*Spoilers* The Past and After the Endwalker MSQ End

[LordGiggles]

snip

Getting there isn't a problem, they're massively, massively more advanced in terms of how they use aether, and have at least as long as the sundered did to collect it. Zodiark couldn't wait for a few thousand years. If Hydaelyn could find a way to develop space travel, it's kind of a given more skilled ancients would have been able to as well.

Thancred created a breathable atmosphere, he didn't allow you to breathe there. As long as they have a source of air, or are somehow able to live without air, they'd be fine. These sort of biological limitations aren't really problems for the ancients imo, they can effectively do whatever they like with themselves with the transformations. There's some limits of course, I doubt they could just turn into an army of omegas, but barely needing to breathe doesn't seem like a reach. You could argue that maybe their transformed forms would be corrupted by dynamis, but I don't think that's a given when our magic worked fine. Creation magic was impacted, you're right, but it's not the only type of magic they could use.

I don't think the barriers in UT are actually barriers for the ancients, the scions are fairly limited physically. If we could just pull a zenos and fly directly to the endsinger there'd not be much need to care about what the locals think, or whether you can walk through. Though that being said, for the dragons specifically I think it's pretty possible the ancients would have done fine. They don't really have the same problems humans do, I think it's fairly likely midgardsomr would still be alive, and that the whole war with the dragons would never have happened. Midgardsomr alone is a huge plus for the ancients in basically every way.

The main questions about the outcomes of the path we took are would be how effectively they could actually subdue or kill meteion, and whether the dissenting space bird had much of an impact on how the collective functioned. Which we just have no info for really. I do agree it's nowhere near a guarantee though, but when it comes to the problems the scions faced there, I think the ancients are much better equipped. What problems might have been present if it didn't go the way it did for us is the big thing that makes it uncertain for me.

Also side note, the conclusion of the Ea section of UT was stupid, so I'm just not factoring it into how this would go. Whether the ancients could come up with an argument with that much plot armour or not is beyond me.

Also: anything we argue about Ultima Thule as we see it in-game is completely irrelevant because it's the result of 12,000 years of the Meteia's Song of Oblivion spreading unabated. For example, the dragons and omicrons were probably still fighting during the age in which the Ancients were alive. It's unlikely they would have even BEEN in Ultima Thule at all. And, for that matter, there might not be an Ultima Thule.

This is a super good point as well, hadn't even considered this. Though, that being said, it's possible there would have just been other civilisations present in the region instead.

Has to be better than the omicron though, considering they want to fight you to the death even on a good day.

[Alenore]

Creation magic was impacted, you're right, but it's not the only type of magic they could use.

Even then, creation magic was probably just impacted if the caster was under the despair effect, since there's a few instances of confirmed creation act not causing corruption: the Guardian Force in Akadaemia Anyder, Zodiark himself, or the Elpis in Ultima Thule.

[Rosenstrauch]

If we could just pull a zenos and fly directly to the endsinger there'd not be much need to care about what the locals think, or whether you can walk through.

This is actually a really good point. Zenos consumed a sliver of the Mothercrystal's power, turned into a primal, and just yeeted himself all the way to the final encounter, no questions asked. Who needs to breathe in the vacuum of space when you're a God? Why bother walking when even seemingly land-bound primals can fly if they so choose? Who needs visible light to see when you're literally a soul monster who sees aether? It'd be kind of hard to hide the gigantic dead star bearing the souls of around a dozen or so civilizations.

[CrownySuccubus]

This is a super good point as well, hadn't even considered this. Though, that being said, it's possible there would have just been other civilisations present in the region instead.

Yeah, maybe. After all, most of the worlds in the Meteia's "report" showed up in some way or another. But it still wouldn't have been 12 millennia's worth.

[Alenore]

This is actually a really good point. Zenos consumed a sliver of the Mothercrystal's power, turned into a primal, and just yeeted himself all the way to the final encounter, no questions asked. Who needs to breathe in the vacuum of space when you're a God? Why bother walking when even seemingly land-bound primals can fly if they so choose? Who needs visible light to see when you're literally a soul monster who sees aether? It'd be kind of hard to hide the gigantic dead star bearing the souls of around a dozen or so civilizations.

Didn't Zenos say he rode on the aether currents, which in this case would be the high speed aetherial current generated by the Hyperhopper?

[Rosenstrauch]

Didn't Zenos say he rode on the aether currents, which in this case would be the high speed aetherial current generated by the Hyperhopper?

I mean, sure. He said that. And sure, maybe that meant what you suggest. But that's not my point.