Let's keep Character Crossovers from other Square-Enix titles out of FFXIV.

[SkyeWindbinder]

Skye, I like you. Please tell me you're going to Balmung. We need to be taru-buddies and go around just ruling the world with our iron fists....covered in the blood and scales of Bahamut.

Sorry, Sleverin. My linkshell and I are on masamune. >.<

Then again, I'm sure I could create a character on a different realm if I so choose!

[Sleverin]

Sorry, Sleverin. My linkshell and I are on masamune. >.<

Then again, I'm sure I could create a character on a different realm if I so choose!

If you wanted to, please do! I'm sure my FC/LS would be more than happy to bring you on board for when you wanted to visit. They're a great group of folks.

Since the topic has been a bit derailed, I thought I'd bring it a bit back home.

I, personally, do not like this crossover idea and have a lot of issues with it. To be honest, if SE came right out and said that this was purely a promotional device and that it was to service fans of the game with some vanity gear and an event, I'd be fine with it. However, they have stated (so far) that this is not a different version of Lightning and Snow, nor will it go unnoticed by those in Eorzea. I am hoping that the scope of the situation stays at something like an optional quest or behest, merely something to do but have the rest of the game left alone.

My main reason for pointing this out is that there has been no reason up to this point to reference any sort of weird multi-verse crossover potential and that there never would be, it would be superfluous at best, and a downright terrible story mechanic at worst. People will cry about the "Void" as if it's some call to a higher power, able to strike down any argument with some infallible purpose. We know little, if anything about this so-called dimension (if it can even be called that) and for what purpose it serves. Is it merely a Maguffin, a thing created solely for the purpose of the Dalamud storyline? Doubtful, as ARR has brought up the voidsent within the first few story missions. Either way, this Void is not some magic realm where all Final Fantasys exist simultaneously as if this were some Jungian pool of archetypes, able to pull any character out of a magic hat simply because the "Void" exists as a word. (The Void is essentially nothingness as a word by the way, it does not give one the means to travel dimensions by its mere existence.)

What is all this exposition for? I shall tell you, good forum goer, if you are willing to listen. The problem is, with any well established story, is that we have this idea cemented in our minds about what this game does and what happens as an internally consistent basis from what we've learned. Surely, some of you will say, "Well, we don't know everything, the rules could change at any moment." We could claim the same of reality, but that doesn't make it true. We know we need to breathe, eat, and drink. When we sleep, we will most likely wake in the morning. The rules simply do not change at the whim of some deity (i. e. writers) simply because they can come up with reasons as to why it wasn't mentioned beforehand. Anyone can do that by the way and it is called "retconning" and it usually shows of sloppy writing and demeaning to the audience. Simply because the lore team states that all of a sudden, Minfilia was a badger this whole time and we couldn't tell because over exposure to the Aether had made us see the whole world differently simply because they thought badgers were cool does not make the story any more plausible or any less of a blatant showing of terrible writing. Now, of course, we're not expecting this to be some Shakesperian tale which is fine. However, crossovers begin to destroy the cornerstone of what makes the story great.

In summation, crossovers have a major problem and that is: it simultaneously ruins both properties if the idea of the characters interacting with each other isn't already implemented in the story. Kingdom Hearts skips this whole thing right from the get go, hell it's on the package. It was not so with 14, and simply throwing a retcon into the situation should not make it acceptable to us as players, it should bother us a bit more.

[Aish]

Either way, this Void is not some magic realm where all Final Fantasys exist simultaneously as if this were some Jungian pool of archetypes, able to pull any character out of a magic hat simply because the "Void" exists as a word. (The Void is essentially nothingness as a word by the way, it does not give one the means to travel dimensions by its mere existence.)

I don't know if you're directing this at me (since I never said everything would come through the Void), but seeing as I brought up the 'Void' I'm going to assume you are referring to me. In which case, you completely missed my point. Namely, Realm-crossing happens in-universe, therefore, it's not an impossibility.

The mechanism may not be the void, it may be the Mother Crystal (that giant crystal you see in the main storyline multiple times) which has the ability to summon multiple adventurers awarenesses into its presence at any given time. Seemingly, with very little effort, but always for a reason. Seems fairly reasonable that with some additional effort (Or, more likely, aether), the crystal could very well summon a physical body from a galaxy far, far away, or perhaps from another 'realm' since obviously, Atomos has this power (to summon things from another realm) and has already appeared in 1.xx, though he is not involved in every instance where something is spawned from the void (See certain Dungeons). Also, in every one of my examples, including Lightning, they already have this power (Or something very, very, very, very similar to it, time-hopping and dimension-hopping are one and the same to me), it wasn't provided to them specifically for this event through some retconning.

The void is a generic term that inhabitants of Eorzea have given to a dark realm they believe exists beyond their own. When a creature is deemed to be too unnatural to be "of Eorzea" (such as ahrimans), they are often categorized as "voidsent", based on the common belief that they were sent by some sinister force from beyond the corporeal realm.
The void is also said to be the origin of the creatures present on the Dzemael Darkhold and the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak. Upon advancing on the instances, some of the creatures will "retreat into the void", while others will emerge from it, effectively changing the monsters currently on the area.

Source - FFXIV section

In summation, crossovers have a major problem and that is: it simultaneously ruins both properties if the idea of the characters interacting with each other isn't already implemented in the story.

Serious question. Do gag characters that get involved with the main storyline characters bother you? Like Hildibrand. After all, he's just some random guy, who inexplicably has the title of 'Inspector Extraordinaire', survived an explosion that had enough power to rocket him to Dalamud only because he had Gag-Character Invulnerability, and has Urianger appear multiple times in his questline. He's not a crossover character, but there's way less reasonable explanations for him than there will be for Lightning. Which isn't what I'd consider retconning, since all the mechanisms for bringing in Lightning are there already in both XIII (From what I understand, XIII-2 is basically Lightning in Time, and XIII-3 is basically Lightning: Majora's Mask) and XIV, namely Dimension/Time-hopping.

Edit: Hildibrand, at his finest. (Shameless Plug!)