so I played CO: expedition 33 and now I want to dive into jrpgs, figured I should start with ff7 but I saw that there's this mod called new threat that makes the gameplay more complex and adds a bunch of stuff. Would it be better to have my first playthrough be fully vanilla or is new threat not that intrusive besides the combat mechanics and some extra bosses?

>>715707795 (OP)
New threat removes leveling so i dont like it.

>>715707795 (OP)
oh im in the same place (looking to play ff7 but also wondering about essential mods if any)

Why would you use mods on your first playthrough? That ruins the fun.

>>715707795 (OP)
the combat of ff7 is just too too fast, you need a mod that slows down the combat

>>715708156
I installed the hd models and backgrounds ones, look up tsunamods they pretty much made the entire game hd like in the pic on the op, I also saw one that retranslated the game and added cut content if that interests you
>>715708296
because I like complex combat systems and new threat seems like it makes the combat more interesting, also I plan on playing the remakes immediately after finishing the OG so I seriously doubt I'll do any replays anytime soon

E33 is a spiritual successor to FF8. It's the developers favorite game. They also specifically call out FF7 for being overrated and kind of bad. I'm pretty sure you knew this and this is a bait thread.

>>715708628
>I like complex combat systems
Then you picked the wrong genre. JRPGs (and by that I mean specifically "4 niggas in a row" genre) are usually braindead simple, even the old-school ones.

>>715709331
if that's really the case then I guess modded is the way to go, but I find it really hard to believe that before e33 there wasn't a single good jrpg with plenty of combat options unless all the e33 glazing is actually deserved and it really is the greatest rpg of all time

>>715707795 (OP)
new threat 1.5 arranged mode is objectively better than the OG but not playing vanilla first seems wrong.

either way dont use new threat 2.0 its absolute shit.

>>715707795 (OP)
>>715708156
The game is a timeless classic. You don't need to mod it at all.

>>715707795 (OP)
Use vanilla as base, then go from there. By that I mean:
a) OG VII, PSone, emulate it. This choice is never wrong.
b) latest Steam release, use only HD background mod, and MAYBE mouth fix. Pretty sure it was already fixed from the get go but I could be wrong.

>>715709962
Forgot to mention, install gameplay changing mods ONLY after you finish it vanilla, or don't at all. Vanilla gameplay is already easy as it is and provides enough customization possibilities for newcomers.

>>715709962
>HD background mod

tranny shit, terrible advice. just use a CRT filter with reshade or a built in one with duckstation it will look much better

>>715710094
Agreed. I put the option there because absolute newbies born post 1999 may find the PSX jaggies off putting.

>>715710086
the whole point of the gameplay mods is to make it harder, retard-sama. thats the biggest (only) problem with ffvii.

unfortunately new threat takes shit way too far instead of just being a rebalance.

im currently playing new threat (1.5) and loving it. definitely the definitive version for me going forward. though Im not a huge fan of ALL the gameplay changes. some of the innate abilities and reworked limits are too busted. but its really nice having to actually strategize and rethink my materia setups for boss fights.

>>715710086
anon i've been playing pokemon difficulty hacks since I was 10 I want emerald weapon to rape my ass not to make it easy. I just think it would be lame if I reach sephiroth or whatever after 60 hours and kill him half asleep

>>715710179
Yes, and newcomers, newcomers at JRPG at that will still find the easy difficulty challenging and even think fighting Midgarzolom is mandatory and forgoes Chocobo at all. Any gameplay mod is fanfic at best and should be appreciated as much. As good (or bad) any version of New Threat is, it will ring hollow for someone who never played the OG.

>>715707795 (OP)
I dropped both, but you should always play the original.
How are you going to know if the changes made were good if you have no basis for comparison?
What if something that appears bad/clunky at first, actually pays off later? (e.g. maybe amateurish art becomes charming, or an unusual control system becomes second-nature).
Don't you want to experience what 1997 gamers experienced?

>>715707795 (OP)
>Would it be better to
If you read a masterpiece novel, would it better to read the original or should you read a modified version of it with more modern linguistics, bold & italic text inserted to tailor-suit your preferences, and voice-acting paired with your visual scanning so you can hear the characters and narration as well as you read them? Oh, and the VA are all Japanese moe children, because that's what you like hearing.

>You're stupid, Anon. Mods exist because I paid money for my emulated pirate copy of this game.
>So I can do whatever the fuck I want.
>And anyone who disagrees with me is wrong.
>Why do I hate this? Why does this suck? Why is everyone who likes this wrong? Why? Why? Why?

>>715707795 (OP)
looks awful just play vanilla

>>715709630
E33 doesn't have good combat either.
Play Superstar Saga if you want turnbased with action commands.

>>715710458
Cool, just don't do any grinding then. It's still challenging at just levels and after you understand the materia mechanic you will find most dungeons fun even with underleveled parties.

>>715707795 (OP)
I'd rather play a randomizer patch than someone else's idea of a better version

play the original, the PS1 version not the PC or Steam port
the ports have fucked up lightning compared to PS1 original

does new threat have the HD stuff or just gameplay stuff?

>>715710936
new threat is just gameplay and minor story stuff. for hd textures you have to install other stuff

>>715710589
>doesn't have good combat
>every character has like 5 completely different builds that work in unique ways while also fulfilling any role you need them to be

>>715710458
Great. Then "run from battles." Press L1 + R1.

Yes; FF7 DOES have a "ESCAPE" command mechanic from free battles. It is immediately, inherently, available. Only "boss" battles skip the escape check.

You do not have to fight every encounter.

new threat is amazing but should NOT be for first time players. it changes too much from vanilla and you should definitely experience the game the way it was made for your first time. it sounds stupid but I agree with the other anon that running from battles is kind of the best solution if you want to keep things interesting. but seriously the battle system is NOT the reason people love ffvii. the story, pacing, characters, music, artstyle, atmosphere is the reason it became so beloved.

>>715707795 (OP)
Always play the original first. Keep as pure as possible to see the issues of the original.

If you find something during the normal gameplay that is completely obtuse, mod it out.