Final Fight Afterthoughts

[buritoslicer]

I wanted to say I had a blast clearing the final fight! After a bit of road bumps with strat, and a few d/cing black mages... We've managed to clear with flying colors! After some amazing cutscenes, I concluded that this game actually did pretty well considering its ragged launch.

Keep up the good work SE! You've received a bunch of kudos points

[Zozor]

I'm pleased to see that there are posts like this as well. I want to join in by saying that I enjoyed the fight as well. My friends had already cleared it when I logged on so they already had the strategy. The fight went smoothly and overall it was a treat to be in that location fighting Nael. I thought the cutscenes were great and am looking forward to the challenging climax to the story in the next update.

[Akira_Tenshi]

Hoping someone puts those cutscenes on youtube as I doubt I will ever complete the fight, can't even get on the game.

[buritoslicer]

Just as I am about to wake up, the Final Fantasy XIV teaser site is updated.... Square Enix will not ever let me get some sleep! >.>

Anyway, ending should be on youtube any moment now... no worries on that!

[KairiSgheart]

It was a great cutscenes and fight. went real well. and akira i can put it on youtube for you if u want. not going take long anyway . will do it later.

[Vanguard319]

It was an excellent fight, though I can't shrug off the feeling that Van Darnus isn't truly dead, or that killing him just went according to plan.

[Churchill]

It was an excellent fight, though I can't shrug off the feeling that Van Darnus isn't truly dead, or that killing him just went according to plan.

So, real spoilers with this video+To Kill a Raven in mind

You see in the video, Louiseux protects you with a sphere, and they mention sending you to a different place/time, hence why we are still alive in what is probably a distant future post Garlean destruction. In the final CS, Cid mentions that we have stopped Dalamud in its tracks, and its progress towards Eorzea was solely based on Nael deus Darnus. Because of this, Louiseux won't need to do his final plan/solution.

Actual chat:

Cid: The how of it is beyond my fathoming, but it seems the White Raven sought to draw Dalamud unto himself.
Cid: To this end, he raised the floating isle...only for you to send it─and his hopes─crashing to the ground.
Cid: Which leaves Dalamud short of an earthly sanctuary, and condemned to hang in the sky where it bloody well belongs.
Cid: Sounds simple enough in retrospect, but I must confess, my heart was in my mouth throughout. Seems I needn't have worried, eh?
Cid: And with matters resolved, we won't be requiring the “last resort” old Louisoix kept muttering about...whatever the hells that might have been.

So it would seem that, in the future, the Garleans somehow continue with their plans and Louisoix must indeed enact his last resort, and we return to a whole new world cue the alladin song.

[b0ats]

aww burrito you did it without me grats though!

[buritoslicer]

aww burrito you did it without me grats though!

you decided to log off that night... >_>

[Vanguard319]

So, real spoilers with this video+To Kill a Raven in mind

You see in the video, Louiseux protects you with a sphere, and they mention sending you to a different place/time, hence why we are still alive in what is probably a distant future post Garlean destruction. In the final CS, Cid mentions that we have stopped Dalamud in its tracks, and its progress towards Eorzea was solely based on Nael deus Darnus. Because of this, Louiseux won't need to do his final plan/solution.

Actual chat:

Cid: The how of it is beyond my fathoming, but it seems the White Raven sought to draw Dalamud unto himself.
Cid: To this end, he raised the floating isle...only for you to send it─and his hopes─crashing to the ground.
Cid: Which leaves Dalamud short of an earthly sanctuary, and condemned to hang in the sky where it bloody well belongs.
Cid: Sounds simple enough in retrospect, but I must confess, my heart was in my mouth throughout. Seems I needn't have worried, eh?
Cid: And with matters resolved, we won't be requiring the “last resort” old Louisoix kept muttering about...whatever the hells that might have been.

So it would seem that, in the future, the Garleans somehow continue with their plans and Louisoix must indeed enact his last resort, and we return to a whole new world cue the alladin song.

I'd agree with your assessment, to a degree. What I was trying to point out that it wouldn't be the first time in the franchise that the villain played a Thanatos Gambit, where his death only made him more powerful/forwarded his plans.

Two examples: Emperor Mateus in FFII, you kill him, he pretty much conquers the great beyond, then comes back to claim the mortal coil as well. Also Caius Ballad in XIII-2, killing him kills Etro, and merges all of time with Valhalla, which is exactly what his goal was. (kudos for being the first FF villain to actually win in the end.)

I'm seeing something very similar with Van Darnus. He stated repeatedly that he would use his own flesh to realize his goals, stating such would imply you intend to become a human sacrifice. Then during the fight itself he says the following:

I will not suffer Life/Death

All these lines suggest to me that he intended for you to kill him in that fight, as it would realize his plans faster.

scenario 1: you win, he dies according to plan, becomes one with Dalamud, and is reborn as a being who has trancended life and death. (wouldn't be the first time in the franchise a villain tried to become god.)

scenario 2: you lose, he takes your head as promised, he uses Dalamud to destroy Eorzea, and aquire ultimate power.

either way he only has something to gain.