Quote Originally Posted by PSxpert2011 View Post
ARR seems like a expansion just like "Rise of the Zilark" was for FFxi.
This is incorrect, and is probably why it makes no sense to you.

ARR isn't an expansion, it's a complete remake of the game. The Pre-catastrophe stuff was a story created purely to keep the current version players entertained.

To give you an example, ARR will be like FFXI pre-WotG. In XI during that time, you heard about the Crystal War, it shaped events in the game you played, but you never experienced to Crystal War until many, many expansions later.

ARR is the same, in that players will know about the Dalamud event and it will shape the events in the game, but it's not something they will be able to experience. (Except those of us who actually participated in it before 1.0 was brought offline.)

If anything, view 1.0 as an limited time Prequel to A Realm Reborn.