And now ACTUALLY the conclusion of the Ivalice raid series!
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0:00 – Introduction
0:32 – QUEST: “Welcome to Their Jungle” (continued)
14:19 – QUEST: “The City of Lost Angels”
28:56 – RAID: The Orbonne Monastery
1:06:11 – QUEST: “The City of Lost Angels” (continued)
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Edited by Daniel Floyd
♫ “Pray Return” by Chris Logsdon
https://lnkfi.re/pray-return
#PlayFrame #FFXIV #FinalFantasyXIV #Stormblood
source
Movie time let's gooooo
Bonus Lore Comment! – only one bestiary entry from XII today; today's rather Tactics-heavy. (And while I do love this raid, the XII fan in me was a bit bummed to see the "Golmore Jungle" look like… basically any other forest when the previous ones did such a good job bringing XII locations in.)
Ultima, the High Seraph
Classification: Esper
Kanya [Virgo] Ascendant
"Masterpiece among the scions created by the gods, and mastermind of the plot to rise against them. Prior to her betrayal, she was tasked with guiding souls to heaven and aiding in their reincarnation.
Called the High Seraph for her angelic wings of glimmering gold, yet it was on wings of deepest black that the tainted angel Ultima rose against the gods.
Since her fall, her heart is without light, and impossible to know."
This is a theater airship, even when it blasts at full speed it must make a statement about it
Also the airship is a constant of anyone who did the raid. It even shows up when you're ocean fishing in kugane
time for Chadolfus Orlandeau!
25:34
You can play as a viera with ears longer than Frans (as was mine)
I wanted to give that moogle a /slap
So a a fun thing about the design of the first and final fights of the raids is the devs clearly had fun creating mechanics that are grid based, like tactics. Also I emphasize how much they nerfed this raid. They reduced the damage of both final bosses attacks several times and gave the raid permanent echo, which literally no other normal mode content in the game gives you for free. I think the closest is another piece of Stormblood content that has not been reached, which also has echo but is not in the roulette system.
34:13 ahh it’s “SHOW HIM YOUR HOLE” time. Yes that is how the text callout goes. I love the FFXIV community so much. 😁
46:57 aaaaand this was my first encounter with Thunder God Cid outside of FFRK! See, in that mobile game (rip global version sobb), I managed to get a lot of his VERY good gear and he was very much a Holy, Thunder, and Dark element god overall. Having his insane strength turned on me here was not my definition of fun the first time lmao. In fact, I think my alliance wiped the first time I came through here, tho someone was able to share a macro and we passed after that one. It’s become a favorite since then, however.
It's a small thing, but I love how Dan does offscreen voices. 😀
the voice actors had a lot of fun with this raid
I like that they fixed the walk cycles of all the FFT characters. In an earlier version of this cutscene they ALL marched identically it really broke the immersion.
24:40 Thanks, Lina, for using one of the more… interesting swears in FF14. XD
Also, the music that plays during the fight with Thunder God Cid is the final boss theme of Vagrant Story.
I love these raids so much, the story, the music, the fights, the cool gear you can get… and the fact that XII was my first FF game probably doesn't hurt 😅
I tried playing Tactics after doing these raids, but sadly I couldn't wrap my head around that combat system. So yes, I'd love to see a PlayFrame play through, if there is ever an opening in the schedule! More Final Fantasy is always a good idea imo 😄
If I'm not mistaken, the adds in the maze section of the Ultima fight are more or less how Ultima appears in Tactics itself. Neat nod.
Yeah… Okay. This quest makes me feel feelings, and few of them are good ones. Hearing the music was of course a delight, the boss fights are dynamic in the best way (Thunder God Cid, in particular was really cool to see in action, and I also dig Mustadio's design), and I of course have nothing bad to say about Dan, his presentation, or any of his friends in showing off this content. My problem is with the content, and I fear, in order to articulate my full problem, I must spoil all of FF Tactics. So only actually open this if you're all right with spoilers for that game.
First, there's the… wishy-washyness of what happened with Alma and Ramza, the whole ambiguity of whether Alma actually made a wish with the Duma, how it affected Ramza, and what Jenomis had to do with anything ended with a big wet fart. The whole plot of FFT had to do with the price of what the wishes of the Zodiac Stone's did and the circumstances with which it turned the ones who used them into demon people, and if a parallel was being drawn between Alma in this game and Rafa raising Malak in FFT (an unselfish wish that did not result in demons), I could have used more explanations on mechanics or anything at all! As it is, it just seems like a switch to make XIV Ramza not a jerk without the requisite character development or callouts from any character, or any self examination from Jenomis or anyone else. It's weak, is what I mean. Weak, I say! Weak!
