Solution 9 caused quite the stir when announced at the Tokya Fanfest. Lets talk about that and what else we may have to look forward to in FFXIV Dawntrail aside from the tribal histories of the Mamool’ja. This could prove to be incredibly creative or interestingly silly. Either way I’m eager to get my hands on Dawntrail!
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This is a completely different theory: Solution 9 could be a civilisation time travelled from the 8th umbral calamity timeline – in that timeline the ironworks developed at least some technology comparable to allag including travel across space and time, and several ascians would still be alive to continue the rebirth of zodiark plan, so the chances they'd get to peacefully live out an 8th astral era without a 9th calamity of some kind where zodiark is rejoined would be low.
Probably just player housing on the moon. Those lopporits gotta be doing something.
The second you started talking about Ascians you lost me. We just got Endwalker, which was hailed as the end of a saga. I don't know if the name "the Ascian saga" has ever been mentioned by CBU3 or if it's a fan term, but either way it's an indicator that the story we just got done with is all about Ascians and is dominated by them.
Dawntrail, as the start of a new story, will almost certainly establish its own new threats, either by calling on established but unexplored lore, or by coming up with something brand new, but what it definitely won't do is immediately tie itself (and, by association, the new saga it's the start of) to the single most identifiable aspect of the old saga which the previous expansion went to great pains to give closure to.
It's possible we hear from the remaining members of the Congregation at some point, but if it happens at all it's probably in side content like a Raid storyline a couple expansions down the line, and certainly not in the MSQ of the expansion after the one that was very much about closing that chapter of the game's history. I really think the writing team has enough good sense to not immediately and explicitly put Dawntrail in the shadow of the Ascian saga as soon as it begins.
I think there's more than just FFIX inspirations here. They do exist, as you say, but I think we may see some additional inspirations from a less-popular Final Fantasy game: Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Academia is a city created by Hope Estheim to be a paradise on Gran Pulse. Originally, its systems were controlled by a manmade fal'Cie known as Adam. But Adam went rogue and began turning people into Cieth. This prompted the main protagonists, Serah and Noel, to go back in time and deal with Adam.
I think this idea of an AI caretaker going rogue will play an important role in the story of Solution Nine or The Arcadion.
I also believe that many of the structures (but not all) are not buildings per se, but gargantuan supercomputers built to hold digitized souls. Considering they are so massive, I can only speculate that they are filled with the souls of Ancients, maintained by this Caretaker AI until such time that The Convocation initiates Solution Nine protocol.
Indeed, the NPCs that are in this city could be genomes, artificially created people not unlike the Loppritts, for the purpose of maintaining it.
This is all tin foil hat stuff that has zero basis in any real evidence, to be clear.
8:22 There's 5. You forgot Emmerololth, who appears in a speaking role in the very cutscene from 2.3 you're using at this point in the video – after they're supposed to have died. Which means either another was raised up to the role, or they just didn't actually die.
9:37 We've seen Pashtarot one other time – at the end of 2.0, when he (and I think Igeyorhm & Nabriales as well) are speaking to Lahabrea in the GM gaol.
12:36 It's "The Arcadion", not Archadia. Best not to make that mistake, or people'll start coming up with some FF12 based theories, that have even less basis in fact than the Allagan/Garlean ones.
Given that it's located in an area with a heavy concentration of lightning aspected aether, I'm in the camp that says that Solution 9 is the First Astral Era civilization that caused the Second Umbral Calamity.
We know that magic wasn't discovered until the Second Umbral Era, so any advanced civilizations before that would've been purely tech-based.
If they realised that they'd been manipulated by the Ascians into doing that, they might've become isolationist in order to not cause further Calamities, and if they found out the Ascians' goal, might've been waiting until Zodiark was gone before interacting with the world again, as Zodiark's death would mean the Ascians had failed.
One way to hide an advanced civilization is to have a less advanced civilization in the local surroundings.
