Summary of "The Story of FF7's 1200 Hour Grind (FT @Abyssoft)"

The video explores one of the most infamous challenges in Final Fantasy 7: leveling Cloud (the ex-SOLDIER) and Barrett to level 99 in the very first room of the game, known as the "ex-SOLDIER grind."
This challenge is considered even more grueling than the well-known reactor level 99 grind.
The reactor grind itself took years to complete by various players, with documented attempts dating back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The ex-SOLDIER grind requires approximately 2.45 million experience points, with each encounter granting very little experience (about 27.9 XP per encounter), making it an exceptionally long and tedious process.
Speedrunner and FF7 expert Monetary Dragon (MD) took on this challenge, aiming to complete it legitimately, without game modifications, save states, or cheating, and streamed the entire grind live.

Grinding Locations & XP Differences:
- Reactor grind: ~3,970 encounters needed at ~79.2 XP each.
- First room grind: ~87,913 encounters needed at ~27.9 XP each.
Estimated time for the first room grind is over 1,153 hours if played optimally.
No save points exist in the first room, so the game must be kept running continuously.
MD estimated the grind would take over 1,200 hours, requiring immense dedication and technical preparation.

MD initially tried the 1998 PC version on Windows 10 but switched to the Steam version due to stability issues.
To prevent interruptions:
- Disabled internet and automatic updates.
- Used airplane mode and unplugged ethernet.
- Employed an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and backup batteries to handle power outages.
- Used a cooling pad to prevent laptop overheating.
Planned to use a USB foot pedal to automate inputs, with backups including a wireless keyboard, PSX controller, and laptop keyboard.
The grind was streamed live, with MD also playing other games to maintain sanity during the mind-numbing process.

Early crash caused by accidentally hitting the Windows key, minimizing the game.
Power outages occurred, but UPS helped prevent data loss.
Foot pedal stopped working mid-grind; switched to PSX controller and later wireless keyboard as backup.
Concerns about memory leaks and Windows instability over long uptime.
Steam client crashed on December 24th, raising fears about the grind's continuity.
Laptop spontaneously woke up from sleep multiple times, causing anxiety about the game's stability.
Despite these issues, MD steadily progressed, reaching 74% completion by December and 90% by the new year.

On January 21, 2025, after 1,203 hours streamed and six months of grinding, MD reached the final encounter, only 1,893 XP short of level 99.
The game crashed at the exact moment of victory when transitioning to the results screen, seemingly wiping the progress with no save or backup.
Investigation by MD and community members (including speedrunners Sephr and Dash Retro) revealed:
- The crash was caused by the game attempting to award the level 99 achievement via Steam.
- Since Steam had crashed earlier and was not running, the achievement unlock communication failed, causing the crash.
- Dash Retro successfully replicated the crash by triggering the achievement under similar conditions.
Despite the crash, MD had legitimately completed the grind.
On January 31, the achievement appeared in FF7’s launcher and Steam, confirming MD’s completion.
MD's run is considered the most legitimate and transparent completion of this challenge, done without cheating, save states, or modifications.

Preparation is critical: power backup, cooling, and input device backups are essential.
Automating inputs (e.g., with a foot pedal) helps manage the grind.
Expect the grind to be heavily backloaded—progress slows dramatically after level 46.
Streaming or multitasking with other games helps maintain mental stamina.
Avoid accidental key presses or actions that could minimize or crash the game.
Be prepared for technical failures and have contingency plans.
Patience and dedication are paramount; this grind is among the most demanding in gaming history.

Monetary Dragon (MD): FF7 expert and speedrunner who completed the 1200+ hour ex-SOLDIER level 99 grind.
Cart 7: Early speedrunner who completed the reactor level 99 grind with video proof.
Circle Master: Known for completing the reactor grind in 2017.
Dave Sterio: FF speedrunner who live-streamed the reactor grind in