Ivalice as a whole

[EagleDelta1]

I don't know about anyone else, but I wish S-E would release a Full map of the Ivalice Region, covering all the major locations featured in the 5 main games(not including FFTA, I've heard that this one is meant to be a dream version of Ivalice). I just want to know where they all take place relative of each other. All that is known about each game is that FFXII/FFXII:RW takes place on the southern part of Valendia(Archadian Empire), Eastern Ordalia(Dalmasca, Nabradia), and Northern Kerwon(Paramina Rift, Giruvegan). This doesn't include the 2 Sky Continents(Lemures and the one Bhujerba is on) or Island(Glabados Ruins, Ridorana Cataract).
We know that FFT is set on the Continent of Ordalia, featuring the Kingdoms of Ivalice and Ordallia(come S-E be more creative with names).
FFTA takes place in the Rozarrian Empire in a place where the Continents of Ordalia and Kerwon meet, separated be a strait.
And we know that Vagrant Story is set somewhere in Valendia in the City of Lea Monde.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I want to know where these locations fit in with each other - it doesn't matter that FFT and Vagrant Story are set 1000yrs or more after the other three - continents don't change that much in 1000yrs.

[Ouch!]

There's a picture showing how FFXII's world map fits reasonably well next to that of FFT. Everything in FFXII appears to just be an extension going further east from the Ivalice seen in FFT. That seems to be the best there is now.

Also, since Matsuno has left Square Enix, I'm not so sure how much more of Ivalice you can expect to see. Does anyone else even know how it all really fits together? I imagine if that answer is no, we'll just get more ambiguity in future titles.

[Renmiri]

My Ultimania FFXII has this map on the cover

http://ffproject.net/forumwiki/images/Ivalicehuge.jpg

[Heath]

There's always the rather spiffy in-game map of Ivalice which doesn't show all of it by any means, but I thought I'd link to it anyway because I like it and it's a bit clearer than the one Renmiri just linked to.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...%28FF12%29.jpg

[EagleDelta1]

Neither one of those are the full-size maps of Ivalice - they only cover the regions gone to in FFXII. And the makeshift map connecting FFXII's to FFT's is not possible - at the opening monologue by Marquis Ondore it show a larger map of Ivalice, but one that is still incomplete - looking at that map I can't find a place the FFT map would fit.

On another note - just because Matsuno left doesn't mean Ivalice is gone - The Ivalice Alliance was started after he left the company.

[Ouch!]

I don't mean that Matsuno's absence means we'll never see Ivalice again. I just don't believe we'll ever get any solid answers as to how the series is supposed to fit together as a whole. I expect that future Ivalice titles will make vague, insubstatial references to the other games, but I don't expect any new information that'll help us connect the series. I believe that Ivalice, as continuous world, died when Matsuno left, unless he's divulged information regarding the continuity to others.

Also, regarding the Ivalice Alliance, look at the games it has produced. FFXII:RW, FFA2, and the FFT remake. FFA2, as a sequel to advanced, can again be written off as not the real Ivalice (at least, as far as I know; I've not enough interest to actually look into it); the FFT remake is just that--a remake--and offers little new in the way of revelations about the world; FFXII:RW is the direct sequel to FFXII, and, from what I understand about the title, offers little new information that would help bridge any of the gaps. I expect future Ivalice titles to be much the same.

[EagleDelta1]

From recent interviews - FFTA2 actually does take place in the real Ivalice - that's one of the reasons they decided to put Vaan, Penelo, and Al-Cid in as playable characters. In fact, translated character and story details put the setting somewhere in the Rozarrian Empire after FFXII and RW. The devs even stated that FFTA2 is set after FFXII and that we'd see some familiar faces from FFXII.

Also, keep in mind that Matsuno wasn't the sole creator of Ivalice. Many of the staff that helped him create it is still working on the Ivalice Alliance. Finally, just because Matsuno left the company doesn't mean he won't ever work with them again.

Also, I'm not looking for historical answers or major revalations, just how the map fits together as a whole in the context of the 5 main games(again not counting FFTA).

[Bolivar]

That's right - FFTA2 takes place in the real ivalice after the events of Revenant Wings. Speaking of RW, it actually did work to connect Vaan's Eastern Ivalice with Ramza's Western one, with the Cache of Glabados near Bavaria. There's really no reason to assume that the valid connections between the games in the series will not unfold.

