Sanctuary of Amusement

Sanctuary of Amusement is the fifteenth chapter in Final Fantasy VII, and the sixth chapter of the second act, "Pursuit". As Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough, and Red XIII search for Sephiroth, they stop at the Gold Saucer, taking time there to relax. Barret, still furious after being forced to speak to the survivors of his own home, storms off alone, and the party meet a mysterious fortune teller named Cait Sith.
== Walkthrough ==
When entering the Gold Saucer, the party is asked to pay 3,000 gil for a single pass, or 30,000 gil for a lifetime pass. At this stage, it is not urgent to buy a lifetime pass as the Gold Saucer will not be visited frequently until later in the game, meaning it can be foregone in favor of the single pass.
While exploring the Gold Saucer, Cloud can take only one companion: either Tifa, Aeris, Red XIII, or Yuffie, since Barret is absent. The choice here affects, or is based on, date mechanics. The first character that Cloud chooses to bring with him gets a +3 boost to their score, while the others present get -2; choosing Red XIII has no effect. Alternatively, simply going down one of the tubes to another square will cause whichever character has the highest date mechanics score with Cloud to come along instead; if the highest is Barret, Red XIII will come.
Most things in the Gold Saucer uses its own unique currency called GP, meaning that most of the attractions at the Gold Saucer cannot be used. GP can be earned by betting on races in the Chocobo Square, or by completing minigames in the Wonder Square, both of which cost gil. The Wonder Square is an easier source of GP, and visiting it is required to progress the story regardless. Upon visiting it, Cait Sith will join as the third party member, and the story can be continued.
Once Cait Sith joins, traveling to the Battle Square will trigger a series of events ending the chapter and locking the player out of the area. To explore the Gold Saucer and its attractions before this happens, several minigames in the Wonder Square should be completed to earn GP and spend it elsewhere. Of these minigames, the Mog House is the simplest by far, and one can earn 30 GP by completing it and talking to the man nearby. After receiving the 30 GP, the simplest ways to get more GP are the Arm Wrestling and Basketball Game minigames. Though one can bet on Chocobo races, this is a riskier way of earning GP. A few other minigames appear, including G Bike, based on the bike minigame in "The Nightmare Beginning Anew. With GP, one can exchange it for prizes or visit other attractions, including the Speed Square and Round Square, though the Event Square has nothing right now. The player can win an Umbrella in the Speed Square, a prize that is only available for a limited time.
The Ghost Square should also be visited regardless if GP has been earned or not. The Ghost Square contains an inn that costs 5 GP, but the inn itself is not worthwhile as a much cheaper inn can be used in North Corel below. Instead, the Turtle's Paradise flyer should be found on the wall of the hotel lobby here.
To proceed the story, enter the Battle Square. This will trigger a series of scenes eventually leading to "The Desert Prison".
== Citations ==
Category:Chapters in Final Fantasy VII