Episode 4 Story Discussion

[Selphea]

Well, not everything in on the record regarding Luther. Our connection to Xion are not publicized; and while the 'ARKS mission' to stop us was in public log, it didn't publicize the reason.....at least that's what I'm getting. I might be wrong on that.

In the modern day context, if one day everyone who logs into Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or what have you sees a huge WANTED sign with your face on it, that somehow gets taken down a couple hours later with no reason provided... no amount of coverup can possibly bury the ensuing storm of excrement.

And regarding PD, while we are one of the canon fighters in stopping it, the only one who knew about we (and Matoi) absorbing Falzes' negative photons are Xiao (and maybe Sara + Philia).

And all the people who saw half a planet being devoured in a giant beam of light, and the people who heard the "kinkyuu niimu hassei... zen aakusu (i.e. all ARKs)", and all the other ARKs who sortied to take down the rest of the Disneylands. They don't have to know how exactly the giant jellyfish was destroyed, they only need to know who was on the raft that ended up destroying the jellyfish.

[Meteor Weapon]

Tbh, Luther does a better job in keeping an eye on everyone than the godly awful security in EP4 where they couldn't keep an eye on unregistered ARKS which could have been filtered easily if they tried.

[CocoCrispy]

So after asking in the quick questions thread, I learned that AP is "After Photon." I've taken some terribad phone pics of a page in the pso2 section of the Visual Chronicles of what looks like the timeline leading up to the game's events. They can be found here.

You might be better off just looking at the whole page instead of the blowup of the bottom. The top of that one is blurry and for that I am sorry.

This is the timeline that Aida cooked up in the original story thread.

Spoiler!

????: Photon particles discovered. A method to use them as energy is found.
0: With photons used as energy, problems with space flight were solved. A new era in space begins!
20: Arks create a Mothership.
50: 24 more ships are added to the fleet, now named "Oracle".
200: Oracle travels to a lot of galaxies, studying about different life forms and energies.
500: A science vessel studying a black hole disappears. There was no distress signal, and no signs of attack.
600: On a new planet, a naturally aggressive life form is discovered. This life form later becomes known as "Darkers".
700: More information is discovered about Darkers - They consume both living and nonliving matter. More Darkers attack Oracle -
normal weapons have no effect, and many Arks die. A being known as "Dark Falz" is discovered to be behind the Darkers. Photon
weapons are found to be effective against Darkers, so lots of research is put into enhancing them. However, many more planets
are lost to the Darkers.
1000: Arks, which was once intended for science and discovery, changes its purpose to wiping out the Darkers.
Arks design a new calendar so they never forget the turning point in the war.


(All dates from here on out are using the AP calendar. So, for example, AP 40 would be the year 1040.)


AP 0: A new timeline is forged - The Arks Military calendar
AP 40: Naberius is discovered
AP 90: Planets Lilipa and Amduscia are discovered
AP 140: The Dragonkin language is fully translated
AP 170: Something about battle with darkers <will be re-translated later, hopefully>
AP 190: Regias, Maria, Clarisa, and Casra become famous for battles on several planets
AP 198: Deciding battle with Dark Falz (The three heros seal Dark Falz Elder away)
AP 198: The council of six members is formed: 1) Regias 2) Maria 3) Casra 4) Atosa 5) Clarisa 6) Volf
AP 207: The first Clarisa Claes dies
AP 210: The second generation of arks manage to push back the Darkers for few years
AP 220: The first Casra dies
AP 225: The relationship with the Dragonkin suddenly gets worse
AP 226: Clarisa Claes' name is passed down
AP 227: Atosa and Volf die
AP 228: The second Clarisa Claes vanishes in a battle with Dark Falz Apprentice
AP 230: The Casra name gets passed down
AP 235: Huey becomes the 6th member of the council
AP 238: The current year that PSO2 takes place

Does anyone with some savvy Japanese knowledge know if anything else important is written in there compared to what Aida has written?

Also, what does the kanji say in that blue strip to the left of each half of the timeline?

Ok so I found my answer by doing a google search with the kanji.

For anyone that's curious, the pso2 timeline likes to change its names a lot.

AP 0: A new timeline is forged - The Arks Military calendar

We know AP is called After Photon in the game, however, it's also formally known as 新光歴, or "New Light History" era, which is kinda the same way of saying after photons.