This is mainly because everyone else who helped Matsuno create this world seems to still be at Square-Enix, most notably Minagawa (from the original Ogre Battle). Being promoted to director, showing up at all the XII events, and speaking about Final Fantasy like he's been making them for years are all indicators that we can expect some great games from him in the future, and most obviously games set in Ivalice will be among them. The only team member who isn't officially at SE is the composer Sakimoto, as like other top JRPG composers,he works freelance. I don't see any complications, as he recently did the soundtrack for Revenant Wings.

Also, EagleDelta, FFT took place to the west of Ordalia, they're 2 separate places, as the ordalians are who ivalice went to war with in the 50 years war.

[Goldenboko]

I read this title as "Ivalice as a Whore" xD

[EagleDelta1]

that's funny

[Dragonsoul]

Gametrailers.com, look for FF Retrospective and go to the video that talks about the Ivalice games, it shows a little bit of info. So far we don't know the full answer. They say Ivalice is like the Star Wars universe.

[EagleDelta1]

That's right - FFTA2 takes place in the real ivalice after the events of Revenant Wings. Speaking of RW, it actually did work to connect Vaan's Eastern Ivalice with Ramza's Western one, with the Cache of Glabados near Bavaria. There's really no reason to assume that the valid connections between the games in the series will not unfold.

This is mainly because everyone else who helped Matsuno create this world seems to still be at Square-Enix, most notably Minagawa (from the original Ogre Battle). Being promoted to director, showing up at all the XII events, and speaking about Final Fantasy like he's been making them for years are all indicators that we can expect some great games from him in the future, and most obviously games set in Ivalice will be among them. The only team member who isn't officially at SE is the composer Sakimoto, as like other top JRPG composers,he works freelance. I don't see any complications, as he recently did the soundtrack for Revenant Wings.

Also, EagleDelta, FFT took place to the west of Ordalia, they're 2 separate places, as the ordalians are who ivalice went to war with in the 50 years war.

I'm not talking about the Kingdoms of Ordalia and Ivalice, but rather their location in the area of Ivalice. Kingdoms can sometimes have the same name as the region or continent. i.e. Britain is on the Island of Britain, Ireland is on Ireland, etc. Austrailia is another example. If you look at the translations for the maps - There is the region of Ivalice and the Kingdom of Ivalice, just as there is the Kingdom of Ordallia and the Continent of Ordalia. Dalmasca is on the eastern edge of the Continent of Ordalia, Rozarria on the western edge as well as on part of the Continent of Kerwon and Archadia is on Valendia.
Anyway, here's the pic that shows the expanded map from FFXII, including parts of Ivalice not travelled to in FFXII.

If you look at the western part of the map..
Oh, I can see where the Kingdom of Ivalice might fit - if you look at the SW corner and just above the little body of water, The kingdom of Ivalice might fit there, but I still can't find where FFTA2 fits on the map - here's that pic.

I was also wrong about this one - the Continent on the East is Ordalia, but the Western continent is not Kerwon, but a new one called Roaru.

Also the City of Goug is in FFTA2, so this could be in the same region as the Future Kingdom of Ivalice, but who knows. At least we get to see goug during the height of the Rozarrian Empire, in all its technological glory.

With all this considered, though, who knows what Geographical changes could've happened to Ivalice during the Cataclysm mentioned in FFT. I'd like to see a game about that event.


I would, however, like to see how the Lucavi/Scions break from the bonds that force them to serve the peoples on Ivalice in FFXII and begin possessing people by the time of FFT.

[Ouch!]

I suppose in this case it may be fair to liken Ivalice to Hyrule. In the Legend of Zelda series, there is most definitely a continuum of sorts, but the geography of Hyrule is consistently inconsistent. I believe Miyamoto has stated that since each Zelda game comes from a different part of the history, each title has an individualized vision of the world. Discrepancies regarding location and inability to perfectly place different regions together like puzzle pieces on a map become far less important with this interpretation.

[EagleDelta1]

That's true, but as far as we know each Zelda takes place hundreds, possible thousands of years in between, whereas in Ivalice FFXII, RW and FFTA2 all take place very close to each other in the timeline, to the point where actual locations and characters make important appearances or mentions. Anyway, I'm not as concerned w/ Zelda as I am with Ivalice. While there are similarities, Zelda almost Always takes place in the SAME kingdom w/ many of the SAME locations, whereas Ivalice takes place in different locations and mentions previous locations and events. While Ivalice may not be one long story, the events of each game seem to affect the entire region/world. I'm starting to wonder if Ivalice has become more of a world than a region as a new, 4th continent has been added.

Besides, I prefer continuity over just random stories in random locales. Even if it is a series of disconnected games, they are set in the same world, with consequences of the actions to each game being felt everywhere.

[McLovin']

Thanks for posting this. Clears a little up for me.

This was my original theory:

:-D