FFXIII-2 Parallel Worlds and Paradoxes in FFXIII-2

[Lirael]

So I thought it would be interesting to discuss parallel world theories and theories about paradoxes in relation to FFXIII-2!

How much do you know about parallel worlds/alternative universes and paradoxes?

What did everyone understand in the story?

How did you interpret what was presented?

For those of you who know quite a bit about parallel worlds and paradoxes, what was done well in XIII-2? What could have been improved on?

I'm about to re-read a book on Parallel Worlds, so I'll post as I read it with interesting info that could relate to XIII-2.

 

[C i d]

Spoilers alert!






The thing about the concept in FFXIII-2 is, unless I'm mistaken, they have two conflicting theories, which really bother me.

It is said in one of the fragments that there can only be one timeline at a time. This means that the old timeline is replaced by the new timeline. Everyone's memories are then modified in the transition. This kinda crosses out the possibility of the causality loop because it's essentially a different world altogether.

However, the way the game presents it is kinda contradictory. After Atlas is defeated, the world spontaneously changes (fixed bridges and structures), without the need to tranverse to a Bresha Ruins 00X AF. Serah and Noel stays in the original 005 AF. Yet when the paradox in Academia and Yaschas Massif were solved, they transit to the XXX AF versions.

And the thing about paradoxes is, I spotted some illogical points. For example, when mutantomato was defeated, Snow disappears. Snow should have disappeared earlier, the moment Serah and Noel defeated Faeryl in the Steppe, and S&N should only be able to go back to AF3XX Sunleth, the timeline when Snow is not in Sunleth and Royal Ripeness has shrunk. Defeating mutantomato should not do anything to the timeline. Mutantomato ISN'T supposedly a paradox. Mutantomato's transformation to Royal Ripeness IS caused by the paradox in the steppe.

Also, S&N shouldn't be able to go back to any of the time periods if they are replaced by the XXX versions because there can only be one timeline at a time. Well obviously this is for gameplay purposes so that they can go back and do the sidequests, but it still doesn't make sense.


Well about the 'deleted' old timelines, I believe they don't just literally gets removed and everyone in the timeline ceases to exist. When the timeline is 'changed' to the 'new' one, I take it that the events simply change and memories are modified. After all, time travel was possible because of the paradox which distorts the timeline. Everyone's memories are different from the true timeline because their minds simply got paradox'ed.


So what I perceive is, in other words, the timeline at the start of the game is a corrupted true timeline. There are wounds all over the place. These wounds affect other areas (other time periods), thus affecting memories. When the wounds are healed (paradoxes solved), the timeline is 'closer' to the true timeline. When every wound is healed (like at the end of the game), the timeline is restored to the original one, and as paradoxes are gone, time travel is not possible unless you use the time capsule method (which is not true time travel because you simply sleep for centuries, only to wake up in the future).

Too bad the Goddess is dead by the time the timeline is fixed... Which practically kills the timeline, if that makes sense.

EDIT: It's also weird that Noel doesn't disappear the moment the last paradox is solved. He should, by right, disappear like Snow, and either resurface in the new AF700 (if he was born even in the true timeline), or cease to exist.

In the case of Snow, he doesn't cease to exist because he already exists in the world before the paradoxes begin. I believe he just resurfaces in the place where he's supposed to be in the true timeline.

Well it's probably because S&N were time travelling at that time. This will also explain why Serah resurfaces in Academia 500AF instead of New Bodhum 003AF