#katvtalksff

1- Since I only restarted my DFFOO playthrough fairly recently (thanks to Jack Garland) I want to 100% all story content in the game by the time it ends. That means all main story chapters, lost chapters and intersecting wills. It hurts me deeply that the game very likely will not receive a proper ending while the GL version will not even have its last 3 chapters playable, but I want my experience to feel complete regardless. As for building other characters, I will see if I can complete the kits of other characters I like, despite the fact that we will (seemingly) not be getting any of JP's leftoever banners.

And more importantly

2- I had this Dissidia x Stranger of Paradise lore doc in the works for a good while, the only piece missing is DFFOO's story, hence why writing it has taken so long. I will try to catch up to the main story by the end of the year (currently reading through Act 3 Ch 6), so I could finally finish it. It will be my tribute to DFFOO. However that also means that my KH summary projects such as THIS will have to take a backseat for a bit. The DFF x SoP project will be my biggest one yet!

Regardless tho-

I am in the "Clive survives" club because it makes more sense in terms of the established narrative:

Apart from the most obvious bits that are Jill's prayer to Metia being fulfilled in earnest, the lyrics to Moongazing and finally Clive being like the dawn itself to Jill that always comes back, we have other evidence that point towards Clive being alive at the end of the game.

Clive has been established as someone who loves epic tales and the art of storytelling. Not only was it mentioned by characters such as Byron & Jill and the fact that he is the narrator at the start and the end, but in Dion's endgame quest, Tomes gifts Clive a quill that he would put to good use once he finally puts down his sword. Joshua's deeds have been chronicled by the Undying for as long he has been in their care and Clive has equal access to their services. As we have already seen in the story where Clive took on the name Cid, he could easily had used whatever the Undying had left over from Joshua while compiling his own experiences alongside that and thus penning the book under Joshua's name in the honor of his brother. Speaking of Joshua, I don't think it would make sense that Clive ultimately dies after Joshua finally passes the torch to his brother and symbolically relieves him of his duties as HIS Shield. Clive (and Cid) had said himself, it will get worse before it gets better, for the world and the people. Thus I think Clive being forced to come to terms with the death of his little brother is part of that. Clive dying would stomp on Joshua's wish, his promise to Jill and his role to carry on Cid's dream right as it is within their reach.

Yes, the main protagonist of a FF dying at the end of the game is not unheard of, but in the most notable cases (Crisis Core, Type-0 and XV) the narrative itself was building up to such a concluion. XVI's ending is more aligned with the fact that Clive survives in order to face this new world free from Ultima.