Hey there, and welcome aboard to the RPC and to FFXIV! 
To dive into some of your questions...
There are three different avenues you can pursue for network: a free company (guilds), linkshells (private chat channels with some guild functionality) and freelance networking (making a Making Connections post here on the RPC). There's a lot of every one of these different avenues too- including lots of particular niches.Â
For example, in the case of free companies, there are FC's based around Miqo'te tribes (Shroudwolf Clan, Morbolvine Clan), there are FC's based around criminal underworld (Mischief's Coven), FC's based around treasure hunting (Azeyma's Oath), or even general research and knowledge (Guiding Light).Â
As for linkshells, there's ShroudLife (for wilderness RP'ers who like to get out of the cities) and Hydaelyn Protectors (chaotic good vigilantes).Â
I want to stress this is just the tip of the iceberg too- there are hundreds of groups here on the RPC, and plenty more that aren't!Â
That aside, as you level and progress through the main story questline, you'll unlock the game's features including dyes and equipment appearance changing (called glamours). You'll also unlock the barber at some point too. The short of it is, if you see a quest ! that has a + next to it and it isn't "So You Want To Be A ... " then you'll want to definitely do that quest as it unlocks a game feature. You'll want to keep up with your main story questline (the quests with a flaming ring around the ! mark).
Hope this helps! And, if nothing else, you're welcome to run into Kasi sometime too. For the sake of convenience, I link a bunch of these different organizations and linkshells in my signature.
To dive into some of your questions...
There are three different avenues you can pursue for network: a free company (guilds), linkshells (private chat channels with some guild functionality) and freelance networking (making a Making Connections post here on the RPC). There's a lot of every one of these different avenues too- including lots of particular niches.Â
For example, in the case of free companies, there are FC's based around Miqo'te tribes (Shroudwolf Clan, Morbolvine Clan), there are FC's based around criminal underworld (Mischief's Coven), FC's based around treasure hunting (Azeyma's Oath), or even general research and knowledge (Guiding Light).Â
As for linkshells, there's ShroudLife (for wilderness RP'ers who like to get out of the cities) and Hydaelyn Protectors (chaotic good vigilantes).Â
I want to stress this is just the tip of the iceberg too- there are hundreds of groups here on the RPC, and plenty more that aren't!Â
That aside, as you level and progress through the main story questline, you'll unlock the game's features including dyes and equipment appearance changing (called glamours). You'll also unlock the barber at some point too. The short of it is, if you see a quest ! that has a + next to it and it isn't "So You Want To Be A ... " then you'll want to definitely do that quest as it unlocks a game feature. You'll want to keep up with your main story questline (the quests with a flaming ring around the ! mark).
Hope this helps! And, if nothing else, you're welcome to run into Kasi sometime too. For the sake of convenience, I link a bunch of these different organizations and linkshells in my signature.
![[Image: 0edaAPA.png]](http://i.imgur.com/0edaAPA.png)
