The Omega Protocol

[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.