Quote Originally Posted by Iscah View Post
"No time" has passed at all. The whole game operates in a weird time bubble where no matter how much happens and how much time clearly passes between events, the calendar does not progress.

It will always be "five years since the Calamity" even if you could prove from dialogue or events that several years must have passed since the beginning of ARR.
This isnt exactly true.

Time has passed in the game. The events of ARR and HW take place in approximately a year or so's time period apparently. The 'time bubble' thing doesnt mean no time has passed, but that it's not moving as fast/slow/consistently as we think it is. For the player, its been what...5 years? For ingame time, its been about a year or two at most. The reason for the time bubble thing is it gives devs more space with plot. They dont have to be specific about exact dates and end up contradicting themselves with future lore. All that matters is Things are happening in a chronological order and those things do take time (this isnt like the simpsons where, short of holidays or characters specifically dying, all episodes are almost able to be placed in any order.). Meaning, All of ARR, HW, and SB did not occur in the span of 3 days. There was actual relative time progression in game. It's just not outright mentioned typically for keeping the lore semi cohesive and to prevent devs stepping on their own toes. Better to be vague than to be exact for this thing.

This is important btw, in regards to the OP, because Alphinaud was 16 already by 2.0. If things are moving forward, hes probably closer to 18 at this time. And before the "He dont look any different" Elezen age at a different rate than people apparently. So hes going to remain younger looking longer, despite being actually older.