So about Yda...

[Naria]

My only hang-up on this point is that Yda opens this very story by saying that Ala Mhigo fell twenty years ago.

Until something says Ala Mhigo was twenty-one years ago, or the Calamity was six years ago, or Silvertear was sixteen, I have to give the benefit of the doubt to something as concrete and specific as the bubble, which has survived being questioned dozens of times before.

I might be in the minority there, lol.

I admit also that I find it interesting (No judgement, I promise!) that some people find it more confusing to use the system where the dates don't change, where no adjustments are required, where you can always rely on the same formula.

If it's more than five years past, subtract it from 1577. "Yda died six years ago." [1577 - 6 = 1571]. That entire year was over before 1.0 opened. It feels pretty cut and dry to me if Ala Mhgo still fell twenty years ago.

I know I said confusing, but perhaps a better word for it would be disorienting. Judging by how often this topic pops up on the lore forums, I’m guessing that I’m not the only one with this problem.

From a mathematical view point having it remain in the same year in perpetuity does make things simpler, but . . . “time moves forward” is a basic idea. As soon as we start learning language we are taught to break down time into past and future and those into sequential units, into minutes, days, months, years etc. The game’s narrative is consistent with this as well—the Calamity was five years ago, Ala Mhigo was conquered twenty years ago, the Six Umbral Era ended fifteen hundred and seventy-seven years ago, etc. Time is important in Eorzea; the characters are constantly referencing the greater history of the region as well as their own personal history.

Except now with the “time bubble” in place the narrative is contradicting itself and this underpinning concept of time with the arbitrary idea of the bubble. Like the game’s days and weeks (which I don’t find disorientating because no one at Rowena’s ever chides me for not turning in collectibles last week), from the moment you start ARR all time becomes a gameplay mechanic. Moreover, the game’s characters themselves keep reminding me of this narratively inconstant game mechanic every time someone mentions a date. In this, gameplay and the main story are no longer separate. Time isn't moving forward.

No matter what happens in the game it will always be 1 SA. The Bloody Banquet--happened in 1st SA. The Dragonsong War--ended in 1st SA. Omega released--1st SA. No matter how much they mature as characters the twins always be teenagers. Every time a character mentions that it has still been five years since the Calamity, my suspension of disbelief creaks under the weight of all the events have happened in this “year” that is ongoing and will never end.

I know the time bubble is here to stay. Ultimately it is only a small distraction from my enjoyment of the story, but it is a credit to the writing team that they have crafted a fantasy world in an MMO that convinces and engrosses me to that degree. I want to hold FFXIV’s MSQ to standards I normally reserve for single player RPG series or fiction instead of just handwaving everything odd and getting back to killing monsters.