lets analyze answers!

[Genjuro]

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.

To all of my children in whom life flows abundant
To all of my children to whom death hath passed his judgment
The soul yearns for honor and the flesh the hereafter
Look to those who've walked before to lead those who walk after

I found it strange how this song described our situation almost to the T. For example: we were the ones that life passed judgment on. Our souls are the ones that years for honor and our bodies yearn for new life. We are the ones that the new players will be looking for answers from in 2.0.

Coincidence? Possibly. But it is possible that the entire scenario was described to Uematsu-san before he wrote the song and he painted a foretelling of our fate in the lyrics, without anyone knowing. Which leads me to question how long this scenario had actually been planned out. Yoshi said that this had been planned during the staff change, but I have a feeling that it's been far longer in development.

[Fantasia]

I made a point in a similar thread, but I think it died away... so I'll quote myself here and see if anyone else can see what I'm trying to convey! ^^

I was just singing this to myself in the shower (as you do) and noticed something that might fit into your 'hidden meaning' thingy.

During the scene when the pillars of light start radiating from The Twelve's "stones" while they're being prayed to, my favourite verse starts:

Witness (Azeyma is keeper of the sun and goddess of inquiry)
Suffer (Rhalgr, breaker of worlds, is the god of destruction)
Grovel (Nald'thal is the overseer of transactions and the underworld and god of commerce)
Reason (Thaliak, ruler of rivers and wisdom and god of knowledge)

Follow (Llymlaen, watcher of the seas and goddess of navigation)
Struggle (Halone, mover of glaciers and goddess of war)
Wander (Oschon is ruler of the mountains and god of vagrants)
Listen (Byregot is the purveyor of architecture and industry and god of the arts)

Whisper (Menphina is keeper of the twin moons and the goddess of love)
Show them (Nymeia is the watcher of celestial bodies and goddess of fate)
Addle (Althyk is the surveyor of change and space and god of time)
Weather (Nophica, tender of soils and harvests and goddess of abundance)

Answer
Answer
Answer together

(I'm aware some don't fit exactly, but some fell into multiple definitions so I did the best I could =$ Some people might be able to switch some around and make 'em fit better)

The fact that there are 12 words, followed by "Answer (together)" might relate to The Twelve individually? And in the last video "Answer Together" is sung at the time when The Twelve's marks are rising up to recapture Bahamut, so it's symbolic of The Twelve 'answering together'.
You know, before Bahamut blows everything up...

Just a thought ^^

[Preypacer]

I'm dead serious when say this: "I have new found respect for this song" I listened to the song in 2010 and it felt like it didn't have much meaning to verison 1.0, However with the end of an era trailer, hear the word s flow in harmony with the event, it keeps giving me a reason to listen to the song over 30 times since the end of era trailer.

Now I'm in love with this song! Thank you Yoshi-P for giving this song meaning!

I was thinking the same thing yesterday while listening to it.

This song's been around for a while now, and yet it never held much significance to me - even in its original context.

"End of An Era" has really brought it into the forefront, moreso, I think, than it's ever been. I'll read comments on YT for the various uploads of the trailer, and, along with people (including people who know nothing about XIV) praising the movie, calling it the most epic thing they've seen in a long time, etc... there are a lot of people asking "What's the name of that song?". I don't think I remember that really ever happening outside the FFXIV community in the beginning.

I think what makes it work so well, also, is how beautifully the footage is timed to the song. Things are sync'd up so nicely, right down to seeing two of the "Hero Party" members teleport out in sync to the word "fleeting" (which is, itself, quite appropriate for that moment), right before the Warrior does. The build up of the song complements the movie beautifully as well.

That movie/song combo has really hit a nerve with a lot of people. SE's definitely gotten some very positive attention from it.

[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

[Preypacer]

:O

Never noticed that before!

:O

Neither had I. Very nice catch!

[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?