Lightning to Appear in a FATE in Final Fantasy XIV

[Roogle]

Because it doesn't make sense for her to appear in the middle of a world that is completely different, and has nothing to do with whatever game Lightning is from. It's like A Na'vi showing up in Titanic, except that can't happen because the Titanic movie came first, but whatever.

That would be a good twist on a classic tale! Well, I mean, now I wonder what that would be like. Though, that doesn't mean that it's a good idea...

[Elpizo]

Everything is possible if you write a retarded enough plot device for it. They could make Disney's Aladdin complete with Genie and Abu show up in the crystal tower if they wanted too. That doesn't mean it is anything resembling a good idea.

Personally, I wouldn't say no to having a battle with Xande at the top of the Crystal Tower, but that's just my inner FF III fanboy speaking.

[Mirage]

What if you had a boss that wasn't named Xande, but looked inspired by xande, using attacks that looked like they were based on Xande's attacks, and had battle music that was influenced by FF3's battle music instead?

[Elpizo]

What if you had a boss that wasn't named Xande, but looked inspired by xande, using attacks that looked like they were based on Xande's attacks, and had battle music that was influenced by FF3's battle music instead?

That would be decidedly awesome. I see where you're going with this, and I don't necesarily disagree. From a story-telling perspective, it would indeed make more sense to create new characters inspired by previous FF characters or bosses, than to just have said characters or bosses themselves appear. (Well, not counting series' staples such as the summons, Behemot and the like.) The only exception to that is, of course, Gilgamesh.

[Ouch!]

I mean, there's already artwork for one of the bosses in the Crystal Tower, and it's obviously Amon. I think enemies are more likely to re-appear than playable characters from the series, and I have no problem with that.

[Del Murder]

I like it when they bring back bosses from old FF games, but not characters. It's much easier to re-imagine a monster entering this particular world.

The thing with Cloud in FFT was different and more of an Easter Egg. There is a much lower level of immersion in a tactical RPG than a MMO.

[Ouch!]

Yeah, I'm perfectly happy seeing some enemies like the Demon Wall and Amon returning. There's precedent for that kind of thing throughout the series, and bosses are very easily re-imagined for subsequent titles.

[Super Christ]

I don't mind one bit, on the condition that over time they mine the rest of the series for similar events. I could totally imagine running into Edgar in the brothel in Ul'dah.

There's two reasons for this. The lesser reason is that, if you do want to be a stickler for 'game lore', it's been quite a while since they've come out saying that all the FF worlds are connected via the Void from FF5. That's the reason Gilgamesh shows up everywhere (and I'm thrilled that they're planning a series of quests around him in ARR).

The bigger reason I don't mind is because after all the complaints about FF13, and the complete initial failure of FF14, I strongly doubted that Square would ever announce a FF15 (and I'm still not really wrong about that, since all they did was rename a game they had already been working on, which a lot of people were starting to assume would end up as vaporware). So if they want to turn ARR into a fanservicey celebration of the series that came before it, then please, by all means. Because at this point it's going to be a very long time, if ever, before we see anything from Square that isn't a social game, besides what was already in development when Yoichi Wada got sacked as CEO in March.

[Mirage]

Source on the void connecting all FF worlds.

[Super Christ]

First, there is Dissidia 012, where Chaos, Cosmos, and Cid of the Lufaine are drawn through the Void from World A to World B, from which point Chaos and Cosmos pulled various warriors there through the Void. The Void is also how Shinryu got there in order to draw strength from the warriors of many worlds. I know that there are those who wouldn't consider Dissidia canon, although I would argue that is since one of it's main objectives is clearly to flesh out the story of Final Fantasy 1; fortunately, it's easy enough to point out a character who has appeared in more than one main series game (as opposed to the Cids who merely share a name) - in fact, I already have.

I'll start with Gilgamesh's description from Dissidia, as it's the most explicit about his dimension hopping. It lists his appearances as FF5, FF8, FF9, and FF12, before going on to say, "A vagabond who roams the Void and collects exquisite weapons. Formerly Exdeath's right-hand man, he has been travelling to
different dimensions since his encounter with Bartz." When he shows up in FF8 he mentions something about having to find the 'Dimensional Interval', and in 12 with a bunch of familiar looking, but cheap knockoff, weapons. In his appearance in the 20th Anniversary release of FF1, the first thing he says when you encounter him is, "At long last! The ultimate sword... is... MINE! Now I can finally go home!" And finally, although I'd take it with a grain of salt since he breaks the fourth wall at the start of the fight, in his DLC battle in FF13-2, he shows off the new weapons that he says he picked up in the rift. On the subject of that battle however, it is worth noting that the Ultimania guide for that game lists the locations he acquired the weapons he uses after he tosses aside the guns - Excalibur comes from a hidden room in Alexandria, Muramasa was recovered from the ruins of Zanarkand, Masamune was fished out of Doma's poisoned river, and the Zantetsuken is apparently not Odin's sword in this incarnation, but rather a nail shed by Chaos - and as far as I'm aware, the Ultimania guides are always considered canon.

It's also interesting to note, that since Gogo banishes himself to the void in FF5, and then the Gogo in FF6 looks almost exactly the same and has the same job, it's possible that Square had this idea for connecting everything through the void early on.

Finally, although it doesn't have to do with the void, it's worth noting that Square has flat out confirmed one other direct link between two games in the main series. Kazushige Nojima, the scenario writer for several games in the series (most importantly for this point, FF10, FF10-2, and co-writer for FF7), has stated that Rin would fund Shinra's efforts to refine energy from the Farplane using the Vegnagun's remains, but failed. His descendants, a thousand years later when space travel was developed, would travel to the Planet from FF7 and found the Shinra Electric Power Company - sourced from the FF10-2 Ultimania guide.

[Aulayna]

His descendants, a thousand years later when space travel was developed, would travel to the Planet from FF7 and found the Shinra Electric Power Company - sourced from the FF10-2 Ultimania guide.

And forget how space travel works in the process.

[Super Christ]

His descendants, a thousand years later when space travel was developed, would travel to the Planet from FF7 and found the Shinra Electric Power Company - sourced from the FF10-2 Ultimania guide.

And forget how space travel works in the process.

Eh, I think it's kind of dumb too, but it supports my point that for a long time Square has considered the FF games to be different worlds but the same universe, and that these worlds are not utterly isolated from each other.

[Synoptikal]

Apologies for quoting a post from the last page but...

That'd be a cool Kingdom Hearts tie in.

Don't give Squenix ideas.

As for Lightning being in ANOTHER game...well, I think that gives you enough of my opinion right there!

[Skyblade]

From what I understand of the plot of Lightning Returns, it's about her shepherding the people to a new world before the old one is completely consumed by chaos and death.

So, her popping up in a new world inexplicably doesn't actually seem that far off.

[Jinx]

No, but it's still stupid.