Aside from being afflicted by the Living Statues, and thus being saved by Isaac's party, Altin has almost no bearing on the overall plot of the Golden Sun series, and basically only serves as a host city to the Altin Peak dungeon. The most significant plot-related event to occur in Altin is the discovery of the tiled room at the bottom of the mine, as it is (outside of Sol Sanctum and the Elemental Lighthouses) the first hint toward Weyard's ancient past. As the series progresses, several other such ruins will be encountered, usually as Optional Dungeons in The Lost Age (such as Madra Catacombs).