The Problem with Ultimania (slight FF12 spoilers)

RPGC Community The FFCompendium Forum
#1

Here’s a case in point why I think Ultimania guides are NOT canon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ivalice-time.jpg

The first problem is obviously the fact that the writer doesn’t even know if the St. Ajora mentioned in FF12 is the same as the one in FF Tactics (hence the gray box).

The second problem is worse, though: the guide there gives St. Ajora’s creation of a new religion as decades after the events of FF12. However, the clan primer of FF12 has this to say in “The Light of Kiltia”:

“Religion begun by the prophet Kiltia over two millenia ago. […] Several years after Kiltia’s founding, Saint Ajora began a new teaching, claiming that Faram alone was the one true god, the popularity of this new sect further lessening the power of the Light.”

This places Glabados’s founding as two thousand years before FF12. Supporting this is the fact that in the ending, Balthier mentions the Cache of Glabados in Bervenia, indicating clearly that Glabados already existed before FF12 took place.

Hence my conclusion, that Ultimania is full of crap.

#2

This sounds like an effort to stablish continuity done without the correct research- or perhaps retconning facts for some reason. DC Comics has a similar problem with their fictional universe: every 10-20 years or so, they try to update it (to keep the main characters young) but instead of starting all over, they try to keep continuity with the old titles YET they also let the writers come up with new stuff that doesn’t fit in, and then they have to try to explain what is official and what is not. It’s pretty poor editorialism (especially if you consider that DC’s rival, Marvel Comics, has an universe just as complex with far less continuity errors.)

Personally, I do NOT consider any of the FF games (with the obvious exception of FF-X2) to be set on the same world as any of the others. There are just too many differences. (Note that I AM developing a world background with ALL FF characters in it, but this a new creation of mine, not an attempt to shoehorn in the FF Worlds into a single history.)

#3

Matsuno has publicly stated that FF12 and FFT are in the same world (Ivalice). The question just remains whether he meant that factually they took place on the same timeline, or that they share the same thematics, or are “alternate versions” of the world.

#4

Cidolfas: Well, Ivalice was created by Yasumi Matsuno, who worked on FFT & FFXII. He worked the Ivalice history to occur in FFTA, FFXII, & Vargant Story at separate time periods. FFTA doesn’t count, though it is likely based on the actual Ivalice. But maybe FFT: Lion War will clear things up.

Note, Yiazmat (Yasmat in Japan) was named in honor of YASumi MATsuno. The accompanied subtitle, “Farewell to a Legend”, was based on the fact Yasumi led Sqaure Enix after he finished the scenario plot of FFXII, being the unoffical director & writer of the game.

#5

Everything I’ve seen calls the Japanese Yiazmat “Yazmat”, not “Yasmat”.

FFT: Lion War can clear things up, sure, but it won’t change the fact that the Ultimania guide contradicts information presented in the actual game, confirming my inability to use it as official information.

#6

Well, that’s the name origin I uncovered(mispelled the japanese name). Yaizmat was ultimately the development team’s tribute to Yasumi Matsuno.

#7

Yes, I just discovered that. Apparently “Yazumi” was his nickname.

#8

Can’t wait for them to dump RW and FFTA-2 on the fire. As if there aren’t enough inconsistant series with continuity crippling plotholes out there already.

Though, Lion War might help clear things up with a hopefully less abyssmal translation.