Active RP FCs; An endangered species?

[Amondrask]

Hello there, folks!

 

I'm an old player from the launch of ARR that has recently dived back into the game with a fresh enthusiasm and a fresh character, and so far, despite my limited time, I'm loving it! The game has only improved since I last played, and it can only get better from here. However, something that seems to be lacking somewhat, in my eyes, is the number of active roleplaying FCs. Not even high quality ones, just...In general. I've googled my little heart out to underwhelming results, poked about the Linkshell Hall and found it woefully out of date and a bit...Odd to navigate. Usually it's fairly easy to find a goodly number of fairly quality, active roleplay guilds in any given MMO, but I've been having a hard time of it for FFXIV and I'm a little taken aback. I was under the impression that the roleplay scene was very much alive and kicking, particularly on Balmung, so I would have thought that there would be roleplaying FCs everywhere you looked. I had envisioned having a hard time choosing a guild, not having a hard time finding some. 

 

Perhaps, though, I have merely been looking in the wrong places, or my search skills aren't what they used to be. Is there some resource I'm missing that I can use to find the majority of active roleplay guilds? Are the guilds present and active, merely difficult to find or lacking in presence outside of the game itself? I thought I would ask and see what the general populace has to say, and who knows, maybe this will lead to myself (and others that may be seeking one) finding a lovely little FC to call home! (Bonus points if it's a heavy roleplay guild with a military theme. )

 

So, I suppose my query is; Where have all the RP guilds gone? Am I merely being dense, blind or some combination thereof, or are there really so few as it seems?

[Unnamed Mercenary]

You can find some of them in the Linkshells category on this site, but many are also in-game only. Everything that shows up is or was active at least within 30 days.

[Khadan]

I would say that there's a great deal of them still around. Where you find them, of course, is where you may or may not be having trouble. A lot of FC's tend to be very closed off and only interact within the boundaries of their FC houses and wards and/or only interact within their own little micro-communities. That's a pretty natural thing when it comes to RP communities, though. 

 

That being said there are many community events going on quite often where people from different FC's gather on the regular. Regular events like Grindstone on Saturdays if that's your thing is a lot of people's "go to" for meeting new people etc etc. I know some other FC's host some fluffy get togethers regularly, as well. My advice is simply look in the linkshell hall under the specific server, of course, and find some concepts that you like then just hunt those suckers down. You'll hit paydirt sooner than you might think!

[Warren Castille]

Somebody said Grindstone. I'm here now.

 

RP FCs are still around, I think they're just used to running their own things behind their own doors. Not to say you won't find members out and about, but the real meat of their plots are typically not held in the open. In my limited experience, anyway.

[Amondrask]

Hm, I see! Many thanks, first of all, to you fine folk for replying, and so speedily too! I had feared that the roleplay guilds were being largely insular and shut-in, as that makes it terribly difficult to find them and roleplay at them in the first place, but I suppose that's better than there being none at all. 

 

Regardin the Linkshell Hall, would you say that it's an accurate reflection of the level and number of active FCs? Or is it more of a case that the FC will post their bit and then just sort of...Leave it, and while they may appear to be dead due to the age of the post, they are very much alive and kicking in game?

 

Also the Grindstone seems like it would be an interesting event to spectate at! I'll have to show up sometime to see what it's like.

[Khadan]

I'd say that it's accurate enough, yeah. You can always cross-reference the posted from the linkshell threads to the rest of the forums. If you don't see their FC leader or members posting around then chances are that they either slowed down activity or simply don't participate on the RPC much. In game is always your best bet, though. You can search up FC's in game and see how many members they have and who's on during your peak times. If you see only one or two people on when you're on then you may wish to look somewhere else. Not much of an MMO experience with one or two people who may not even interact with you =P

[C'kayah Polaali]

On the villain side, at least, there are a lot of RP FCs that are participating in public RP and cross-FC RP. My old FC, Tylwyth Narah, is very strong in this area. Sepulchre is another, though I believe their recruitment is by invitation only, as is Jackal and Hyde on the EU time zone front.

 

There are also a number of solid RP FCs on the neutral or good guy side that do the same. I'd like to especially call out The Dauntless and Shroud Wolves here.

[DeletedUser]

On the villain side, at least, there are a lot of RP FCs that are participating in public RP and cross-FC RP. My old FC, Tylwyth Narah, is very strong in this area. Sepulchre is another, though I believe their recruitment is by invitation only, as is Jackal and Hyde on the EU time zone front.

 

Thanks for the shout out! I wouldn't necessarily call us villains; more neutral but definitely not bothered about breaking the law. Chaotic Neutral maybe?

[Tali]

On the villain side, at least, there are a lot of RP FCs that are participating in public RP and cross-FC RP. My old FC, Tylwyth Narah, is very strong in this area. Sepulchre is another, though I believe their recruitment is by invitation only, as is Jackal and Hyde on the EU time zone front.

 

Thanks for the shout out! I wouldn't necessarily call us villains; more neutral but definitely not bothered about breaking the law. Chaotic Neutral maybe?