What the game hasn't clarified is what the time before AP 0 is called. In the artbook, it's simply 光歴, or Light History era.

[starwind75043]

But it did seem like they were aware of who are the unregistered arks.
I assumed that they basically were doing that. Limiting access in ship to important stuff.
There still there investigation as to how there getting in.

[jeremycards]

So, canonically there is...

1- Arks Universe, the place we've been playing the whole time

2- PSO2 Earth, another dimention where PSO2 is a game and connects to the real Arks Universe

3- Reality, where we live... and where PSO2 is REALLY a game, wich also has a game from another dimention coming into it...

So, just wonder how that conversation would go if you could talk to your character:

You: So, you are actually a character in an online rpg.

PC: No, those are the unregistered arks connecting from another reality, im a real Arks.

You: No, you see, you are also a character in a game, but in your game, there's a game, and those who play trough your game, are game characters to you, but you are a game character to me!

PC: ................wait so are you a game character too.

You: No, i am for real!... *looks arround suspiciously* i think....

_______________

So yeah, Episode 4 is freaking confusing.

[Altiea]

3- Reality, where we live... and where PSO2 is REALLY a game, wich also has a game from another dimention coming into it...

Wait, who said anything about this? I'm pretty sure we don't exist in-universe.

@CocoCrispy: Which version of the timeline is that? I know EP3 came out with a new timeline that adds a bunch of stuff.

[CocoCrispy]

@CocoCrispy: Which version of the timeline is that? I know EP3 came out with a new timeline that adds a bunch of stuff.

This is the timeline before Ep3 in the Visual Chronicles. It's the dates before and during the start of pso2.

I haven't played the game in years so I'm out of the loop with the new stuff. Did ep3 retcon stuff or begin a new timeline?

[Altiea]

This is the timeline before Ep3 in the Visual Chronicles. It's the dates before and during the start of pso2.

I haven't played the game in years so I'm out of the loop with the new stuff. Did ep3 retcon stuff or begin a new timeline?

EP3 book added a ton of new information on top of the old timeline. i posted some garbage-quality images of the updated timeline back on another thread; it basically has to do with additional stuff concerning the Photoners, Dark Falz, and the Profound Darkness. Also added a "Before Light History" section.

EDIT: The post in question: http://www.pso-world.com/forums/show...48&postcount=6

[jeremycards]

I dont mean that the game story acknowledges our reality, but if they are going meta and saying their reality is a game to another dimention, it kinda makes you think about that stuff lol and how crazy would it be if they find out that they ACTUALLY are in a game, within a game....

This is the timeline before Ep3 in the Visual Chronicles. It's the dates before and during the start of pso2.

I haven't played the game in years so I'm out of the loop with the new stuff. Did ep3 retcon stuff or begin a new timeline?

They didn't retcon, but they did a 2 year timeskip, and things are getting pretty crazy because now, they arrived to another dimention where Earth exist, and in that Earth, people play PSO2 as a game like in the real world, only that they are actually connecting to the reality of the game, and to our character, they show up as unregistered arks... so yeah, its pretty confusing and silly.

[CocoCrispy]

EP3 book added a ton of new information on top of the old timeline. i posted some garbage-quality images of the updated timeline back on another thread; it basically has to do with additional stuff concerning the Photoners, Dark Falz, and the Profound Darkness. Also added a "Before Light History" section.

EDIT: The post in question: http://www.pso-world.com/forums/show...48&postcount=6

Mmmm, no that's fine. The words are legible. I'll take a look and see what's going on there. What was the ep3 book called anyway?

They didn't retcon, but they did a 2 year timeskip, and things are getting pretty crazy because now, they arrived to another dimention where Earth exist, and in that Earth, people play PSO2 as a game like in the real world, only that they are actually connecting to the reality of the game, and to our character, they show up as unregistered arks... so yeah, its pretty confusing and silly.

Lol yeah that's why I'm scratching my head trying to piece everything together. It's definitely not easy, but that's Sega for you. They've been doing that with this whole franchise. I won't be surprised if it becomes as convoluted as that abomination known as the Zelda timeline.

But you 2 are awesomesauce. Thanks for all your help!