[ENDWALKER MSQ SPOILERS] Timeline weirdness

[LystAP]

And back on the question of why we don't go back to prevent the Final Days in the unsundered world, I think I have found the very simple answer: the characters do not know what would happen if they did, and should not want to risk overwriting their own timeline. Despite our knowledge as the audience, with access to the side story confirming that the Eighth Calamity timeline still exists equally alongside the current one, the characters do not know this. At most they have G'raha's continued existence to suggest that possibly, even probably, the other timeline has continued to exist without being overwritten - but it's entirely theoretical and they have no way of confirming the result.

We did almost break things in Elpis by telling the others about their future, but that's the WoL on their own. Canonically they're probably not the one to think that through, especially once Venat says it's fine to talk. It might come to them later, or only upon talking to the more theory-minded Scions, that actually they came unsettlingly close to finding themself on the wrong path of time and potentially unable to return to the present.

We can still go back to the Final Days to prevent it for the Venat we met. No one has told the Warrior of Light/hero not to, nor have there been any indication that the WoL or their associates thought about not doing it. Unless something is explicitly stated in the story, it always has a possibility of occurring in the future. We don't go back to help during the events of Endwalker because it is focused on Hydaelyn and Zodiark. But we have the upcoming patches to do so.

The story of Hydaelyn and Zodiark is over, but it does not mean that story of the World Unsundered is. We'll still be going back over and over for the next two raid cycles. That the raids take place in the past also strengthens the possibility that we'll do more in future patches.

[Lium]

I really hope they don’t have the WoL go back in time and prevent the Final Days from ever occurring just so we can save the unsundered world because the characters are so popular.

Part of what makes them so interesting is their divergent responses to the catastrophe and the legacies they leave behind.

[SilverArrow20XX]

It's also possible that these are just stable loops in many branching timelines.
As long as the changes aren't big enough to cause significant changes, you end up with a new timeline branch where the time travelers existed in the past, but is otherwise mostly the same.

- Timeline 1A
The original timeline.
Mide is not the founder of the Hotgo tribe, and the initial Alexander time travel happens.
WoL does not travel to Elpis, and the 8UC happens.
G'raha likely cannot be sent back in time because the Ironworks do not have knowledge of Alexander.
This timeline is not necessarily doomed since Fandaniel wouldn't be able to kill Zodiark.

- Branch 1Ab
Mostly the same as 1A, except Mide is now the founder of the Hotgo tribe and Alexander shenanigans have happened.
G'raha goes back in time, and the 8UC happens.

- Branch 1B
G'raha travels to the past to prevent the 8UC.
WoL travels to the past Elpis to find helpful info on the Final Days.
Meteion does not have Venat's tracker due to this being the first loop. Does not bode well for this timeline.

- Branch 2A
Despite having foreknowledge, Venat finds herself still forced into the same actions.
History plays out mostly the same as 1A and 1Ab (2Ab).

- Branch 2B
History plays out mostly the same as 1B.
This time WoL existed in the past, and Meteion is tagged, allowing us to get to Ultima Thule.

- All further timelines are basically 2A and 2B on loop forever.

[LystAP]

I really hope they don’t have the WoL go back in time and prevent the Final Days from ever occurring just so we can save the unsundered world because the characters are so popular.

Part of what makes them so interesting is their divergent responses to the catastrophe and the legacies they leave behind.

We already seen their responses. "Our" Emet, Hythlodaeus, Venat and Hermes have already acted out their role in this timeline, and their actions will continue to be reflected in our history. Going back to change 'that' history wouldn't change anything that happened in our timeline, but raise the curtain for a new play and create options for the future.

We'll be able to see how they react to new information, get more details on the story of the original Azem, and other issues related to the Ancients. But I guess it's up to SE.

[Jandor]

That doesn't sound simpler to me, and in fact sounds a lot more complicated.

Not really, maybe I've explained poorly.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe the rubbish I can draw in paint is worth a hundred.

It's a pretty terrible picture, but I hope it serves to get across the general idea. The slice is for visual effect, not because I think the tip of the tower was actually physically used like a knife on a birthday cake.

It's one unit, one "timeline" if you like, just split various different ways at various points.

It's not about having space as in an actual physical space for it to go, I mean space in the sense that Etheirys is an aether rich place but the worlds contained within only require 1/14th of the total resources, and there are currently far fewer than 14 worlds.

G'raha's "original world" starts as the Source, and I personally think it probably has to be the Source, I doubt the Shards are meaty enough to survive being sliced any thinner, but his adventure doesn't require that said world ends as the Source. All that is required for his trip to work is that his original world and the events that led to his departure are preserved.

[Rulakir]

We'll be able to see how they react to new information, get more details on the story of the original Azem, and other issues related to the Ancients.

I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'd love to see it. I can't tell if they did too good a job with the Ancients or not a good enough job with everything else. I'm far more excited about the possibility of interacting with Emet & Hythlodaeus again than any of the Scions and the Ancient world is more fascinating to me than anything else has been since Ishgard. Emet listing off all the places we haven't seen on Etheirys didn't sound exciting on their own.

[Kordarion]

I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'd love to see it. I can't tell if they did too good a job with the Ancients or not a good enough job with everything else. I'm far more excited about the possibility of interacting with Emet & Hythlodaeus again than any of the Scions and the Ancient world is more fascinating to me than anything else has been since Ishgard. Emet listing off all the places we haven't seen on Etheirys didn't sound exciting on their own.

You might be more excited about interacting with the ancient world but not everyone else is. For me I would much rather interact with the cast of characters that has been built up for multiple expansions in our time than throw that all away for, relatively, new characters we have really only been introduced to since Shadowbringers. Emet & Hythlodaeus are cool and all but I find the scions, the eastern alliance and the eorzean alliance much cooler for the simple fact that god like beings who can solve problems with the snap of their fingers get really old really quick.

[Veloran]

I'm quite ready to move on from the Scions and the Alliance really. And more than gallivanting through time, I would rather they introduced a new cast of characters that offer different perspectives and methodologies from how the Scions act as a party. If there's any connection to the Ancients, I would rather it just be a few of the remaining Ascians choosing to join WoL for the sake of the star. That alone should be enough of a connection back without us traipsing around through history.

[AnimaAnimus]

I wanna see the timeline in which Hermes didn't create or send off the sisters and thus there being no final days, no Zodiark, no Hydaelyn, etc. Or one where Venat decided to return to the star after giving up the title of Azem, leaving Zodiark and the world remaining unsundered.

What could the Ascians have accomplished over 10k+ years?

[Lium]

We already seen their responses. "Our" Emet, Hythlodaeus, Venat and Hermes have already acted out their role in this timeline, and their actions will continue to be reflected in our history. Going back to change 'that' history wouldn't change anything that happened in our timeline, but raise the curtain for a new play and create options for the future.

We'll be able to see how they react to new information, get more details on the story of the original Azem, and other issues related to the Ancients. But I guess it's up to SE.

I honestly thought that was just a metaphor for new adventures (i.e. expansions) for the future. Not that those characters specifically will be coming back. At least not in their current forms.

As much fun as I had in Elpis, I'd much rather have brand new characters to experience the story with, and leave the past behind. Literally.