I hope I am asuming the right part? Not the beginning, but the 1/4 mark.
So Terra freaks out in Narshe when she comes in contact with the frozen Esper Tritoch. Then she flys away.
The party I believe then decides to travel to Edgars castle.
Enjoy the castle as it travels underneath the sand across the ocean. Gotta talk to a few people to trigger this event.
From there you go through I believe 2 towns then on to Zozo. From Zozo you will get Terra back and then you head to the Opera and let Setzer kidnap you.

The time for the clock in Zozo is 6:35 or 6:15...hmmm, forgot that one. If you tal to everyone in the town and do what they DON'T say then you will find the time...Assume they are all liars.


As for the 3d like ship movement...I completely forgot about that...I still doubt they used any 3D....the more I think about it though the more I seem to believe you.

They definetly did my 2D DD way for everything else, but that WorldMap airship...in 2D...would be very very hard. I'll think on that.