Quote Originally Posted by SaitoHikari View Post
Arguably Ivalice doesn't need to be mandatory either. Almost everything important that happens in that quest line concerns the very distant history of Dalmasca, which would have no bearing on the present day.
Actually there is one important thing about it...it's what led Fran to actually talking to the Eorzean Alliance, and likely learning about the Scions themselves. Working with us would also get her to trust us. So I could see them making it mandatory...plus that helps brings up the player skill level since Ivalice ain't exactly easy for a lot of players.