FFXII's world is called Ivalice and the only games i shares a world with is FFTactics.

FFIX's world if you'll remember is Gaia.

And the only FFs that share a world/universe is FFVII and X (sma euniverse, different planet) and as I said, FFT and XII (same planet).

Garland in FFIX has nothing in common with FF1 Garland.

And Kuja was the best villain in the entire Final Fantasy series so yes, I had to tell everyone not to pick him.