If, however, there is a tie for the
highest, then the priorities are thus: Aeris, then Tifa, then Yuffie, and
finally Barret.

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THE DECISIONS
-------------

Midgar
------
Talking to Aeris the first time, no matter what you say (believe it or not),
has no effect.  Buy the flower, unless you want to date Aeris or Yuffie.

Talk to Jessie twice on the train home from the first mission:
    "Thanks anyway"         --
    "Looking forward to it" (-3 Tifa)

When you enter Seventh Heaven, and you have a flower:
    "Give it to Tifa"    (+5 Tifa)
    "Give it to Marlene" (+5 Barret)

If you talk to Tifa while she's behind the bar:
    "I don't feel like it"   --
    "Give me something hard" (+5 Tifa)

When Tifa accuses you of leaving your childhood friend:
    "How can you say that!" (+5 Tifa)
    "...Sorry"              --

When Tifa asks how you slept:
    "Next to you, who wouldn't?"     (+5 Tifa)
    "Barret's snoring kept me up..." (+5 Barret)

Giving Barret a Materia tutorial has no effect.

Getting to the last car of the train without getting
caught by the Security Lockdown: (+5 Tifa, +5 Barret)

When Barret asks if you're alright:
    "(Be strong)"                     (+2 Barret)
    "(I don't know if I can hold on)" (-3 Barret, +1 Tifa)

The conversation with Aeris after you awaken seems to have
no effect; though she mentions forgiving you because you
bought a flower.  I have yet to see if points are taken
away if you're rude to her and you haven't bought flowers.
(But, the +5 you should have got for Tifa or Barret is
worth buying the flower for.)

When Aeris is fleeing the guards, if you:
    Push a wrong barrel        (-3 Aeris)
    Ask her to fight them      (-1 Aeris)
    Ask her to run             --
    Ask her to run and she
      has to fight             (-1 Aeris)
    Push the right barrel      (+1 Aeris)

When Aeris asks if Tifa is your girlfriend:
    "No way!"            (+1 Aeris)
    "Yeah, that's right" (-5 Aeris)

After you get through Sector 6 to the playground:
    "Take her home."     --
    "Go on to Sector 7." (+1 Aeris)

If Tifa is chosen as the Don's date:
    "You all right?"      (+3 Aeris)
    "We gotta help Tifa!" (-2 Aeris)

If Aeris is chosen as the Don's date:
    "You all right?"           (-2 Tifa)
    "We've gotta help Aeris!!" (+3 Tifa)
    (Yes, it *is* that way
     around.  Don't ask me
     why....)

If Cloud is chosen as the Don's date:
    "Yes, his name's Barret..." (+5 Barret)
    (No other choice matters,
     not even almost kissing
     the Don)

When everyone lands in the sewer:
    Talk to Aeris first: (+3 Aeris)
    Talk to Tifa first:  (+3 Tifa)

When Marlene tells you about Aeris:
    "I don't know"  (-3 Aeris, +3 Tifa)
    "Let's hope so" (+3 Aeris, -3 Tifa)

When you first meet Red XIII:
    "Tifa, I'm countin' on you!" (-2 Tifa)
    "Barret, take care of her!"  (+2 Barret)

If any of the following are in your party after you agree to split up:
    Barret (+2 Barret)
    Tifa   (+2 Tifa)
    Aeris  (+2 Aeris)

When Tifa asks if you can break out:
    "(Leave it to me)" (+1 Tifa) (as many times as you like)
    "(Kinda hard)"     (-1 Tifa) (as many times as you like)

When you get the option to think about Barret, Red XIII or Aeris:
    Whomever you think about first:  (+3 Barret or Aeris) or --
    Whomever you think about second: (+1 Barret or Aeris) or --
    Whomever you think about third:  --

When you choose your party after escaping Midgar:
    If Barret's in it: (+1 Barret)
    If Aeris is in it: (+1 Aeris)
    If Tifa is in it:  (+1 Tifa)



Kalm
----
When Barret leaves, and tells you to get a move on:
    "Wait a sec"                     --
        "Beautiful, just beautiful!" (+3 Barret)
        "Is that all?"               (-1 Barret)
    "Right"                          (+1 Barret)

