lets analyze answers!

[Majidah]

It seems after Yoshi took over the plot was adjusted to what we've experienced.
I'm sure the first cutscene wasn't refereing to Dalamud, yet it was shifted and positioned in such way that it seemed so.

I'm sure they did the same for the song answers, and I've taken a shot to find meaning in the lyrics.
If you disagree in parts of them, or find a different meaning, or find meaning in those parts I couldn't understand, please post them and I'll update it.

I close my eyes, tell us why must we suffer
Release your hands for your will runs asunder
My legs long tired, tell us where must we wander
How can we carry on with redemption beyond us

To all of my children in whom life flows abundant
To those alive
To all of my children to whom death hath passed his judgment
You are destined to die
The soul yearns for honor and the flesh the hereafter
Your spirit will want to fight, and you'll tire yourself so that your body will want to die
Look to those who've walked before to lead those who walk after
This happened before, take lead from the Archons

Shining is the land's light of justice
Ever flows the land's well of purpose
Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe,
The land's alive, so believe
???. Maybe embelishment. Maybe it refers to the aether flowing through Eorzea or to believing on the twelve?

Suffer [feel] (me) lonely [face] (me) weakness [teach] (me) evil [fear] (me)
Suffer lonely, learn from your weakness (meaning team up), evil will fear you
Although [feel] (me) one must [face] (me) stumble [teach] (me) listen [speak] (me)
There will be set backs. Listen, learn.
(Although we) [speak] we (might) [tell] them (we must) [tell] them (land of) [hope] hope
Have hope
(Mother) [hope] hope (father) [wish] wish (every) [wish] wish (has a) [roam] home
???
(We must go) [roam] go (listen) [roam] go (suffer) [roam] home (sanctum) [swim] leap
Travel through the world. Have experiences.
(And as) [speak] we (wander) [sleep] sleep (answer) [sleep on] sleep on (on)
???

Now open your eyes while our plight is repeated
Armaggedon is coming again
Still deaf to our cries lost in hope we lie defeated
Your prayers will be ignored and you will lay defeated
Our souls have been torn and our bodies forsaken
Refers to separation of spirit and body? Or maybe just means you've been defeated.
Bearing sins of the past for our future is taken
Your future is doomed because of the sins of your ancestors

War, born of strife these trials dissuade us not
Garlean vs Alliance war
Words without sound these lies betray our thoughts
???
Mired by your plague of doubt, the land she mourns
???
Judgment binds all we hold to a memory of scorn
All you know comes to judgement held with hate (bahamut taking revenge?)
Tell us why, given life, we are meant to die? Help us in our cries!

Witness (we) suffer (we) borrow (we) reason
(We) follow (we) struggle (we) wander (we) listen
(We) whisper (we) shoulder (we) addle (we) weather
(Please) answer (you) answer (me) answer together

Thy life is a riddle to bear rapture and sorrow
You are to be seized by violence
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
To learn from this and suffer it, and believe in those from tomorrow
In one fleeting moment from the land doth life flow
Everything will die, instantly
Yet in one fleeting moment for anew it doth grow
But we will prevail, and rebuild in no time
In the same fleeting moment thou must live, die and know
Your life will take place in this lapse of time

[Starlord]

You read my mind! I was just about to make a thread about this very thing! Nearly everything about this song makes more since now then it did back in FFXIV 1.0 launch... it's like they planned this from the very beginning! XD. When I listened to it now and then visualized the end of era trailer I was like wow this is bleeping amazing! I can't wait for ARR, I feel a balance in the air.

[Inzoum]

it's like they planned this from the very beginning! XD.

Except they didn't :P

[Akira_Tenshi]

Except they didn't :P

We don't really know how much the story has changed. This could have always been the intended story for the game.

[Altanas]

We don't really know how much the story has changed. This could have always been the intended story for the game.

Probably all planned out, but of course altered to suit Yoshi's needs.

Afterall, the flag for The Path of the Twelve in Uldah has 12 chess pieces around a circle, pretty much the 12 keys around Dalamud --->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...Mvg9NWSQ#t=52s

[KimimiAvesta]

Probably all planned out, but of course altered to suit Yoshi's needs.