And then there's the Echo cutscene from 16:15–23:15,or as I like to call it, the Character Assassination of Delita Hyral. Yes, I understand why they did it; we got lots of drama, and the characters here need their vindication that they were doing right all along. But the ENTIRE POINT of Delita's character in FFT is the ambiguity of his actions throughout the story. As @chan742 said in the last video, Delita is a lot more devious and manipulative- who's side he's actually on (and to what ends), whether he knows (or particularly cares) the agents he is working with/against happen to be demons bent on world destruction, whether there is any affection left for Ramza in him- or indeed any good at all- after Teta/Tietra dies… all of these questions drive the tension of the story, and to make him a straight up goody-goody who was on Ramza's side all along? Well, forgive me, but I do not see the point. Nor do I see the point of straight up saying that Alma and Orran banged and had children, when I don't remember Alma being together with him or saying two words to the guy in FFT (I'd be more willing to believe a a ship with Ramza than that, but let's focus).
But blah blah secret bloodline, blah blah bringing truth to light, blah blah we gots to establish a connection between these Warriors of Light and the ones we have now-I get all that, we are in an MMO, and that necessitates some truncation, which I can forgive. What I can't forgive is the erasure of Ovelia. Yeah, the princess that Delita married to secure the throne. And the woman he subsequently murdered.
Sorry if this is a surprise- this is from the original FFT, and was covered in a cinematic that happened after the credits and very possibly was excised from certain versions (don't quote me on that, though). But this is very important to me, as Ovelia was one of my favorite characters in the story, the one who's kidnapping by Delita kicks off the entire plot. Here is a woman who never had a chance- she was kept in a monastery most of her life until she was kidnapped, was left with an authority figure who turned her right back over to her kidnappers, was betrayed and used by everyone in her life not named Agrias, her protector and only real friend… she even had her identity as princess taken from her by the gloating manipulators who took her, revealing her nature as a bastard of the man she knew as her grandfather for pretty much shits and giggles. (Argath/Algus is treated as the worst person in this setting, but he is nothing compared to Larg, to Delacroix, to Dycedarg, or Vormav- all utter monsters that make Algus look like the petty asshole he is). She was denied every choice in her life, except her last one- to try to kill Delita for the manipulative bastard he is, fail, and die cursing his name. She is the most tragic characters in that story, perhaps among the most tragic characters ever made by Square… and her name is mentioned once. The happy ending of this story just papers over her whole existence, the pain and torment she suffered, while the architect of a lot of her suffering is hailed as an unambiguous hero. In a series full of strong female characters in every faction presented, that… rankles. It straight up hurts. No, sir, I don't like it.
But at least Durmin was cute.
SEVEN SHADOWS CAST
SEVEN FATES FORETOLD
YET AT THE END OF THE BROKEN PATH LIES DEATH
AND DEATH ALONE
So… I don't think this actually kills Ultima. It diminishes her severely yes, but as she is an out of context threat and or Eldritch horror it's impossible to say for certain.
Also, hints that Agrias and Ovelia might have been together is nice.
This is my favorite raid of the three… And definitely the toughest. This is definitely one of those 'if we weren't us we'd be dead' fights. Just straight up.
did Montblanc do something?
OH BOY is Durmin doing Bozja? Does that mean Eureka too?!?! XD
1:03:39 😂😂😂 Omg the music here sounds just like Torgo’s Theme from Manos: The Hands of Fate and I’m dying laughing.
It's still so bizarre to me that Ivalice just exist as a part of this world.
I wanna see Orlandeau fight Balthier's dad. It would not be a fair fight though. We all know who the better Cid is.
1:15 Except the timelines don't quite line up for this. If Ashe is alive, she would be in her 40's or 50's. Yet Jenomis guesses the leader is quite young and naiive.
Even if Ashe did die, but left an heir, that heir would be 30+ years old, even older than similarly long lost heir Hien.
So either a) Ashe OR Ralster were alive after they thought to have been killed and one had a daughter.