Talking to a woman in Kalm, who says Mako energy is convenient:
    "Yeah, maybe"       (-2 Barret) if Barret is in party
                        (-1 Aeris) if Aeris is in party
                        (-1 Tifa) if Tifa is in party
    "You're full of it" (+2 Barret) if Barret is in party
                        (+1 Aeris) if Aeris is in party
                        (+1 Tifa) if Tifa is in party

Talking to a girl upstairs, who thinks the old life is better:
    "Yeah, maybe" (+2 Barret) if Barret is in party
                  (+1 Aeris) if Aeris is in party
                  (+1 Tifa) if Tifa is in party
    "No way"      (-2 Barret) if Barret is in party
                  (-1 Aeris) if Aeris is in party
                  (-1 Tifa) if Tifa is in party



Fort Condor
-----------
When you first talk to the old guy in Fort Condor:
    "I guess so"     (+5 Barret, +3 Aeris, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie)
    "Not interested" (-5 Barret, -3 Aeris, -3 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

After the old guy tells you about his problem:
    "All right"      (+5 Barret, +3 Aeris, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie)
    "Not interested" (-5 Barret, -3 Aeris, -3 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)



Meeting Yuffie
--------------
(You can fail this as many times as you like, and you'll still get the
points every time you meet Yuffie until you get her in your party)
    "All right"               --
    "Not interested"          (+2 Yuffie)

    "Petrified..."            (+2 Yuffie)
    "You're gonna lose again" --

    "Go ahead"                --
    "Wait a second!"          (+2 Yuffie)

    "That's right"            (+2 Yuffie)
    "You kiddin'?"            --

    "What's your name?"       --
    "Let's hurry"             (+2 Yuffie)



The Cargo Ship
--------------
On the Cargo Ship, if Yuffie asks you for Tranquilizers:
    "Here, use this" (+4 Yuffie)
    "Nope"           (-2 Yuffie)

When Aeris asks you about the Airship:
    "I'll take you someday" (+2 Aeris)
    "I dunno..."            (-2 Aeris)

When Tifa asks you about war:
    "Yeah..."      (+2 Tifa)
    "I don't know" (-2 Tifa)



Note: I know that Aeris sometimes asks you if you like girls with tans,
but it seems she doesn't ask you at times.  It may have something to do
with who was your battle party for Jenova*Birth....

Note: I'm disappointed in Costa Del Sol; there are a lot of dialogue
options that you could choose, but none of them seem to alter
'Affection' values at all.

Note: It seems that the Mt. Corel 'phoenix downs' section has no effect
on your rating, as far as I can tell.



Gold Saucer
-----------
Depending on who you choose first to accompany you in the Gold Saucer:
    Aeris:    (+3 Aeris)
    Tifa:     (+3 Tifa)
    Yuffie:   (+3 Yuffie)
    Red XIII: --

Depending on who you choose first to accompany Barret to see Dyne:
    Aeris:    (+10 Aeris)
    Tifa:     (+3 Tifa)
    Yuffie:   (+2 Yuffie)
    Red XIII: --



Gongaga
-------
If, after either Aeris or Tifa (or both) meets Zack's parents then:
    Ignoring Aeris                  (-3 Aeris)
    Talking to Aeris                --
        "Poor guy"                  (+1 Aeris)
        "(...jealous...envious...)" (+2 Aeris)
    Ignoring Tifa                   (-3 Tifa)
    Talking to Tifa                 (+1 Tifa)
       (doesn't matter what
        you say to her)



Wutai
-----
After Yuffie gives back all your Materia in Wutai: (+10 Yuffie)

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MISC. NOTES
-----------
I have tested this thoroughly, but I am sure now; battles do not change
Affection values at all.  Using Cover or allowing a member of your party to
fall will not affect the date sequence, as previous guides may have
indicated.

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There, that's it.  I would like to thank the makers of GameHack, without
which, I would never have been able to accomplish this task.  Also, heartfelt
thanks to those at alt.games.final-fantasy.rpg, who, as I write this, are
already going about seeing the Barret 'Date', testing this out.  I wish them
well.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope this document has helped you in some
small way.




The FF7 'Date' Mechanics, copyright 1999 Terence Fergusson