We're a morally fluid group of lovable rogues with unique and shifting views of property posession.  Although we do branch out into the odd bout of heroic self-sacrifice when needed.  Or shift into darker areas if the pay's high enough and the reason is sound.

 

And yush, thanks for the shout!

[Knight Kat]

It might also depend on what you define as "active". I consider my FC active, but I am also trying to make it even more active (with increasing success!). There will be times where there are hardly any people online, and then times where we have all our members online RPing together at once.

 

Anyways, I believe you not seeing the active RP FCs is due to the whole insular plots thing. Yes, I often wish there were more open plots occurring in the community, but I understand why most FCs (including mine mostly) keep their plots within their own group. Diversity. It is -impossible- to appeal to everyone's tastes and style of RP. I have seen many people try. It is easier to run a plot with a cast that all fit the theme, or share similar preferences.

 

Do members of RP FCs interact with characters outside their FCs? I think most do. I certainly do. It's hard sometimes. My own FC members will want to RP with me while I am trying to also find time to RP with characters I know outside my FC. However, most of the RP done with characters outside my FC is casual. Sometimes I try to pull others into our plots, or get involved in plots of others, but like I said, it's difficult.

 

My advice, if you aren't having any luck with the LS Hall, is to attend casual stuff. Meet characters, join linkshells and use the "Making Connections" section of the forum. Contacts you make will have their own contacts. It's networking just like real life. The difference between active FCs and inactive FCs is active FCs have active members that can be found frequently in-game one way or another. Find people.

 

Edit:

 

There are also a number of solid RP FCs on the neutral or good guy side that do the same. I'd like to especially call out The Dauntless and Shroud Wolves here.

 

:love:

 

Well, since he made a call-out to my FC, we do have an LS for allies, friends and people interested in RPing with any of us. It helps put contacts out in the community, and allows for some joint-FC stuff. LSs are good ways for FCs to branch out into the wider community a bit better.

[Melkire]

Posting to second everything Kiht wrote, as well as to reword the following:

 

Sometimes, RP FCs can and will pull others into their plot(s) and/or interact extensively on a FC level with non-members and other FCs. That said, this shouldn't be an expectation, as it doesn't happen regularly or frequently enough with most free companies. We make the effort, but it doesn't always pan out, and ultimately FC and personal storylines of members take precedence before most non-FC narratives. Exceptions, of course, but that's the general rule of thumb.

 

EDIT:

 

Kayak quit making us blush.

[Nebbs]

Lots of FCs still RP, and even some of the larger ones that maybe were insular are having to look outwards as shrinkage occurs. 

 

There much to be said for smaller fresh FCs if you want in at the formation periods, these offer a great level of activity and interaction.

 

I would check their web pages to see what sort of activity they are actually up to.

 

That way you can ensure you find those that would suit your style/needs.

 

There are also LS to consider for wider RPs

 

 

eg -- see those in my sig

[Aya]

RP FC's are like entities in an ecosystem.  They are born, they thrive, they linger, they die.  Sometimes the cycle is short-circuited, sometimes they manage to go from lingering to thriving again.  Its not predictable, except in that its always moving and changing.  The death of some FCs does not mean that the community is in trouble, at least not while more continue to be created, and plenty continue to thrive.

 

Just keep looking

[Brynhilde]

I can't say that I've noticed any lack of active RP FCs, but then I suppose that when you're in one these things are very difficult to see.

 

When you're running about Eorzea, keep an eye on the FC tags next to people's names. Normally the FC info tab in-game will provide the link to their website, and this can be a very good way of gauging whether FCs are active.

[Fulcrum]

Dark Embers is incredibly active - it's actually why I have very little time to do much in the way of promoting elsewhere, actually. *laughs*

 

 

I try to at least get something on our thread here at least once a month, but sometimes can't even remember to do that because I'm so busy trying to stay caught up with my lovely medical schedule offline, caught up with the game, and caught up with my FC/Alliance. Sometimes I can't leave them alone for an afternoon as they get up into shenanigans (of the good kind, but man, my sides can't take the laughter)~.

 

 

I agree that looking at FC tags helps. A lot of FCs have gone to having an RP somewhere in their tag if they're RP, and while they may not be actively engaged in RP when you see them - as many RPers in this community also want to experience the game, which is awesome - they do RP and will likely be willing to talk to you about their FC. You can also try to find their FC here on the site and judge activity that way, as chances are I'm not the only one who doesn't get as much of a chance to update here because they're so busy with things in game and with their FC.

 

 

I also suggest checking an FC's calendar. We try to have our activities visible now, since griefing has gone downhill in recent months (though our settings get bugged out from time to time). Most of our forums are visible to people too, and I think a lot of FCs have some form of open forums on their site you can check for activity. And really, if you see an FC with a concept you like in the Linkshell Hall...ask their leadership about it. It doesn't hurt to ask, as most FCs have initiation periods that are just as much for your sake as they are theirs.

 

 

Try on an FC for size. If they're not as active as you were expecting, be honest and move on. Most people aren't going to get up in arms if you tell them the FC isn't as good of a fit as you'd hoped during the initiation period, but do say something before leaving. I feel much better when someone tells me why they're leaving rather than just up and leaving. Again, the initiation period in any gaming group is as much for you as it is for the group.

