I'm in the IC linkshell you talk of and yeah, it's really not a good place to look for FC invites, haha. For one, most free companies I know of are either not "free companies" ICly, or are not actively looking for recruits ICly (despite maybe doing so OOCly).
Secondly, I think most FC's will expect you to approach them OOCly first, because it's most important to have a good OOC fit - the IC stuff can be fudged or developed, but if the FC is a bad OOC fit for you (in terms of outlook on RP, outlook on gameplay, and/or OOC culture), that's unlikely to change.
Worth noting, too, that FC housing is the only way most people can obtain a room of their own to decorate on Balmung, since housing (even apartments) is incredibly scarce and can take months in real time to get an opportunity to obtain. If you're interested in decorating a room for your characters, you might want to narrow your search to FC's that a) have a house and b) permit any member to purchase private chambers... which makes it doubly important to ensure you get on with them OOC before joining (as having a private chamber puts a financial handicap on leaving and joining another FC).
RP, on the other hand, can be accessed through linkshells and plain old knowing-people, not solely through an FC. Personally, the majority of my RP comes through: people I've met ICly at events or through aforementioned linkshell; through our characters having a similar profession (Rogues' Guild members); or characters whose players I met OOC through an OOC connections linkshell.
The resources Syranelle linked are really good - especially the Free Company Hall. I'll ask this as well, though: what is it, RP-wise, that you want out of an FC that a linkshell or proliferated friends-list can't provide? Like do you want an ongoing combat or intrigue storyline? A steady location to call a base? An IC authority figure to look up to or rebel against? A family-styled organisation? A military organisation? Ironically, if you can think of something specific, it might make it easier for people to make helpful suggestions!
Secondly, I think most FC's will expect you to approach them OOCly first, because it's most important to have a good OOC fit - the IC stuff can be fudged or developed, but if the FC is a bad OOC fit for you (in terms of outlook on RP, outlook on gameplay, and/or OOC culture), that's unlikely to change.
Worth noting, too, that FC housing is the only way most people can obtain a room of their own to decorate on Balmung, since housing (even apartments) is incredibly scarce and can take months in real time to get an opportunity to obtain. If you're interested in decorating a room for your characters, you might want to narrow your search to FC's that a) have a house and b) permit any member to purchase private chambers... which makes it doubly important to ensure you get on with them OOC before joining (as having a private chamber puts a financial handicap on leaving and joining another FC).
RP, on the other hand, can be accessed through linkshells and plain old knowing-people, not solely through an FC. Personally, the majority of my RP comes through: people I've met ICly at events or through aforementioned linkshell; through our characters having a similar profession (Rogues' Guild members); or characters whose players I met OOC through an OOC connections linkshell.
The resources Syranelle linked are really good - especially the Free Company Hall. I'll ask this as well, though: what is it, RP-wise, that you want out of an FC that a linkshell or proliferated friends-list can't provide? Like do you want an ongoing combat or intrigue storyline? A steady location to call a base? An IC authority figure to look up to or rebel against? A family-styled organisation? A military organisation? Ironically, if you can think of something specific, it might make it easier for people to make helpful suggestions!
![[Image: tUzrT.png]](https://puu.sh/tUzrT.png)
