General Tips:

• Save often -- you never know what will happen next.
• Talk to everyone -- several times. Some characters will need some coaxing before they will reveal what you want.
• Major events in the game often change what some characters say and do. If something earth-shattering occurs, revisit nearby villages to see if anything changed.
• After acquiring a vehicle, leave it in a place where you can easily retrieve it. Otherwise, you easily lose it.
• By riding chocobos you can bypass random battles, but don't do this too often -- these confrontations are critical for raising your levels and fattening your wallet.

• Carry lots of Potions, Ethers and Phoenix Downs. These items help the most during battles when your magic runs dry.
• Most status effects -- both good and bad -- only last until the end of a battle. To be on the safe side, carry a few of the items that cure such effects (four or five tops) but, don't waste Gil on objects that will just weigh you down.
• Be on the look out for "Source" items, like Power Source and Guard Source. They permanently increase a character's statistics by a full point.

• Always equip new armor and weapons when you obtain them. You should occasionally check your inventory to make sure you didn't miss the addition of a new item to your inventory.
• The strongest weapon is not always the best choice. Always take into account how much Materia a weapon can store and what kind of effect it has on the Materia's growth rate.
• You don't need to purchase each new weapon and piece of armor you find. You should keep your main party outfitted in the latest gear, but only buy stuff for inactive characters if you have an awful lot of Gil.
• Your armor and accessories can seriously affect the outcome of a battle. For example, an enemy that uses nothing but water-based attacks will have trouble injuring someone equipped with the Water Ring.
• Items like the Water Ring can actually reverse the damaging effects of a spell and will heal your party, rather than harm it.

• Over the course of your adventure you'll have the opportunity to buy lots of Materia. Although finding most Materia is as easy as stumbling upon it and picking it up, consider buying a second Materia crystal for essential spells like "Cure" and "Life."
• "Enemy-All" is one of the most valuable Materia for eliminating multiple enemies, but it can also be teamed up with a Materia that gives the entire party bonuses, like "Restore" or "Time."
• Each Materia offers bonuses and penalties. Overloading characters with Materia that have heavy penalties may seriously decrease the character's effectiveness.
• Summon Materia can be tricky to find, so search everywhere you can. If an area is inaccessible, return later and it may be cleared.
• Don't discount spells that do not cause damage. If you want to master Final Fantasy VII, you must be able to effectively use Materia like "Time" and "Mystify."

• It's simple: Characters with short-range weapons are most effective on the front line, pitted against front-line enemies.
• Characters with long-range weapons can attack enemies in the front line and back rank from either the front and back with equal success.
• Some enemies (mostly bosses) can only be hit by long-range weapons. Make sure each character keeps a long-range weapon in their inventory for such a situation.
• Each player will progress through the game at a different pace. Depending on how quickly you find your way around, you may occasionally need to "build" your levels or fill your pockets with Gil. To do this, wander small towns and have random battle with the local enemies, resting at an Inn when necessary.
• Match your inventory to your current enemies. For example, if you're facing ice beasts, equip lots of "Fire" Materia and accessories that protect you from ice attacks.