What year is it? <spoilers>

[axemtitanium]

The Sixth Astral Era ended in 1572 at the end of 1.0 with the coming of Bahamut. There was a Fernehalwes dev post (can't find it atm, but I'm sure Moose has it bookmarked) that explained that the year resets when a new era starts.

Therefore, 2.0 begins in year 5 of the Seventh Umbral Era. At the end of the main scenario quests, the GC leaders "declare" that the Seventh Astral Era has begun. According to "MMO time", I assume it takes less than a year for the events of the main story to complete. Questions:

1) Can they just do that? Do they have the authority just declare the beginning of an Astral Era like that? I thought only historians had that kind of perspective (e.g. people in 1920s never said that they were in the "Roaring 20s"; the Dark Ages are only called that in hindsight, etc.).

2) Is it now year 1 of the Seventh Astral Era? Or is it still year 5?

3) Naming conventions! If I were to ask you "what year is it?", what would you say? Do you say "it's 1572 of the Sixth Astral Era", or maybe just "it's 1572" or "it's 1572 of the Sixth Era"? Essentially, how do you format dates?

[Enkidoh]

Well, considering the Grand Company leaders are also the heads of state of the respective nations they represent, then yes, they would have that authority to declare whatever year it is.

Also I made a thread a while ago in the old forum which is now archived on this very subject (calender/day/year nomenclature) and from what I remember, is that an Umbral Era only lasts as long as whatever caused it in the first place is still causing devastation.

Therefore, because the Seventh Umbral Era was caused by Dalamud's fall and Bahamut's rampage, it led to a lot of speculation that ARR is really already in the Seventh Astral Era (essentially, the game would be set in the year 5, 7th AE as Bahamut has disappeared and Eorzea is technically recovering.

But, due to the fact that with the Primals still being active, the Empire not quitting their advance into Eorzea and the Ascians running around with their evil schemes, some consider the 7th Umbral Era to still be current (and the early comments by the leaders of the three nations in fact still refer to the 7th Umbral Era as being current). So therefore, the general belief would be, that ARR takes place in the year 5, 7th UE.

[axemtitanium]

Alright sounds good to me. So given that we've beaten the main story quest and it's now the Astral Era, is it still year 5, or does it reset again?

[EinherjarLucian]

If they reckon by Era, then this is year 5 of the Seventh Umbral Era.

[Lucke]

Alright sounds good to me. So given that we've beaten the main story quest and it's now the Astral Era, is it still year 5, or does it reset again?

No, the moment you beat the story, the date changes to Year 1 or (0?) 7th AE. But for everyone else who hasn't beaten the game, it's still 5 7th UE. Think of it as you are the main character of the story. All your friends support you. So in your game, if it's the new era for you, "pretend" it's the same era for them as well.

[Catapult]

Because this is an MMO, some bending of the laws of space-time is required.

Time moves in accordance with the story, not the server. At the conclusion of the 2.0 main scenario, the date progresses from 5-7UE to 1-7AE by virtue of the victory over Lahabrea (whether this should truly be considered the end of the umbral era is up for debate, but Eorzean politics intervenes). Eorzea has to exist in a sort of time bubble to facilitate this story telling. A mundane year may pass, but it will still be the same Eorzean month of the same Eorzean year until the story moves to progress time. We may get another time-progression event in a future expansion.

[Anonymoose]

Everything here seems right on so far, but whether it's truly the Astral Era or not, as of now, is a common question I've seen. The leaders of the companies might be ready to declare it an Astral Era because we beat Ultima Weapon, but all we've really succeeded in doing so far is de-possessing Thancred and taking the XIVth Legion out of Lahabrea's manipulation network. The true cause of the Umbral Era is still out there. Bahamut is undefeated. Odin is loose. The primals are still being summoned. The aether is still in chaos. Even during their declaration of the Seventh Astral Era is interrupted by a primal roar.

I'm going to take a risk here and say that it's still 5 Seventh Umbral Era and they were just wrong.

[Catapult]

I'm going to take a risk here and say that it's still 5 Seventh Umbral Era and they were just wrong.

You dare defy the ruling of your monarch!?! Off with his head!

/same page

[Rannie]

You dare defy the ruling of your monarch!?! Off with his head!

/same page

neu don't kill the moose... I'm kinda thinking the same as he is since there's still Bahamut that needs to be dealt with. I'm thinking the GC leaders kinda jumped the gun when they proclaimed it the Astral Era cause just as soon as they did that happens. It's would be kinda like someone crying the war was at an end when they missed a single calculation or a single battle that was still being fought and that was the determined one. There's still also the crap going on with the Ascians. This Umbral era is in for the long haul.

[shinros]

Yeah I agree with moose when I heard the roar I went too soon guys too soon. I still consider it an Umbral era too.