4.1 Hype and Speculation

[Anonymoose]

The Legend Returns. <...> So who is the legend? <...> Gaius?

In all seriousness it's probably (at least primarily) about Ivalice. There's just something about the world of Tactics and XII, though. I'm not sure what it is. It's something about the way it's not the "traditional" Final Fantasy formula but ... harmonizes with it? I guess? ... and manages to pass with flying colors. I can't wait to see Matsuno can can paint on Hydaelyn's canvas (obligatory Gaius jokes aside).

Lyse mentioned an Ala Mhigan who is helping her with political issues and Alpinaud supposedly has a 'new friend'.

I'm curious about who's been helping Lyse, but (assuming we're talking about the Tale) Alphinaud's friend was implied to still be Estinien.
Wouldn't it be terrible if the guy crushin' on Lyse and giving her historical documents was just unmasked Elidibus?

[Theodric]

Did...did I get the twins mixed up? Oops!

>_>

<_<

As for Gaius, though...I guess he's old and accomplished enough to classify as a legend? So there may yet be hope!

[Rocl]

(Is Sephiroth gonna be a Garlean myth too? How about Ultimecia? Kuja? Yu Yevon? /sarcasm)

Sarcasm I know, but I think the answer is probably yes. After all, we've been told the Triple Triad cards of the Heroes are based on myth, and we even see it referenced in the Wind-Up X-minions. The ship has sailed, this is what it is now.

[Cilia]

Like Theodric said — the "legend" with regard to the Ivalice myth — is likely to be more nuanced than that. The Garleans apparently remember it as the story of a peasant who became a hero in a time of chaos. So, to them, Delita is quite possibly the legend, while the truth about Ramza was lost in time.

Depending on how much the raid arc traces the outlines of the FF-Tactics, it may well be the case we're going to Rabanastre to uncover the truth.

Just a little nitpick but FF Tactics's storyline was actually loosely based on real-world history - viz Ivalice's 50 Year War and the War of the Lions being actually clearly taken from the Hundred Years' War and the War of the Roses of English history.. only with magic and demon summoning.

In the context of FFXIV the 'Return to Ivalice' raid is going to be actually based on an "old Garlean legend", emphasis on legend, so to me that means we're going to end up with something like the Minstrel's Ballad on a raid scale, in other words, someone will tell the story of it to the player's character and their imagination does the rest (hence we wouldn't actually be going to Ivalice in reality, merely imagining it).

It would easily fit within the lore without any changes and still satisfy the "Ivalice and Hydaelyn are separate worlds" rule Yoshi has set in the past. Either way, we'll find out soon enough.

Yeah, no... you guys are right. "The Legend," if referring to any one person, is probably Delita, though history probably conflated him with Ramza. If there's any truth to the legend at all. I wouldn't quite say it's just an epic-scale Minstrel reimagining... yet. We do know that Dalmasca exists on Hydaelyn, so I'll be quite surprised if we don't actually go there. (Thought it was in Ilsabard, since the Garleans were said to have conquered Dalmasca before going after Othard... but I digress.)

Sunken City though! I love exploring sunken cities. It just feels like there's so much left behind...

[Balipu]

Did...did I get the twins mixed up? Oops!

>_>

<_<

As for Gaius, though...I guess he's old and accomplished enough to classify as a legend? So there may yet be hope!

Well we never saw the corpse, did we? FFXIV is very obvious about character deaths. For Papalymo they went out of their way to clarify that he is dead and his aether was consumed (Iknow I stil llisted him as a possibility, but mostly as a joke).

By the way, did anyone translate the japanese title yet? It might be sort of different.

[Cilia]

Sarcasm I know, but I think the answer is probably yes. After all, we've been told the Triple Triad cards of the Heroes are based on myth, and we even see it referenced in the Wind-Up X-minions. The ship has sailed, this is what it is now.

If they want to do it that way it's fine, my main point of contention with this is that it's another Garlean legend on the heels of Exdeath. Couldn't it have been, like... an Othardian legend, or something? Since Dalmasca is apparently in Othard?

Ultimately my issue with Ivalice being so heavily referenced (and now practically transplanted in) is that it shows blatant favoritism on the part of the developers. It feels like I'm being forced to play a game I didn't (and still don't) want to in order to enjoy the game I do. Yes, yes, I'm not actually being forced to... I know, but it still feels that way.)

Guess I'll just weather it for now and start a campaign to fight Sephiroth for real, not his mock-up Nael van Darnus. (/sarcasm, kinda.)

[Anonymoose]

I guess he's old and accomplished enough to classify as a legend?

I joke that his reputation was a legend. His routing of the Resistance takedown of Darnus (with WOL doing the lifting) showed a brutal, tactical man, but 2.X suggested that his invasion was successful because of the Ivy, undermined by the Ivy and Varis (with WOL doing the lifting), and that the majority of his power was a gift from the Ascians who knew that he was desperate to look good after Silvertear and Meteor with Solus at death's door.

It reflects poorly on him; makes it seem like "The Mission" he claimed to be all about was, when push came to shove, an negotiable front for building his own legacy. It calls into question whether he really took down Darnus for the good of the Empire at all. It makes me wonder how this guy sacked so many cities and dominated the Imperial court for so long. Maybe he left his mojo on the Agrius. Is being more bark than bite an intentional revelation? It'd be ironic considering that he kept coming off as stable and reasonable standing next to lunatics and sociopaths.

And so I joke that he was pretty much just a legend unless he wants to come set the record straight. (Increasingly as I get ribbed about it, lol.)

But if there's one place to avoid lighting the Baelsar Signal, it's Return to Ivalice. "The Legend Returns" feels a bit like "Gears of Change", which titled the MSQ as per usual but winked at Alexander. A celebrated content creator stopping by to paint Ivalice as a lost King Arthur-like mythology onto XIV should be good times, and some cynical Lalafell's running gag can wait, lol.

But if the patch title ties into the MSQ, too...what legend, there? Will Ivalice send tendrils into the MSQ? Or ... [itches arm nervously]

[Remedi]

you all know that in truth it's referring to hildibrand aka the gentleman of light

[WhiteArchmage]

you all know that in truth it's referring to hildibrand aka the gentleman of light

Nay, it's Godbert, the true final boss when this game reaches 10.55.

[Quor]

Nay, it's Godbert, the true final boss when this game reaches 10.55.

If Godbert is the true final boss, then what in the name of the Twelve is Julyan? The woman could be a post-game dungeon herself. A thousand thousand Warmechs would be preferable.