Quote Originally Posted by Seraphor View Post
It's specifically something that's not meant to be taken seriously.
Well, one thing that may be worth noting, is that the Simpsons is specifically intended to not be taken seriously.

This game IS. We're supposed to be invested in the characters, take their dramas seriously. Sitcom-style "everything stays the same and nothing changes" RANKLES. Especially since things DO change.

I don't mind if they never get into specifics as to how much time is passing, and leave that up to the player. Even the lack of physical growth for Alphinaud and Alisae can be handwaved - they're Elezen, and Elezen's period of puberty is longer than most. But for this to work, they need to stop making references to how long ago something was. In the beginning, in ARR, "the Calamity happened five years ago" was fine. As the expansions pass, however, they need to ease back on these markers, give the players a chance to set whatever timeline they feel makes sense.