(07-24-2014, 04:41 PM)Yune Wrote: Maybe I just want to know more about the people I'd be getting involved with, rather than filling out an application, going through the process of recruitment, only to find that none of us are satisfied and it was just a big waste of time all around.I tend not to view this process as a waste of time, and a large part of my character's backstory revolves around how she didn't fit into a number of groups before finding a couple that she did - which in turn changed her in very profound ways.
This being said, I do sympathize with that mentality of just wanting to get to the 'destination' without the frustration and effort of the journey. Everyone wants to find their niche and it isn't always easy. FC's have ongoing storylines and when I stop and think about our own I realize that it keeps me busy to the point where I often don't get to RP with folks outside the group as much as I would like (and will be more proactive in "branching out" in the weeks/months to come as well because as much as I love our FC members, I know there are a lot of awesome RPers out there beyond our own borders).
I would suggest learning a bit more about the few that seem most interesting to you (which makes me also very much aware that our own Crystalline page here needs a major overhaul since we are very out-of-date), and then hang around with some of their members. It has been said - and I agree - that most FC's are very accommodating. We like when people visit our grounds in Lavender Beds (OOCly anyway, some of our members are ICly a little standoffish/paranoid, but we're mercs and many of us legitimately have chips on our shoulders) and we want to make sure members are a good fit for us as well. Even if you land yourself in a company that seems ideal at first but turns out not to be what you expected, you can still RP that mismatch as being illuminating for the character, and just another stepping stone along the broken road that takes him or her to wherever he or she is headed.
There is the fact that you will have to be somewhat proactive to do this - which sometimes doesn't favor those who are on the shy end of the spectrum - but I have seen this proactivity rewarded on many occasions. Most FC's are relatively stationary and respond when interested parties come to them to join. One of our officers was holding a regular recruitment event (usually in Ul'dah outside of the Adventurer's Guild) which had mixed results, but offered an avenue for some RP with freelancers and those from other companies. I'll probably speak with her soon to see about resurrecting this practice, since it was a lot of fun and sent some of us out of our own comfort zone.
"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." Â ~ Lewis Carol
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