Construction after 1999 AD.

[Mauron]

If you compare the maps of 2300 AD and 1999 AD, there are definite areas in 2300 AD that could not have existed in 1999 AD.

It looks like Lab 32, both parts of Sewer Access, and Keeper's Dome are all new, along with some of the roads.

I'm thinking that after Lavos popped up, there was an attempt to rebuild. After making significant progress, Lavos destroyed everything again. Whether it was due to insufficient resources, lack of hope, or both, attempts to rebuild were stopped. There may have been more than one attempt/destruction cycle before people gave up.

Any thoughts on the matter?

[Acacia Sgt]

It does seem plausible. The sewers specially, I can't see them being built before DoL considering the continental shift between the two eras. Otherwise they wouldn't look as passable as they do in-game.

Not to mention, humans certainly didn't give up when their existence was threatened back when the ice age started, Zeal fell, the Fiends attacked... so yeah, I don't see Lavos's attack much different in that aspect.

[ggy128]

Mauron I agree with you,  there was an attempt to rebuild for example the Factory is a new building built after 1999, also the factory works as a power station for other domes

at some point the robots betray humans and then people gave up, there was no resources to fight a war against not only the mutants now the robots

so the humans hide inside their old domes and wait

[Lennis]

I wouldn't read too much into this.  The maps of the different eras look different mainly for the sake of being different.  The differences between the prehistoric era and later eras make sense due to continental drift.  The differences between 1000 A.D. and 2300 A.D. make no sense because 1,300 years isn't enough time for continental drift to be that noticeable.  Why should we take significant 300 year differences any more seriously?

[Acacia Sgt]

Remember, Lavos tunneled its way to the surface and then proceeded to make a mess of it. That could make plausible the land going through a dramatic change in just centuries.

[Fortranm]

Then this will mean that Lavos is not dormant even after 1999AS and maybe still watching over the world under Death Peak when at the moment of Crono's revival. I don't think this is the case.

Just like why Dorino and Giant's Claw are not on the map of 1000AD, the minor structures in 1999AD are probably too insignificant to be shown on the map.

I don't think Lavos has the ability to actively detect the development of human civilization at the first place ether. Yes, he destroyed Zeal after the Mammon Machine is moved to the ocean floor, but that's what happens when you try to take blood from a beast.

[EgyLynx]

... Or these years (longer?) are different of us?

[ThatGuy]

Well, it seems that continents and all that shift a lot more when Lavos comes to the surface (or buries himself).

[HadesKane]

I always assumed the continental shift was the result of Lavos' "eruption" in 1999.

Similar to how Kefka's rampage midway through FF6 led to the World of Ruin and significant continental changes, there.

I've also always assumed (I don't know if there's any REASON to think this, or any material disproving it, either) that Lavos basically reached full maturity and when he erupted out of the ground, this was effectively him reaching the end of his life cycle.  He guided evolution to its final course, he completed his end-game and the Earth was no longer worth anything, and that in his eruption he was basically releasing his perfected "spawn" into space to continue the spread and life cycle of the species.... Similar to how some species die very shortly after giving birth.

If the party chooses to encounter him in 2300 AD, I figure that's one of those "he would be dead soon anyway" kind of situations.

If there's something canon that contradicts these assumptions, I'd love for it to be brought to my attention.

[ThatGuy]

Well... I think it was Queen Zeal, outside the Black Omen, in 2300 AD, who claims that "Lavos reigns from atop Death Peak" or something to that effect. Though you climb to the top and never see him, so... not sure what that's about.

I, too, had always assumed that Lavos reached full maturity/readiness/whatever in 1999 and that was it. Until I found/had other ideas (like him waiting until the last safe moment to annihilate the world).

I never bought into the "guided evolution" thing though. If he could do that, why go through the tens of millions of years of trouble? If he can guide evolution, just cut to the chase and figure out what DNA you want to be sequenced and be done with it. And! how did humans like Ayla already exist if he was so essential in guiding things? Nah, doesn't make sense. Marle's words when confronting him are misinterpreted a lot, I think.

So, I still like him observing, collecting, feeding off of... then killing everything for whichever reason and his generation moving on.

[HadesKane]

Maybe its less "guided" as it is taking the opportunity to improve things or insert specific genetic sequences when such a thing would be advantageous.

Take for instance Lavos is WHY Humans became the dominant species of the planet over the Reptites, and Lavos altered the Human genome and that's why Humans could use magic... Perhaps he could see that Reptites wouldn't be as favorable toward his ends as Humans, and so Humans were given a nudge to overrule the Reptites.  It could be argued Reptites would have led a more harmonious existence with the planet, and would have either caused less destruction to the planet (and thus being less favorable to Lavos as the planet's defenses would be less weakened) or that along with a more harmonious relationship with the planet they would have been more attuned to the presence of Lavos and taken action during a much earlier time in its maturity when it would have presumably been weaker.

[ThatGuy]

One could argue that... but that assumes Lavos had a lot of knowledge before he even arrived. Which there's no real reason to believe other than the "why not?" argument.