Excuse you Shadowbringers was ALSO ff1 😤🤓
Why is nobody thinking this might be one of the reflections???
Another thing I'd like to point out that I'm surprised more people haven't latched on to, is Emet Selch's parting words to us mention something being hidden beneath the indigo deep, and I think this almost certainly will be under the ocean.
My Theory on Solution 9 is similarly Ascian related; I postulate that this city is of Azem's creation!
Azem was MIA during the whole Hydaelyn vs. Zodiark saga, perhaps this is where they went; They gathered as many ancients as they could, found a nice secluded corner if the world and kept their civilization alive & hidden, so even the Ascians couldn't find it.
As for explaining us being a reincarnated Azem, I say it's all according to keikaku! (keikaku means plan); After the Ktisis Hyperboria incident, perhaps Venat relayed the WoL's future-info to at least one other person, whom would logically be Azem, which prompted them to prepare for way more than the Final Days. Apart from the city and yet-unknown lore, also chose the perfect time to reincarate, knowing that they'll become the WoL and relay the info to Venat…
Solution 9 was a backup plan alongside Venat's backup plan; whatever Hydaelyn's plan missed, Solution 9 would cover…
On that note, Arcadion looks like a big CPU, so perhaps they were gonna "Xenoblade X", and digitize/download as much life to "Sword Art Online" as it could before the final days could ravage the world if WoL failed…
The calamities that reset development on The Source only affected The Source. I’m thinking this is coming from a Reflection. I really don’t want it to be an Ascian project, as I am ready to move in to a different arc.
I got Zanarkand vibes from ff10 and Midgar. I’m really hoping for 10 inspiration. I want blitz all. And just make the last boss their religious god Yu yevon
I tried looking at the remaining known ascisn glyphs (since they are borrowed from FF 12) and none of them match the one in the Arcadion image.
The only unknown glyph is Azem's. I think it would be cool if this was Azem's solution to the end days, somehow. Even if it is ultimately being used for some nefarious purpose now.
A golden legacy left by Azem (to the warrior of light?)
This theory makes a lot of sense. It could be that without their creation magic they had to resort to technology to implement their plans instead.
I've heard a theory that it's more of a simulation that a real place. Like it's inside a gigantic computer. Sorta like a version of amaurot, this time created by a machine rather than magic.
I don't think it has anything to do with the Ascians because of what we saw from the Ancient's past, nothing comes close to be that advanced in term of technology. Also their story is kinda over and the only thing of that story line that need to be resolved is where exactly Azem went and how Azem knew about the whole Elpis thing and probably everything that happen in the future.
I think Solution Nine is related to an Civilization on one of the Shards and maybe one that actually was able to deal with the Asciens. Or it could be related to Omega because it was mentioned that there was more about them to tell.
"If you haven't played Final Fantasy 9 by now you probably aren't going to." Can't DISAGREE with this statement enough, maybe encourage people instead of writing a game off, just because its old, many people pick up older games all the time, especially story rich games. Rant over.
Solution 9 strikes me as a sort of hidden El Dorado-esque mythological “paradise.” It’ll likely be something we have to discover to introduce a Deis Ex Machina fix to a massive problem.
Plot twist: This city was the 9th one created by Solutionway, a renegade Lopporit.
7 Rejoinings > Failed 8th > Solution 9 = Ascian.
I'VE BEEN SAYING! Solution 9 was already a possible nod but when I saw the "soul supply" translation of the proto-Eorzean something clicked. It's a Bran Bal/Terra situation for the souls surrendered to Zodiark populated by soulless vessels.
I don't know how I could not see this but Solution Nine is the name of the main location in the northern part of Tural, litterally written on the map, the city being apparently protected by some energetic dome (probably fuelled by the structure that can be seen in Heritage Found).
