I never thought about this before, but...

[Jessweeee♪]

There be spoilers in hurr.

Well I just started looking at Let's Play Final Fantasy VIII, and the player raises a good point. Why didn't they just destroy Junction Machine Ellone in the present? Without it, Ultimecia couldn't project herself to Ellone's time and use her to compress time, right? So they wouldn't need to go through that big mess. Whyyy?

[Bahamut2000X]

Because it would mean they couldn't boast about the waste that is disc 4.

[Skyblade]

This (http://forums.eyesonff.com/final-fantasy-viii/78222-all-couldve-been-prevented-3.html) was, in my opinion, the thread that best explained the problems with taking that quick-and-easy way out.

[Bahamut2000X]

This (http://forums.eyesonff.com/final-fantasy-viii/78222-all-couldve-been-prevented-3.html) was, in my opinion, the thread that best explained the problems with taking that quick-and-easy way out.

I've never face palmed or head desked so much in my life then I did just now reading some of the comments in that thread.

[Skyblade]

All good threads are like that. :) But there are some quite excellent arguments, if you read through the entire thing.

[Sir Bahamut]

Well, first you should notice that it's actually impossible in the FF8 universe for such a plan to succeed. In FF8, you can't change the past and by extension you can't alter time at all. So the fact that Ultimecia has the JME can't be changed by any amount of attempts in Squall's time. Indeed, any such attempts would merely have been part of the chain of events which lead to Ultimecia getting the JME in the first place.

However, this doesn't explain why no one even mentioned it. Odine probably knew that it was impossible to change time, so that perhaps explains why he didn't mention it. Why didn't Squall and Co suggest it? Probably just something which Square neglected. Of course, besides time being set in stone, there's another simple reason why they probably wouldn't even bother trying to destroy the JME, and that is that this doesn't stop the reign of Ultimecia in the future, it just means she doesn't destroy time and space. The only way to actually put an end to Ultimecia's reign would be to travel to her time and defeat her.

[The Crystal]

Of course, besides time being set in stone, there's another simple reason why they probably wouldn't even bother trying to destroy the JME, and that is that this doesn't stop the reign of Ultimecia in the future, it just means she doesn't destroy time and space. The only way to actually put an end to Ultimecia's reign would be to travel to her time and defeat her.

This.


Because it would mean they couldn't boast about the waste that is disc 4.

Why? Because Disc 4 only had a boss fight, and then the final dungeon? FFVII and FFIX are the same. Do you think their last disc was a waste too?

[Serapy]

Infinite possibilities.
Even if JME has managed to be destroyed, either Ultimecia will try to find another alternative to interfere the past timelines or it will void the entire plot rendering everything more complex and disorientated.
This is quite the same thing as asking "What would have happened if Rinoa was still stuck in that Sorceress Memorial?"

[champagne supernova]

It's simple - why do something the easy way when you can do it the harder way and show off how hectic you are...

Oh, and of course, if they destroyed Junction Machine Ellone, it would mean that Squall could never have got caught in the wrong time and told Edea about SeeD, which means that it would never have got started in the first place. In fact, the world would be immensely changed by such a move. I think Sir Bahamut is correct - one of the major themes in FFVIII is that of fate, and therefore the actions of the protagonists are predetermined.

[Jessweeee♪]

It's simple - why do something the easy way when you can do it the harder way and show off how hectic you are...

Oh, and of course, if they destroyed Junction Machine Ellone, it would mean that Squall could never have got caught in the wrong time and told Edea about SeeD, which means that it would never have got started in the first place. In fact, the world would be immensely changed by such a move. I think Sir Bahamut is correct - one of the major themes in FFVIII is that of fate, and therefore the actions of the protagonists are predetermined.

I forgot about that o:

[Dr. Casey]

Why? Because Disc 4 only had a boss fight, and then the final dungeon? FFVII and FFIX are the same. Do you think their last disc was a waste too?

I don't think it's a waste, but I find the last disks of all three PlayStation Final Fantasies rather boring these days. Boss marathons seemed a lot more appealing when I was 12-13. Now I tend to focus more upon its faults. The lack of adventure, the lack of character attention or development for anyone but the hero (Final Fantasy VII) or hero and heroine (Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX). They feel so constricted and empty now. I'd prefer a Disk 4 like that from Legend of Dragoon - it does feature a boss marathon final dungeon, but that's not the entire disk. It's the same length and style of the first three.

[Zechs]

Apparently, the protagonists never thought about destroying the Machine. Or Ultimecia wouldn't have had it to work with.

[Mercen-X]

If they destroyed Junction Machine Ellone, it would mean that Squall could never have got caught in the wrong time and told Edea about SeeD, which means that it would never have got started in the first place. In fact, the world would be immensely changed by such a move. I think Sir Bahamut is correct - one of the major themes in FFVIII is that of fate, and therefore the actions of the protagonists are predetermined.
I'm going to hold onto this so I can use it if ever this question should arise again.

[champagne supernova]

If they destroyed Junction Machine Ellone, it would mean that Squall could never have got caught in the wrong time and told Edea about SeeD, which means that it would never have got started in the first place. In fact, the world would be immensely changed by such a move. I think Sir Bahamut is correct - one of the major themes in FFVIII is that of fate, and therefore the actions of the protagonists are predetermined.
I'm going to hold onto this so I can use it if ever this question should arise again.

I'm flattered.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

"This happens because it needs to happen" is not good storytelling!

[MJN SEIFER]

Ok, FE it's your turn. :D