B) This "princess" is not Ralster's or Ashe's daughter, but someone that would be next in line after them
C) magic and/or time shenanigans
@1:27:00 Mikoto shows up a lot in the Bozja questline- Bozja being another place under Imperial rule. Bozja is interesting– it is an active battlefield, where you are all set to lvl 80 regardless, and you ascend ranks of 'mettle,' showing your prowess in battle. It is… somewhat complicated, to say the least.
If Dan couldn't explain these real time, I think he's going to have to be Future Dan- or maybe Past Dan- recording move descriptions for the next set.
It's worth pointing out that if you're one of the first people into the boss' rooms, you get both a little extra dialogue and a look at them before their transformations. They're not Lucavi per se, but they ARE beasts of the seals.
Playfriends, it's time to see where the War of the Lions started, and the Zodiac Brave Story ends. This is your lore comment.
Yup, Princess Ashelia is in fact alive! Her "assassin" was actually Fran, and she's been in an alchemical sleep for nearly 3 decades. All in a bid to reduce the casualties when it became apparent that the Garleans would conquer Dalmasca. Ashelia is now catching up on events in Dalmasca. Notably, her status the Princess of Dalmasca may resolve one of Hien's requests: a unifying leader who can reorganize and reinvigorate the disparate heads of the Dalmascan resistance.
6:30 – Guess which character is hijacked by Ultima in Final Fantasy Tactics? Ramza's quest to Orbonne Monastery wasn't a righteous crusade against demons. It was a rescue mission.
7:48 – I think there's only one button there Durmin. If anything, Mikoto's device seems a little more intuitive than Urangier's back at Ala Mhigo.
8:48 – And here's the name drop. Moenbryda was Mikoto's senior and mentor at the Sharlyan Studium. Seeing her take off for Eorzea disheartened Mikoto and the news of her death put her into a spiral. Interestingly, it was Urianger's letter confirming the events of Moenbryda's death that shook her out of it. She had to face the truth, Moenbryda was gone. But the thirst for knowledge she had imparted to Mikoto would be one of her legacies, and has brought Mikoto this far, and will do so further.
9:20 – Hells' Lid is the volcano on the Ruby Sea. A place that Durmin is going to get to explore soon enough.
10:50 – This track is Tactics's Holy Angela's Theme. Big thanks to Danee for helping me figure that one out!
12:00 – This, obviously, never happened in Tactics, so time to write our own story!
16:20 – This cutscene really establishes just how much the FFXIV's Zodiac Brave Story differs from Tactics. This Delita is a wise and compassionate king, looking for the safety of his friend and putting aside his own power to try to save him. While the Delita of Tactics fought against power hungry nobles who were willing to burn the kingdom for their ambition, he was devious and manipulative. He remembers Ramza fondly, but the throne was his goal, and he won't give it up lightly. Alma isn't shown to have returned from Orbonne, in fact no one is confirmed to have survived the battle. Also, Orran did not have a relationship with Alma, but had his own wife, with a unique sprite and all!
One thing that Orran reveals is the same for both stories: The identity of Ultima's previous host was Saint Ajora Glabdos. This explains why the church is so willing to go about summoning demons; their reveared figure is a demon. Tactics lays it on even thicker, Ajora is a false messiah, performing miracles for the masses and plotting their downfall in private. Ajora intends to use their disciples to be the vessels of the 12 Zodiac Braves who are in fact the Lucavi. Ajora even has a betrayer, Germonique, who proved that Ajora was not who they claimed to be. But after Ajora's execution, a tidal wave destroyed the city, and the Church of Glabados raises to prominence. Delita didn't necessarily erase Ramza's name, as his activities were already secret, but he didn't counter the Church's labeling him a heretic.
29:25 – As this raid is all about Tactics, so is the music! This is Under the Stars.
31:17 – In FF12, the Viera were sensitive to "the Mist", which was magical. Fran, however, is not a particularly good spellcaster, due to her having left the Wood long ago. Here, the Mist is equated with aether.
If you find the bosses here a bit chatty, that's because they're referencing one of the little mechanics from Tactics. When characters use certain abilities, usually magic, there is a chance that they can recite an incantation before firing the ability. These incantations were a fun addition to the fights that made it feel like at any random moment a character might pull in extra power to really hammer their targets. As far as I recall, the incantation never actually indicated a gameplay change, but it felt powerful. The speeches shown here are re-localizations of the incantations for the specific abilities used by these bosses.
