Question on the CGI WoL's companions

[Enkidoh]

^This. 'Derplander' and his friends are just standins for your character in the trailers and FMV openings and thus are distinct from Ardbert. Although his other party members seemed to have disappeared by HW, a piece of HW promotional art shows them alongside Derplander flying in manacutters over Ishgard, so they're definetely still around.

Either way, think of his other party members like other players in the game - you may have friends you play and adventure with, but you're not around each other 24/7, you inevitably have your own lives to live and thus will seperate and do your own thing independently of each other much of the time. In the same way, Derplander's friends are doing their own thing during the later trailers, they're fighting their own battles and duties at that time seperate from whatever our Midlander standin is doing.