 

 

Anyroad, that's my 2 gil on the matter. I hope it helps some.

[Faye]

I can't say I've really noticed a lack of active RP FC's on the server--as someone else mentioned, being already in one I may not be actively searching for others so maybe that's the reason, but I do still try to keep an eye on the other RP FC's on the server. The LS hall isn't purged very often, though, and I don't think people can even delete their own threads there without contacting a moderator, so naturally a lot of the threads there may lead to dead ends in game, and sifting through all the inactive LS's and FC's can making harder to find the ones that are active.

 

Perhaps the activity of the FC's is the problem in itself? If an FC isn't hurting for members or activity, they're less likely to be promoting their name and recruitment everywhere outside of game. The FC's you find calling for recruitment most often are likely to have been, at least at the time, lacking in members or activity, and may have lapsed into inactivity or disbanded by the time you find them.

 

At any rate! If you're still shopping around for an active RP FC, Harbingers of Dawn is a good-aligned, med-heavy RP FC dedicated to protecting and aiding the citizens of Eorzea. You're welcome to check us out! You can learn more about us here and apply on our website if you're interested.

[Mercurias]

I've seen a lot of the larger groups end up a good deal smaller (the last time I saw Black Diabolos, a former 100+ member FC, their count was in the 30s), but I've seen plenty of RP FC's cropping up and trying to recruit in shout in Ul'dah and starting zones.

 

Honestly the three groups I've spent the most time with (The Grim Echo, Chocobo's Wing, and the Night Blades) are still going strong. Heck, NB's picked up like ten new people in the last month and we're in the middle of a huge story that we're trying to get everybody in on who wants to participate. 

 

I think we're making up now for two days a week all the lame leadership raids while the cool leadership jokes around in mumble and RPs rather than capping poetics like I should be doing right now. >.>

 

I'm sure RP will slow down a lot for at least a month once Heavensward comes out because EVERYONE will be wanting to run all of the new content right away, and I also think that right now a lot of groups are hibernating while waiting for it to go ahead and be released.

 

In other words, RP is still around, and so are the FCs. Just gotta keep looking.

[ArmachiA]

^ Imma kill you.

 

You're gonna cry when that second raid team gets back up because YOU AREN'T IN IT.

 

The NB works like a lot of other FCs do, though, when there isn't a huge storyline going on you'll usually see us more out and about, when there is - we tend to focus inward. Then when it's over we head back out into the world again with stories and tales of our grand adventures.

 

Mercurias is right, we just let in about 10-12 people this month and have been working with them to get them involved while at the same time running a HUGE plot that requires the constant attention of the 2 main Storytellers and the 4-5 helper bees. It's so large when it's over I may pass out for a week. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, since it's the climax of 2 years of story, but it is pretty exhausting.

 

Are we active? Extremely. We're so active if we go a week without an event on the calendar people start asking me if something is wrong. And I don't doubt others are as well. But any kind of plot... it's just safer to do within the boundaries of your FC. We've been extremely lucky as a guild - we've been around since launch and have never had a lack of activity (Except in December. We're always so dead in December) and I'm grateful every single day we've been able to make it this long.

 

That being said, when I run around I see a TON of active RP FCs around. Like, a lot. I'm actually rather surprised Balmung is thriving as much as it is RP wise.

[Erik Mynhier]

Somebody said Grindstone. I'm here now.

 

RP FCs are still around, I think they're just used to running their own things behind their own doors. Not to say you won't find members out and about, but the real meat of their plots are typically not held in the open. In my limited experience, anyway.

 

I will agree and echo what Warren said here, and add something.

 

It may not seem active or open, the fcs that is, is because rp fcs tend to be very nitch, I know my rp fc is. Its hard to find a "good" one because what is good depends on if their theme fits you as an rper. There are a lot of them, but their specialized theme makes them seem limited.

[Mikh'a]

There are also a number of solid RP FCs on the neutral or good guy side that do the same. I'd like to especially call out The Dauntless and Shroud Wolves here.

 

8D!!!! Thanks C'kayah!

 

Uber happies aside from the shout out... If you are really looking for an active company might I suggest using this forum? I know it's generally used as a personal connections forum, however I feel like it could be a good tool to use to find a company that best suits your needs as well as make personal friends/enemies/whatever for your character. You can come across a lot of individuals who are already in a company, for example, who will draw you in to their stories which are usually mixed with their companies. This will draw you in to their companies and if they're a fit you stay, if they're not a fit you move on.

 

You can also always advertise yourself in there. "I like long walks on the beach, merchant companies, steaks." See what bites for you. There are a lot of active and eager companies out there who are more than willing to take the time to talk to you, just put yourself out there.

[Delilah Scythewood]

One thing to keep in mind as well is there are plenty of active RP FCs out there, with a game like this with so much content, classes to level, achievements and titles and other things to farm and other things that people can easily lose themselves in one activity or another for a day or so. I know there was like a month where crafting was nearly an obsession for me and people had to drag me away from all of it if they wanted to do anything with me.

 

I still have withdrawals sometimes.