Afterall, the flag for The Path of the Twelve in Uldah has 12 chess pieces around a circle, pretty much the 12 keys around Dalamud --->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...Mvg9NWSQ#t=52s

:O

Never noticed that before!

:O

[KiriA500]

Except they didn't :P

...what if they did though?

[Ralliare]

Except they didn't :P

You'd be surprised, games development is very very planned, new things built on the old. Would not be at all surprised if some old ideas, that were turned into ideas for the first expansion and put on hold were reworked into plans for 2.0.

For something this big built this fast they;d have to build upon the old. Besides it was always their plan to have the Garleans attack, that's there the majority of the lyrics come from. Go through the old storyline and this all makes sense.

[Rustyhagun]

You'd be surprised, games development is very very planned, new things built on the old. Would not be at all surprised if some old ideas, that were turned into ideas for the first expansion and put on hold were reworked into plans for 2.0.

For something this big built this fast they;d have to build upon the old. Besides it was always their plan to have the Garleans attack, that's there the majority of the lyrics come from. Go through the old storyline and this all makes sense.

-Exactly, was just thinking that Tanaka's story still had Garleans invading.
-We were figuring out who the spy in Uldah was.
-Spy escapes, girl of dead father contact) was left behind.
-It just seems Tanaka's story was taking longer to flesh out than what Yoshi did, as he speed it up to get to 2.0.
-Because we were heading in the direction of going to Almihgo to go after the spy. At least it seemed that way to me.

[Delsus]

I've been asking myself this question: are The Twelve really gods at all?

During the End of an Era trailer, when The Twelve are summoned to seal Bahamut, they DO show up, but they don't have a bodily form. They appear as symbols. What's more, their sealing "magic" looks more technological than magical (lightning bolts, cold blue colors, weird runes or "code" all over the place), and they're really not that almighty.

After seeing this, I started to wonder the following: why would The Twelve appear as symbols during the sealing unless they specifically REPRESENTED something? So far, there have been 6 astral and 6 umbral eras, so a total of 12 eras... right? And there are twelve gods. So, perhaps each of the twelve is a techonological entity that represents the most advanced civilization from each era? Each prior civilization would have probably excelled at something, and that would explain why each god represents a certain ability or trade... It would also explain the part of the lyrics. Why are we meant to die? Perhaps to become something else.

Maybe the reason for these civilizations becoming these Twelve entities is related to keeping bahamut sealed, which gives more sense to the lyrics in Answers: "look to those who came before to guide those who come after." That is, do what they did and save the world for other future civilizations.

The Archons are the mortal manifestations of the twelve, so perhaps they can only have one corporeal form, the Archons, there were only 5 Archons involved in the summoning ritual, assuming they all have an Archon their power would have been weaker when summoned than if they had 12 all Archons involved. Perhaps if they had all Archons involved in the summoning they would have disappeared and the twelve would have come in their actual forms.

We know the twelve once had corporal forms prior to the 1st Umbral era because that was the end of the time of the gods, and the beginning of the time of man, after the twelve saw men after the 1st Umbral era they knew we were worthy of the twelve's protection. Also on the summoning everything was white and very light blue which would indicate more of a holy summoning.

Finally on your theory of 12 eras one representing each of the twelve, the 6 Umbral eras are represented by each element. They are

1st Umbral era of wind
2nd Umbral era of lightning
3rd Umbral era of fire
4th Umbral era of earth
5th Umbral era of ice
6th Umbral era of water

It was because all elements had been represented the denizens of Eorzea believed there would be no more Umbral eras, until they discovered the 7th verse that told of a 7th Umbral era which would be none elemental, because Bahamut is a none elemental primal.

-Exactly, was just thinking that Tanaka's story still had Garleans invading.
-We were figuring out who the spy in Uldah was.
-Spy escapes, girl of dead father contact) was left behind.
-It just seems Tanaka's story was taking longer to flesh out than what Yoshi did, as he speed it up to get to 2.0.
-Because we were heading in the direction of going to Almihgo to go after the spy. At least it seemed that way to me.

Hmm is the fact your siggy and my wallpaper are identical coincidence?