Question: Free Companies

[CassandraJean]

Hey guys!

 

I've been reading and studying a lot about the game before 2.0 is released (I haven't played 1.0 so my knowledge is limited to what I can study online). But one subject that I haven't been able to really understand is Free Companies. I feel like it's a really simple subject and I'm just somehow now grasping it completely, but would y'all be willing to tell me exactly what Free Companies are?

 

I know about linkshells, but Free Companies are something different than that, right? What is a Free Company and what are the benefits to being in one? Can you be in more than one?

 

Is there a Free Company that the members of this site are in? Or a bunch of them..?

 

Sorry! I probably sound like a total idiot but I appreciate your help!

[Ronberku]

It's really simpler than it sounds or appears.

 

In FFXIV 1.0 we only had linkshells that served as guilds. Although as a guild system it was really bareboned. It was basically a list of people much like a friendlist but with a guildchat channel. You could join multiple linkshells and follow all their chats in the log.

 

FFXIV: ARR now introduces Free Company which becomes the new in a sense true Guild system. Any MMORPG usually forces people to only join 1 guild. This is what Free Company will become.

 

However, linkshells still remain with the same function as in FFXIV 1.0. But will serve more as a way to create social groups.

 

Conclusion(tl;dr)

 

Free Company = The true typical mmorpg guild (Join 1 and only one) and allows acces to future Guild housing

Linkshell = social groups (Join as many as you want), no additional benefits

 

Additional edit:

 

You can join a Free company and also join multiple linkshells at the same time. Just wanting to clarify it.

[Gideon Aryeh]

Free companies can also get objectives, make alliances with other Free Companies, etc. For example a Free Company gets benefits for helping out new members. They will be more interactive than the average guild system with actual in game roles and things to do.

[CassandraJean]

Okay.

Linkshells I already know about since I did play Final Fantasi XI MANY moons ago.

So linkshells = social networking, Free Company = guild

 

Does anyone know what all these benefits and things are for being in a Free Company, helping new members, that sort of thing? Like are there going to be missions/quests for free companies to perform together? Because that would be pretty awesome.

[Gideon Aryeh]

Okay.

Linkshells I already know about since I did play Final Fantasi XI MANY moons ago.

So linkshells = social networking, Free Company = guild

 

Does anyone know what all these benefits and things are for being in a Free Company, helping new members, that sort of thing? Like are there going to be missions/quests for free companies to perform together? Because that would be pretty awesome.

 

 

During one of the earlier Letter from the producer vids If I'm not mistaken Yoshi mentioned quest objectives, this was one of the reasons why Free Company Alliances are possible, for FC's who want to help each other with their objectives.

 

I seriously recommend anyone going back and watching the earlier Letter from the Producer videos, they are chock full of information and all of them have been subtitled.

[CassandraJean]

Thanks you guys, I feel like I have a much better grasp on it. I didn't realize that Free Companies were brand new to A Realm Reborn, I thought they were from 1.0. BUT this does explain why I couldn't find an overabundance of info on it.

 

Thanks!

 

That being said ... Does anyone have plans to create a Free Company here on the forum? I'd love to join up with one, it sounds like a GREAT way to get to know you guys and for my character to get to know your characters.

[Caysen]

This is from an interview on ZAM from back in 2011.

 

ZAM Question #11: What are Free Companies, and how will these be structured? Are these the player-run companies we heard about in the past?

 

Yoshida: "These are player-controlled companies. You can think of it like the guild systems that a lot of other MMORPGs have, the player-run guilds. Think of it as each player, for example, five people can be a Free Company. I can be a member of the Order of the Twin Adder, he can be a member of the Maelstrom, he can be a member of the Immortal Flames, but we can all get together and make our own Free Company. Individuals can do the Grand Company content on their own, and then we can make this Free Company with a lot of people from different companies. And also, the Free Company can sign up to join the Grand Company, so you can experience Grand Company content through your Free Company, even though if I'm in Gridania but our Free Company signs up to work with the Maelstrom in Limsa Lominsa, then we can do those contents as well. That's one thing where players will be able to cross over.

 

"So when players make their own Free Companies, they can decide what they want to do. They can go, "OK, I only want to have people from the Order of the Twin Adder be in my Free Company, and their Free Company is going to be hardcore, or they can have a mixture of lots of different players. That will be up to the players."

 

ZAM Question #12: Can people experience all the company content through Free Company participation, just by signing up with all the different companies?

 

Yoshida: "The content will be different. There will be the Free Company content of the Grand Companies, as well as the solo content of the Grand Companies. You'll only be able to do the solo content of the Grand Company you're in, but when it comes to the Grand Company content that's for Free Companies, it won't matter as a solo player which company you're in, it will matter which Free Company you're signed up with. It will be two different stories."

 

http://ffxiv.zam.com/story.html?story=28045

 

Basically says there will be group content for Free Companies that relates to the Grand Companies, but with different storylines than the solo GC content.

 

Here's the stuff from the earlier live letter.

 

 

F: Please explain the details of free company

Y: First gather with 4 people - get in grand company - go to grand company counter and apply for free company and that’s when it will be created. At that time you will have a shared box which is shared with the 4 and have for example company leader which can only take out items from the box and stuff. It has detailed option so you can set those. By completing contents your free company level increases and you can create more emblems or have other features to expand. You can make a free company with 8 static members but say you can have allie with another company where you can share BBS (forum) and stuff together it has lots of options.

Y: You can also join company as a guest to try out the company and see if you like the company or not. Also you can invite low level players and by helping them you get points and stuff. It’s not too strict but one thing is you can’t have multiple free company as we have issues with shared items and stuff so that will be there.

 

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/54391-Free-Company-Information

 

You unlock more features for your FC as you complete more quests and events.

 

I read somewhere that we'll be able to put the FC emblem on armor, but I don't have a source on that.

[Eva]

I compiled a bunch of info a couple weeks back on this post, relating to Free Companies and what has been said about them so far.  I hope that you find it useful. 

[CassandraJean]

Thanks Eva for the link! That helps a lot, you must have done some serious investigating to collect all that info lol.

 

The Free Companies sound like a total blast, definitely will want to get in on that!