What World? There's no Timeline, shut up.

[Mercen-X]

Okay, so here are some things to discuss.

Does Final Fantasy have any kind of Timeline?

Airships have existed since II or III, chocobos have existed since III, I think, and moogles have existed since V (thinking again). Most monsters you meet in newer installments have already appeared in nearly every previous. The legend of the Crystals (or at least the power of crystals, which was still reflected in VII & IX) has been a running theme somewhat.

I know only of Kain and Cid Highwind, although a character named Cid usually plays an integral role in the story whereas Biggs and Wedge are usually granted a simple mention.

What is the world of Final Fantasy?

We know the name of the world in X is called Spira, several people including Yuna speak the name is direct reference to the planet (whereas in VII, it was just called "the planet." Lame).

There have been times when I've thought Final Fantasy actually encompasses tales from two or three different planets. I've personally assumed that the Fayth of X was somehow related to the Lifestream of VII. Both are the concentration of spiritual energy possessed of deceased people, animals, and even plantlife. Both grant unmeasurable power in the form of summoned creatures, though the Mako of VII being a crystallized form of the Lifestream further concentrates it's power which, I believe, is why it allows you to use magic. It'd be simple enough to say that stealing the Lifestream interrupts the flow of energy and therefore makes it impossible to cast spells (or even use heightened skills) unless you are holding a piece of materia.

What's your opinion?

[Little Blue]

Each Final Fantasy setting is independent to its predecessors. There is no link between them other than the makers wanting to get recognisable trademarks featured in the games.*

* There is an exception regarding FFX and FFVII due to some tosser who is also one of the story writers or something named Nojima who claimed to have made FFX a prequel to FFVII. This is debatable though.

[Renmiri]

EoFF has a great article about spiritual energy in FF. Like Chocobos and Biggs and Wedge, it seems to be in all of the games.

http://www.eyesonff.com/members/wiki...OfFinalFantasy

[Little Blue]

Again, just another repeated theme. Like chocobo's.

[DarkLadyNyara]

The final fantasies are, as a whole, not connected. There are references and common themes, but actually tying all of them together is a lost cause.

And btw, airships originate in I, chocobos in II, and moogles in III.

[Takara]

I know only of Kain and Cid Highwind

There was also Alexander Highwind Tycoon in FFV and Ricard Highwind in FFII (and they named his son Cain in DoS, which made me go "bah" because that started all kind of dumb rumours about how FFII was really the same world as FFIV).

[Wolf Kanno]

The games are not suppose to be connected due to Sakeguchi wanting to start each game fresh. His challenge was always to make a better game without having to resort to what was used beforehand. This is also why I refuse to accept any of the main FF's being connected with each other.

Though VII and X are connected, it's interesting to note that it wasn't stated until after Sakaguchi left the company.

[BG-57]

The only FF's that have convincing connections are FFVII-FFX and FFT-FFXII.

To a lesser extent there could be a case with FFT-FFVII. Not with (SPOILER)Cloud per se, since he arrives from outside Ivalice. Instead it is the (SPOILER)flower girl in Ivalice named Aeris (with the same character design no less). I take it to mean that Ivalice exists parallel to the FFVII Planet in different places, although not necessarily at different times.

[jammi567]

Though VII and X are connected, it's interesting to note that it wasn't stated until after Sakaguchi left the company.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. So you're not going to believe the word of a person who worked on both the scripts of the game, simply because he left the company? That's just stupid logic.

[Mercen-X]

Also, heya, if Squee made a game that anyone would recognize as being a summary of the events of all games Final Fantasy (of course, knowing Squee, it'd be done properly with new faces, new tech, and no character references except maybe a Sid), would you bother playing it?

[Wolf Kanno]

Though VII and X are connected, it's interesting to note that it wasn't stated until after Sakaguchi left the company.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. So you're not going to believe the word of a person who worked on both the scripts of the game, simply because he left the company? That's just stupid logic.

No, I believe that Sakeguchi has the right idea about "not looking back" and always starting fresh instead of building some asinine universe where everything is connected by reasoning that sounds like bad fan fiction.

I also don't respect Nojima as a writer and feel it's funny that he didn't bother mentioning they were connected until well after the creator left the series. I know the stories are connected but that doesn't mean I have to like it nor respect the wishes of the writer since he's a talentless hack.

I don't see the point of connecting them, and I feel this gesture is disrespectful to the ideals of the creator of the series.

And to be fair, I'm not too keen on the idea of FFXII and FFT being connected either though it looks like it was planned slightly better than this FFX=FFVII nonsense.

[Bolivar]

My guess is different planets, since Nojima & Kitase suggested that the technology for refining mako was brought over from Spira once that civilization got space technology.

For some reason, whenever this gets brought up, you always get people who hate the idea of it being connected. After beating all the numbered games, I wouldn't be surprised.

Ivalice seems to be its own set world, the ultimania guide (XII) actually has a timeline of the FFXII and FFT events.

[jammi567]

No, I believe that Sakeguchi has the right idea about "not looking back" and always starting fresh instead of building some asinine universe where everything is connected by reasoning that sounds like bad fan fiction.

yeah, i totally believe this, but if the guy wants to vaguely connect the two words, then we have to take it as canon, as it was said by the guy who wrote the scripts for both the games, regardless of when he said that.

if we went along with what you said, that means that we should ignore what the excecutive people who worked on the game said about FFVII, 7 years after the game came out.