Our first boss is Mustadio Bunansa. But Mustadio isn't one of the Lucavi, he's one of Ramza's companions who is recruited during the story! If you notice, he starts as a man before transforming into this mechanical warrior. Mustadio is a Mechanist/Engineer from Goug, and is the first firearms proficient character introduced. As a result, his attacks like "Arm Shot", "Leg Shot", and "Maintenance" are all skills his special "Snipe" ability set in Tactics.
32:20 – This track is Tension, or Pressure, depending on the localization. This track plays during the story battle when Ramza first meets Mustadio!
The second boss is one of my favorite characters from Tactics, Agrias Oaks. Agrias is a Holy Knight and the leader of Princess Ovelia's guard and commands her fellow knights Alicia and Lavian (who have the normal Knight job). As the story moves forward, Agrias (with Alicia and Lavian) eventually throws her lot in with Ramza to end the war and ensure Ovelia's safety. While this angelic appeareance isn't her normal one, the blue/gold/white color palette is normal for her. Some of her Holy Sword abilities show up here, with some having similar animations: "Judgement Blade" "Hallowed Bolt", and "Cleansing Strike".
Agrias is where the incantation from Tactics really becomes apparent, but so does the change in localization. For example, Judgement Blade is the War of the Lions name for an attack that was originally localized to Stasis Sword. The incantation for Stasis Sword was "Life is short…Bury! Steady Sword!" (sic). Here, the incantation is "To the current of life we succumb, its judgment swift and final. Its bite as cold as steel". Part of me likes how the old incantations were quick and snappy, but these new ones are a bit more ominous, if long winded.
39:15 – This track is Antipyretic, which plays during the pivotal battle at Golgollada Gallows, where Agrias and Ramza go to save Ovelia from execution, and Agrias expresses her faith that Ramza will lead them on the right path.
45:00 – This track is Blood Excrement, which plays when you enter the Necrohol of Mullonde/Murond Death City. This is the setting of the final battle of Tactics.
The third boss is Count Cidolfus Orlandeau. Move over Cidolfus Telamon, the original Thunder God Cid is back! Cid is a general for the Southern Sky and has been studying or practicing warfare for the better part of his life. Cid is Orran's stepfather, and becomes embroiled in Ramza's quest when he realizes not is all it seems with his liege, Duke Goltanna. With the aid of a body double, Cid joins Ramza. Cid is notable that he joins with some of the best gear in the game, and as a Sword Saint has access to Holy Knight, Dark Knight, AND Temple Knight skills. Among the Holy Sword abilities that he demonstrates are "Cleansing Strike" (shared with Agrias), "Shadowblade", and "Crush Helm" (shared with Rofocale), many of which replicate their Tactics animations. You'll hear some of the same incantations that Agrias used in this fight.
Mechanics note: When Shadowblade hits, players lose huge amounts of their HP bars. But that's just half of it, if players are not healed to full, a Doom countdown kills them.
47:30 – This track isn't from Tactics! As Dan foreshadowed, this track is A Man Consumed from Vagrant Story.
The final boss is, of course, Ultima, the High Seraph. Coasterplus has put down FF12's bestiary entry for Ultima in their comment. As Dan notes, Ultima starts the trend of end Raid Bosses becoming "final exam" fights, pulling mechanics from previous fights.
57:00 – The soundtrack is back to Tactics with Ultima's Transformation/Ultima The Nice Body.
1:00:50 – This track is Descent/Kourin from Tactics.
1:01:30 – Ultima's final track is the same as Tactics: Ultima's Perfection/Ultima The Perfect Body.
1:04:25 – I love the Flare Marker here. Everyone has to run and huddle in safety… and then the boss drops a couple of Flares on people. Those players have to run out of the safe bubble and dodge all the other mechanics to live. If they stay in safety, everyone dies.
1:20:00 – Dalmasca has been under the Garlean IVth Legion for 30 years. Did you think they wouldn't investigate what was going on at the Ridorana Cataract? While Jenomis is confident that the Prima Vista was nothing more than a theater troupe, he's been wrong before. A single spy has been working under his employ.
1:25:10 – This prayer is the one spoken by Princess Ovelia at the start of Tactics, just before men arrive at Orbonne to kill her.
We've had lots of characters introduced on this storyline, it's a shame that, as optional content, we won't be seeing them in the main story. But that being said, optional content begets optional content. Mikoto Jinba and some others from this questline will return!