Ability to see the future: Loose plot thread?

[Cassar]

I don't have a problem with Mikoto's future sight in itself. My problem was that it came from out of nowhere and how it was handled in the story. It wasn't written as good as it probably should have been.

Yeah this is pretty much how I feel. It really felt like it came out of nowhere and when I saw it the first time I was like "Wait that's a thing in this universe?? Why is no one talking about this??". You know, I would expect people to be studying this phenomenon and trying to replicate it (which they kinda did in the Bozja storyline but it didn't go anywhere).

I wanna make it clear also that I personally don't think it was written poorly and I'm not really complaining about anything, I just feel like the situation wasn't treated with the gravity it should've been. I mean come on, there's an individual in this world that can see the GODDAMN FUTURE!!! That's like the most useful ability in this entire universe!!
(Let me know if I'm overreacting lol)

[Cleretic]

Yeah this is pretty much how I feel. It really felt like it came out of nowhere and when I saw it the first time I was like "Wait that's a thing in this universe?? Why is no one talking about this??". You know, I would expect people to be studying this phenomenon and trying to replicate it (which they kinda did in the Bozja storyline but it didn't go anywhere).

They are, that's literally what the Astrologians are doing. Both Ishgardian and Sharlayan, on different scales; Sharlayan is more aimed at personal fortunes while Ishgardian reads for broader movements. Each of their schools having a relative lack of detail might actually be a benefit, considering how badly Mikoto is steered wrong by hers.

I think the balancing element for Mikoto is that she's so phenomenally bad at it that it's more of a detriment than it is a help. It mostly just serves to give her anxiety, it's in no way actually helpful and her main area of expertise is 100% unrelated. Misija's better with it (maybe because she's not overthinking it), but let's be honest, it doesn't help her overmuch either.

Maybe the reason in-universe that nobody's hankering to replicate Mikoto's situation is much the same as why the writers likely aren't too interested in using it: it's just not actually very usable.

[KageTokage]

Maybe the reason in-universe that nobody's hankering to replicate Mikoto's situation is much the same as why the writers likely aren't too interested in using it: it's just not actually very usable.

That kind of made me question why they even bothered with it in the first place because basically every purpose it served could've been accomplished through more mundane means and it felt like it mostly served to build artificial suspense.

The main role it played in the entire mess was allowing Mikoto to be used as Resonant fodder...but they could've just as easily made Misija be an antagonistic Echo user akin to Ysayle and had her be captured strictly for her knowledge of the relic instead.

[Cleretic]

That kind of made me question why they even bothered with it in the first place because basically every purpose it served could've been accomplished through more mundane means and it felt like it mostly served to build artificial suspense.

The main role it played in the entire mess was allowing Mikoto to be used as Resonant fodder...but they could've just as easily made Misija be an antagonistic Echo user akin to Ysayle and had her be captured strictly for her knowledge of the relic instead.

Honestly, I think it might just have been the sort of thing where you have to try it before you learn it won't work.

[Cassar]

They are, that's literally what the Astrologians are doing. Both Ishgardian and Sharlayan, on different scales; Sharlayan is more aimed at personal fortunes while Ishgardian reads for broader movements. Each of their schools having a relative lack of detail might actually be a benefit, considering how badly Mikoto is steered wrong by hers.

I haven't done the Astrologian quest lines and I don't know much about them. Do they also predict the future using the echo?

Regardless, I think that having an ancient (or even better, a group of ancients) who has the ability to see the future would be a neat way of closing this little plot thread, at least for me.

Who knows, maybe one of the members of the 14 is responsible for that, something similar to Words of Lahabrea. We still have many Ascians whose real names and jobs remain completely unknown to us. Maybe they could throw in Cassandra from the Greek Mythology as one of them.

[RyuDragnier]

I haven't done the Astrologian quest lines and I don't know much about them. Do they also predict the future using the echo?

Regardless, I think that having an ancient (or even better, a group of ancients) who has the ability to see the future would be a neat way of closing this little plot thread, at least for me.

Who knows, maybe one of the members of the 14 is responsible for that, something similar to Words of Lahabrea. We still have many Ascians whose real names and jobs remain completely unknown to us. Maybe they could throw in Cassandra from the Greek Mythology as one of them.

They predict the future using the alignment of the stars themselves.

Actually, it was confirmed that Azem themselves had the ability to see into the future, but we don't know the extent/limitations of it. It was mentioned in Elpis what each one of the Convocation members offices were. I recall Altima's being the arts.

[Iscah]

I just feel like the situation wasn't treated with the gravity it should've been. I mean come on, there's an individual in this world that can see the GODDAMN FUTURE!!! That's like the most useful ability in this entire universe!!

The thing is, it's "can see the future, but with a lot of limits that render it not very useful". She can't do it on demand and it usually doesn't show people in peril, and it sounds like it might be mostly about giving her occasional fortunate insights into how to solve a project she was personally working on.

Her full explanation if you question her about it in Bozja:

The Echo can manifest itself in myriad ways dependent on the individual. I was gifted with the ability to peer into the future.
It is a power much like prophetic dreams and divinations, and yet quite different, for such visions only tell of the future's potential.
The Echo does not show me what may happen, but what will happen.
Scholars speculate Mezaya Thousand Eyes too shared this gift, hence the alarming accuracy of the passages writ in her Divine Chronicles.
These visions are a decidedly rare occurrence, usually containing some crucial insight into matters presently unfolding before me. For better or worse, I have never had visions of an impending threat on my life or those around me.
Not that I would want to see such things, of course. Could you imagine, knowing of certain doom that cannot be avoided?
I once spoke of my visions to an acquaintance─a relatively harmless glimpse of the future─and it resulted in a terrible argument. I fear I could not bear the weight of grimmer tidings...
But that is neither here nor there. My gift is but a trivial thing. Nothing you should think to rely upon.

The way she brings up "prophetic dreams" as a reference point suggests that they might not be all that uncommon in the setting (although it could be a bad choice of words in an isolated corner of the narrative, and they've contradicted bigger things than that). We do have other things like the Namazu's "do this thing to prevent disaster" vision on one hand, and Temulun's seemingly accurate and insightful prophecies on the other – though in the latter case it is suggested that she too has the Echo.

In any case, for Mikoto specifically, there is likely little benefit in advertising her future sight abilities to others.

[DPZ2]

I mean come on, there's an individual in this world that can see the GODDAMN FUTURE!!! That's like the most useful ability in this entire universe!!
(Let me know if I'm overreacting lol)

The Priestess of Apollo, Cassandra, would definitely disagree about the usefulness of that ability.

[kaynide]

I’m not against it being used well. Averting fate/destiny can make for a great plot, if done well. Changing the future too, but I’m reallllllly against destiny/fate/time travel being thrown it in without it being a major plot point.

Like, I’m all for Chrono Trigger and God of War dealing trying the change fate as the main focus, but in FF… ehhh.

I really don’t like the time travel shenanigans we got, so I hope they don’t muddy it further.


Minor echo moments with glimpses of things to be, not so bad though.

[SannaR]

Hey now if Apollo wasn't being a dick and cursed her prophecies to not be believed she at least would get about the same respect as the Oracle of Delphi. Just that with her stuff people could actually try and change the outcome. Unlike the things the Oracle would tell you.