I know the stories are connected but that doesn't mean I have to like it nor respect the wishes of the writer since he's a talentless hack.

he's obviously isn't a 'talentless hack', as he managed to make both the connected games loved and respected by millions of people

I don't see the point of connecting them, and I feel this gesture is disrespectful to the ideals of the creator of the series.

what are/were the ideals of the creator of the series then?

[Wolf Kanno]

No, I believe that Sakeguchi has the right idea about "not looking back" and always starting fresh instead of building some asinine universe where everything is connected by reasoning that sounds like bad fan fiction.

yeah, i totally believe this, but if the guy wants to vaguely connect the two words, then we have to take it as canon, as it was said by the guy who wrote the scripts for both the games, regardless of when he said that.

if we went along with what you said, that means that we should ignore what the excecutive people who worked on the game said about FFVII, 7 years after the game came out.

If you're talking about the FFVII "Revival Project" then know that I feel it's a load of crap as well. If it has done anything, it has proven how bad the plot holes were in FFVII to begin with.

Also, Nojima was one of four writers (technically) for FFVII. Nojima and Kitase's script for FFVII was adapted from an original story by Nomura and Sakeguchi. He (and Kitase) made the declaration it was connected well after Sakeguchi left the company which leaves me to believe either Sakeguchi was against it, or it was never planned to begin with until well after FFX was written. I feel the connection theory is a joke and just another way for SE to milk the franchise.

he's obviously isn't a 'talentless hack', as he managed to make both the connected games loved and respected by millions of people

In my eyes he's a talentless hack since he has never written a good plot IMHO. VII has plotholes that kill the story, VIII is completely random and unfocused, X is just bad in every way possible, and FFX-2 is complete nonsense. With this track record it's a wonder why I have low expectations for XIII:rolleyes2

what are/were the ideals of the creator of the series then?

As I said above, Sakeguchi has stated in several interviews that he never connects the game as a personal challenge for himself. He wanted each game to be fresh and never borrow from the previous installments. Ever wonder why the series has always been innovative and experimental? He states it's more interesting to have to come up with completely different worlds and new characters than to build on an established world or set of characters. As a writer (ameteur at best) I respect this about how he goes about creating his worlds.

My main issue with the connection theory beside it being a slapped to the creator's ideal, is the fact that the game worlds are completely different from each other and now SE has to explain why things work differently on one world than in another. It's going to create so many more plotholes that SE will have to spend years changing the canon to fix all of them.

I also don't really see what connecting them is really going to accomplish in the long run except for a string of sequels/ prequels that will never live up to each of the original games and just piss off the rest of the fanbase who watches the series they love becoming an exploited joke in video games. I'm still trying to figure out when SE decided to become like Hollywood:rolleyes2

[Hazzard]

Also, Nojima was one of four writers (technically) for FFVII. Nojima and Kitase's script for FFVII was adapted from an original story by Nomura and Sakeguchi. He (and Kitase) made the declaration it was connected well after Sakeguchi left the company which leaves me to believe either Sakeguchi was against it, or it was never planned to begin with until well after FFX was written. I feel the connection theory is a joke and just another way for SE to milk the franchise.

he's obviously isn't a 'talentless hack', as he managed to make both the connected games loved and respected by millions of people

In my eyes he's a talentless hack since he has never written a good plot IMHO. VII has plotholes that kill the story, VIII is completely random and unfocused, X is just bad in every way possible, and FFX-2 is complete nonsense. With this track record it's a wonder why I have low expectations for XIII:rolleyes2




My main issue with the connection theory beside it being a slapped to the creator's ideal, is the fact that the game worlds are completely different from each other and now SE has to explain why things work differently on one world than in another. It's going to create so many more plotholes that SE will have to spend years changing the canon to fix all of them.

You're being a bit too harsh on the script writers, because most people and I would agree that they done exceptionally well, on games like; VII, VIII and X. The stories were well written in depth, and I completely understood everything that was happening, I don't exactly know where any holes were left undone in those games, and everything was usually explained. Maybe not entirely on VII, and maybe they did go a bit way wall on that game, but the others, tell me why then?

Also, about this whole 'X--VII, they're related'. I solely agree with W.K on that, and think it's pathetic how they can tarnish the two game's by linking them to each other, they have no real evidence to base it upon, and I swear; if they use someone like that little kid in X-2 (worst game ever) then that's hardly a valid reason. His name may of been Shinra, but that doesn't send any signals to me that the two games are set in the same world. Should they start saying that Biggs and Wedge have been set in the same world? This act that they've done is stupid, and dim. They even stated after the first Final Fantasy release, that they set a goal to never relate any of the FF's, but include just a few trademark things.

What happen to that goal? Well it's out of the window, we might as well create a prequel to X. 'Everyone returns and they meet Cloud!'-- that crappy theory may even happen, you never know what Square are capable of...

BTW W.k, do you know who wrote the script for XII, cause they should of included more context, and trust me, that would of made it better to hear someone like Montblanc speak.