The Wonderful World of Ivalice

[Roto13]

So, as we all know, Ivalice has become it's own little world within the Final Fantasy series. Several games take place in the same world, usually in different regions. FFT, FFTA (more on this later), FFTA2, FFXII, FFXII:RW, and Vagrant Story all take place in Ivalice.

According to the Final Fantasy Wiki, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance starts off in the "future" of Ivalice. In FFTA, Mewt creates a dream world based on the Final Fantasy games which are, apparently, based on 'real life' (within the game) history. Nothing that happens in that version of Ivalice is canon, as far as the outside world goes. However, when Luso (FFTA2) enters Ivalice, it seems to send him back in time. The Montblanc in FFTA2 is not the same Montblanc from FFTA, but he is the same Montblanc from FFXII, for example.

Anyway, I find it all very fascinating, especially when the games reference the little minor elements of various games. For example, the bestiary entry for Flans in FFXII mentions an guild called the Iron Stomach, and their various recipes based on monsters. In FFTA2, there are several missions where you have to gather ingredients for the Iron Stomach. Little things like these are what make Ivalice such an engrossing place.

So yes. Discuss Ivalice. :P

[Saber]

Its funny though not one of them followed 1-10's random battle and almost all had jobs hunts or missions.

[Ouch!]

I'm still hoping against the odds that Rapture, SquareEnix's as-of-yet untitled MMORPG, takes place in Ivalice. Each game expands on Ivalice, and the world has become more developed than any other featured in a Final Fantasy title (FFXII did most of the work for this).

Despite Matsuno, the original mastermind behind Ivalice, leaving Square Enix, I'm hoping that we will get the story filling the gap between FFXII and FFT--the biggest gap in the world's history so far. At some point, some cataclysmic event wipes the world of its technological advances and somehow leaves humes as the only remaining race (or at least the only race in the nation of Ivalice in FFT).

[Saber]

I think Ivalice takes roles of more adverage party members. Sure you got royalty but thats just regular. The world though is so big and instead of having the one shot heros we get to see typical characters just saving a nation or just doing choirs. Its funny though my sister brong over Vagrant Story and said that I would like it. Not at all did I know it had anything to do with FF except for it being from square enix.

[Wolf Kanno]

My friend and I were discussing this the other night cause he was telling me about the Mist in TA2 and how it has become a bit of larger part of Ivalice. While we discussed it, it started to become much clearer that the "Dark" from Vagrant Story may in fact be Mist. Their properties are quite similar even down to the part about the dead coming back to life.

Besides that, I must say its the most developed world that SE has given us and I do love how each game references each other as well as other FF games. I've always appreciated the Carrot Mark Hunt existing in FFT, FFTA, FFXII and I believe FFTA2. Doesn't FFTA2 take place in the continent above the country of Ivalice from the original FFT?

[Roto13]

I don't know where it is, exactly, in relation to the other regions, but it's called "Jylland."

[Bolivar]

They gotta make a game about Germonik.

[Project G]

Ivalice confuses me!

In WotL, balthier is in it right? He looks the same as the XII balthier, but he isn't the same!


In TA, I can see similarities between it and XII (Espers, destroying crystals)

Meh, confused much o.0

[Vivisteiner]

^It is the same Balthier. He was transported through time by the Cache de Glabados or whatever.

Ivalice is such a cool name. Its a sick world. The bestiary in FFXII just rocks.

[Mirage]

Jylland is a place in Denmark!

[arcanedude34]

I always thought it occured like this (I'm not going to mention VS cuz I never played it. : P)

Tactics Advance takes place first, in which a fantasy-Ivalice is created in addition to the "real" St. Ivalice. XII then takes place in the fantasy-Ivalice, supported by the fact that Montblanc is now head of a famous clan. TA2 then takes place shortly after that in the fantasy Ivalice to which the Grimoire transports Luso, as evidenced by the now-sky-pirate Vaan and Penelo (also, idk if it takes place before or after RW, never played that either) and Al-Cid. Years pass in fantasy Ivalice, and the events of Tactics occur (it mentions that moogles are extinct.) but not too far after TA2, as Balthier and Luso make an appearance... this is confuzzling.

This is my interpretation of it, and it's probably as far from the truth as possible.

[Wolf Kanno]

I always thought it occured like this (I'm not going to mention VS cuz I never played it. : P)

Tactics Advance takes place first, in which a fantasy-Ivalice is created in addition to the "real" St. Ivalice. XII then takes place in the fantasy-Ivalice, supported by the fact that Montblanc is now head of a famous clan. TA2 then takes place shortly after that in the fantasy Ivalice to which the Grimoire transports Luso, as evidenced by the now-sky-pirate Vaan and Penelo (also, idk if it takes place before or after RW, never played that either) and Al-Cid. Years pass in fantasy Ivalice, and the events of Tactics occur (it mentions that moogles are extinct.) but not too far after TA2, as Balthier and Luso make an appearance... this is confuzzling.

This is my interpretation of it, and it's probably as far from the truth as possible.

Its not too far off to be honest. FFTA is not actually part of the timeline, its considered its own separate story. The Ivalice created by Mewt and the Grimoire is thought to be based on Mewt's knowledge of the Ivalice games.

It goes like this:
FFXII
FFXII: RW
FFTA2otR
FFT or FFT:WotL (whichever is your preference)
Vagrant Story

This is the timeline from my understanding.

[arcanedude34]

I always thought it occured like this (I'm not going to mention VS cuz I never played it. : P)

Tactics Advance takes place first, in which a fantasy-Ivalice is created in addition to the "real" St. Ivalice. XII then takes place in the fantasy-Ivalice, supported by the fact that Montblanc is now head of a famous clan. TA2 then takes place shortly after that in the fantasy Ivalice to which the Grimoire transports Luso, as evidenced by the now-sky-pirate Vaan and Penelo (also, idk if it takes place before or after RW, never played that either) and Al-Cid. Years pass in fantasy Ivalice, and the events of Tactics occur (it mentions that moogles are extinct.) but not too far after TA2, as Balthier and Luso make an appearance... this is confuzzling.

This is my interpretation of it, and it's probably as far from the truth as possible.

Its not too far off to be honest. FFTA is not actually part of the timeline, its considered its own separate story. The Ivalice created by Mewt and the Grimoire is thought to be based on Mewt's knowledge of the Ivalice games.

It goes like this:
FFXII
FFXII: RW
FFTA2otR
FFT or FFT:WotL (whichever is your preference)
Vagrant Story

This is the timeline from my understanding.

To be clear, is this official Square-approved canon? Or just some fan-speculation?

[Roto13]

Well I know there was a timeline that showed the events in FFT in relation to the events in FFXII, so that's correct. XIIRW comes after XII and TA2 comes after XIIRW, just because they actually make references to the events in these games in that order.

Not sure about Vagrant Story, but I believe it. :P

[Wolf Kanno]

Vagrant Story is still up in the air to be honest. I don't believe it was counted in the timeline given in the FFXII Ultimania but if you play through the game, there were several references to FFT that fans felt placed the game after FFT. Throw in the fact that Valendia debuted in VS (for those who don't know, its the region that Archades is located in XII) and its got a strong case for itself. Most fans feel the game probably takes place a few centuries after the death of Alazlam J. Durai, (the narrator of FFT) since VS generally refers to him in the past tense.

As far as I know, VS is still up in the air as far as continuity, and TA has pretty much been confirmed to be non-canon.