The Omega Protocol

[Lurina]

It's the opposite, actually. We're moving away from a more well defined entity that follows fixed 'rules' to a more nebulous one based off of emotions and spiritualism.

Aether is the 'hard science' of Etheirys. The word itself is rooted in western Greco-Roman tradition, the word meaning 'sky'. They've quite deliberately chosen the Vedic word 'Akasha', which also means 'sky', to represent Aether's mystical and spiritual counterpart. It's really refreshing that every scholarly type we've run into in game so far has managed to handle the concept's introduction in a non-dogmatic and non-ethnocentric way.

'Hannish mystical theories that directly contradict my Archon's thesis? I never liked the old paperweight anyway. Please, teach me more!'

That's not really relevant to what I'm saying. I'm not talking about the concept of dynamis as a whole and its importance in the narrative vs. aether, I'm talking specifically about its implications on the Omega raid storyline. Even if its nature is less explicitly defined than aether (though we'll see if that lasts - aether also started off as largely enigmatic) its existence changes the tone. "You find inner strength and willpower because you want to protect your world" becomes "you get powered up by space energy because your strong emotions about wanting to protect your world magnetically attract it".

Also, I'm pretty sure the fact that they used 'dynamis' in this instance means that it's probably the word we're going to get going forward.

[Vyrerus]

a more well defined entity that follows fixed 'rules' to a more nebulous one based off of emotions and spiritualism.

It's not based off of spiritualism in its base form. Our manipulation of it currently is, though. Lurina's point stands.

[Cleretic]

The important thing to remember about every single ultimate raid:

They are in-universe fiction written by a bard. I don't know what kind of education the Wandering Minstrel has, but I'm guessing he ain't a scientist or historian. It was why we couldn't read much of anything into DSR's alt-universe, and it's probably why TOP makes relatively little sense from a 'scientific' perspective; it's not supposed to. It'd be like complaining that Gurren Lagann doesn't adhere to real-world physics.

[Cleretic]

The important thing to remember about every single ultimate raid:

They are in-universe fiction written by a bard. I don't know what kind of education the Wandering Minstrel has, but I'm guessing he ain't a scientist or historian. It was why we couldn't read much of anything into DSR's alt-universe, and it's probably why TOP makes relatively little sense from a 'scientific' perspective; it's not supposed to. It'd be like complaining that Gurren Lagann doesn't adhere to real-world physics.

I've realized people might've thought I was just being snarky here, and I'm sorry if people did. But I earnestly think this is the most interesting part of the Ultimates, including TOP. For one big reason:

We actually don't see a whole lot of in-universe fiction, probably because it's very hard to make interesting. We know of in-universe fiction, but very rarely with more than a couple sentences of actual text, and I think the only time we've seen an actual performance was in SAM's level 80 quest, which was a dramatic spoken-word piece. We've got enough to extrapolate from, particularly around the Far East (the fact a kabuki theater even exists is very helpful), but we don't know much.

I think the Ultimates give us something very important in that sector: I think they're what escapist fantasy action looks like in a universe that's ALREADY escapist fantasy action. This is Eorzea's equivalent of an Avengers movie.

[Kakurady]

[…]But I earnestly think this is the most interesting part of the Ultimates, including TOP. For one big reason:

We actually don't see a whole lot of in-universe fiction, probably because it's very hard to make interesting. […] I think the Ultimates give us something very important in that sector: I think they're what escapist fantasy action looks like in a universe that's ALREADY escapist fantasy action.

Hear, hear!

[…] I think the only time we've seen an actual performance was in SAM's level 80 quest, which was a dramatic spoken-word piece.

The Dancer questline has many performances, but unbeknownst to the audiences, every one the Warrior of Light participated in was actually a battle. Even the first one by Ranaa was hardly a form of storytelling. We can say the same for gladiatorial or blue magic exhibitions.

We know of in-universe fiction, but very rarely with more than a couple sentences of actual text, […] We've got enough to extrapolate from, particularly around the Far East (the fact a kabuki theater even exists is very helpful), but we don't know much.

That does remind me that at the end of Return to Ivalice, we attend the Lexentales' dress rehearsal of Zodiac Brave Story, but of the whole play we only see the revised ending.

[Vyrerus]

It's not that Dynamis is 100% emotional. It's how it's manipulated that's the question.

No one taught us how to manipulate it.

No one explained how Hermes manipulated it to create an entity that could manipulate it at will...

The most nebulous thing surrounding Dynamis is the writing for it. It was literally a means to an end to up the power of Meteion to be greater than that of Zodiark or Hydaelyn. While also basically letting the writers be like, "Why did this work out that way? DYNAMIS BABY!"

God, I miss when it was Diabolos's dark dream.

[RyuDragnier]

No one taught us how to manipulate it.

Actually, somebody did in a sense...Fray, in the level 30-50 DRK questline. Which by how the devs like to make every questline canon, means that's the canon answer of how we learned how to manipulate it. And I know, that sounds really weird considering Fray is really just the WoL's self-esteem given physical form. But considering how Sundered members of the Convocation still possess some incredibly powerful forms of magic despite being Sundered (see Gaia for examples), it's not a stretch to think that we were able teach it to ourselves. It wouldn't surprise me if Azem was able to manipulate Dynamis on some level seeing as how they were seemingly (or at least other Ancients give the impression) more in tune with their emotions than most Ancients.

[SannaR]

To me it makes sense that the Omnicrons and thus Omega wouldn't know or if they did not use Dynamis. As it's not an efficient tool. They started out as a very weak organic race that sought out ways to make them stronger than their opponents. This led them to slowly turning into what we see in Ultima Thule. Where we get Sir who when asked if they have an idea for a weed killer tells the Killian to just burn the entire crop area the weeds are in. Why? Because it's the most efficient way to get rid of the weeds. It's why that by the time they came across the Dragon Star they had come up with the plan of total destruction of a planet's natural resources. All because it's the fastest and most efficient way to demoralize your enemy. So even if Dynamis can help you be stronger needing to rely on an energy source that is so far only usable via emotions isn't going to be very effective. That and emotions by the time the Omnicrons became the machines we know them as now they dumped that part of them.

Dynamis might feel like midi-chlorians and yet the game even if there wasn't a name for it at the time or the devs even having a solid idea about it has been hinted at for some time. We have been asked on many an occasion by our foes how are we able to be so powerful? To the point where Omega got so mad at us messing up their math calculations that they slapped us into a goal and started to crush us inside said goal in hopes that we'd somehow just show him and the others the hidden power we tend to tap into. Only for Midgardsormr to bust in and free us while basically saying "how about we don't go and do that and just agree that they're capable of doing so? Cause it's not time for that." before taking a bow and telling us he's going for his 200 year nap. Sure it's a retroactive retcon of the lore as now we can point and say oh look they've hinted at this for awhile.

[ICountFrom0]

Is there a proper showcase of the cutscenes?

[SannaR]

Is there a proper showcase of the cutscenes?

Which cutscenes?