I think if we're going to compare Dawntrail to ARR and Heavensward, it's fair to remind people that even in those expansions we still had high end technology settings that might have caught people as out of place. Castrum Meridianum in ARR and Azys La in Heavensward.
And yeah, Esthar was the first thought of Solution 9, but there's also something about it that feels a bit like Cocoon to me. I can see the inspiration of Terra too from FFIX.
Also I'm not sure if we're going to see much ascian connections (at least I hope not) We know that Dawntrail is supposed to set up an entirely new multi expansion story arc, so tying back to the ascians again feels like it would carry too much baggage from the past expansions, and I for one am ready for a new start. The ascians have had their story told, their arc is complete, and their plans as well as the major threat faced by them have been dealt with. Now is the perfect time to start to introduce something new.
I don't really get why people think this jumps the shark when it's pretty on par with the technology the Loporrits are capable of. So this either could be some pocket that was in better contact with them and shared technology or it could be a shard that developed differently. Sometimes I wonder if FFXIV players actually play their own game or if they just never leave Limsa. Thinking about it, if humanity did flee into space, this kind of thing would eventually be the result.
The original photo they showed with the CPU looking buildings I thought of Zanarkend from FFX
total crap shoot but what if it was like Wakanda from black panther
Please wakanda inspiration and next expansion inspired Africa lol
I think people are forgetting a really important detail of EW
The Convocation had a plan. Zodiark.
Venat and her Disciples had a plan. Hydaelyn.
Azem however wasn't part of either plan. They left. Hydaelyn made it clear we did our own thing.
I have a feeling Solution 9 was "our own thing.". Our attempt at solving the issues of the Final Days, or at the very least trying to mitigate what was done by the Convocation and Venat. Especially with a very safe assumption that the new lady at the top of the Dawntrail art is likely attached to Solution 9 in some way. Especially with the implication the music goes down. Where it begins by talking about the previous expansions, but then for the first time in a theme song approaches the idea of "we" and "us". The WoL has always been referred to as an individual, but suddenly we have a song openly talking about how "we" will be changing our Fate.
I'm guessing Solution 9 is tied to Azem, and it's very possible cover art lady is either the original Azem still ( and we are formed of the souls lost in previous Rejoinings ), or she was somehow saved from a Shard by Azem in the past.
I didn't get the Terra vibe like you did, but as far as a plot theme, it would make sense. For me, (as my own stab in the dark) advanced technology evoked Zanarkand feels. I awlays felt Zanarkand in Tidus' time was an advanced civilization, even though they were portrayed as ruins, which was represented as a spiritual successor in Yuna's time.
The ties to the Ancients are too numerous to discount, but I am leaning against Ascian specifically. The stylistic reasons it is likely not Allagan also applies to Ascians and the civilization they wanted to bring back. I feel like we are looking at one of those shard civilizations Emet said "might surprise you." Some group that had all the time in the world to take what technology they could find and advance upon it beyond what they ancients achieved, a group from a shard that had dodged the calamities that kept technological development stagnated. I think we will find that an exodus was their last "solution" to some other problem and this could be a leadup to some later shard hopping.
Solution 9 is either a journey to another shard or they have made a bad choice and took inspiration from Destiny's Neptune
Solution 9 looks like void ark but less spiky
I had my doubts about Gaius two new Friends. Valdeaulin Ganathain and Severa Souther. Gaius wears two Red Masks of two Ascians, one Female and one Male …. And he comes out of the nowhere with two new Faces at his side. One Female, one Male … I had always the feeling that his Story was kinda odd, after he brought Alphinaud Leveilleur back. Maybe I am wrong, maybe not.
I think its a technological reflection I think I saw a roegadyn and a moqote/Hyur so I dont think ancients would take on the actual races bodies
isnt solution 9 one of zidane's trance skill?
I really want them to push pass ascians but clearly I have no idea of where this is going anymore so I guess we’ll see.
I'm just so excited to see all this new stuff! And I want that GPU!