What makes a good Free Company?

The above are all really good points that I definitely agree with. I didn't however see anyone mention one very vital piece to me; Communication.

An FC is only as strong as some of its leadership but to me a good FC, even with only average leadership, could still net great benefits as long as there is significant communication amongst the group - Not just to talk shop and strategies but to just talk with, bond, garner relationships and be social. For some people this game can be a significant outlet socially for them, and for others it might just be tertiary, but either way forming these friendships with likeminded people who you can joke with, talk with, etc., will ascertain a higher retention for the free company, and I think ergo, a higher rate of success.

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Originally Posted by PbFarmer

The above are all really good points that I definitely agree with. I didn't however see anyone mention one very vital piece to me; Communication.

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THIS

Getting people to bond and become invested in the community within an FC is essential to creating a lasting interest in both the game and the FC. Our FC as founded by 3 guys who've been gaming together for years because we met playing one game and the connection was such that we maintained it even after quitting the game we met playing.

I encourage all our members to be actively on coms as much as possible. There is no way on earth I would have hit 50 crafting without coms to chat on.

Wet t-shirt Tuesdays and make all the females do dungeon runs topless.

Also, give all members free Gil once a week.

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Originally Posted by Ebon_Drake

Wet t-shirt Tuesdays and make all the females do dungeon runs topless.

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I like this... I regularly tank AK in my bikini top and a huge wizard hat.

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Originally Posted by Ebon_Drake

Also, give all members free Gil once a week.

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Not so sure about this one.

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Also, give all members free Gil once a week.

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Pretty much got that covered...

It's so nice to see an assortment of well thought-out answers. It seems these days half the time I go onto a forum and pose a complex question the only reply I tend to get is

"wut? you really think anyone is gonna read all that??"

And truth be told I understand not every player has the attention span to read or even skim some of the posts I make. I do have a tendency to talk a lot. But I always hold out in the hopes that at least a couple individuals will. And it seems I am richly rewarded today, our forum is brimming with people willing to read and think. Sparing me the painstaking need to abbreviate every word over 5 letters into something more simple.

And it's just as well, with each of you portraying your extensive understanding of Free Companies you've done just as much to advertise your capable FC's as any Recruitment message or Topic would have. At the very least I know for certain that I owe every individual who replied here my respect. Well, almost every individual.

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I digress though, I did say I talked a lot didn't I? To return to the topic, I'm glad PbFarmer pointed out communication and relations. It's a true fact that any game, no matter how entertaining, will eventually become boring when you play it enough times, especially by yourself. It is the people you game with which keeps things new and refreshing each day, and only with friends can a person maintain an interest in a game beyond their natural attention span.

omg I got hit by a care bear stare.

Lacking that having good enemies and opponents to keep things competitive works as a good alternative too. Ironic that.
But I have to also say I wholeheartedly agree with PapaSteel's mention of a strong leader. There is no question that a Leader's actions will make or break an FC. In fact, in the past a guild leader's solid leadership can make them so iconic that on the day they do finally retire there is a 90% probability that any individual they select to inherit leadership will never hold the same degree of influence, no matter how capable they are, as the original leader. That's pretty sciencey, no? Actually I just made that up. But based on my personal experiences that is all too often the case.

At the same time, however, as centrally important to an FC as a leader might be, there are limits to what one individual person can do. Equally important to an FC's success, and more often overlooked, are the people in the FC that a leader can depend on. Whether it is a leader, a recruiter, a person helping other members, an officer helping to resolve disputes or resolve problems, it is the efforts of every member willing to help out that truly makes a Free Company what it is. After all, a leader without members is just some guy. Shouting in the Chats.
Ha. Now I've contributed something intelligent too.
Nevertheless the success of any online group begins and ends with the Leader. Which begs the next question.

What makes a good Leader?

What makes a good leader in an FC is applicable in all places. In order of importance I think from most to least: a nice mix of Charisma, Wit, at least average intelligence, and a level of competence in their field. Charisma is a strong foundation for any leader, because their sense of presence can make a group of people follow them or at least listen. If you have no charisma, people are going to just ignore you in the first place. So this is inclusive of a strong voice, good direction, and probably someone mostly levelheaded. A good wit keeps the charm alive, and average intelligence ensures a level of maturity that we should expect. All those things together supercede the last ingredient which is the ability to actually walk the walk in this game. An FC leader can talk and guide and help organize raids without having to necessarily be good enough to participate themselves, but it helps in the long run.

I blog. My food blog and my code/football blog are much bigger than my gaming blog, but..

I've put a few of my thoughts on what I'd like in a free company on my gaming blog. And yes, communication is key, but it can't just be ad hoc..

What I blogged.

An excerpt:

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One of the earliest issues are the blind invites to free companies. After ignoring a few of them, I accepted one. What did I get? No website, no hello, no FC chat, no discussion at all. The FC existed for the purpose of filling someone’s ego who then didn’t do what a FC should do: give people a context within which to play the game. Needless to say, I left that guild after a few days.

I have questions about my play. I’d like to talk about these issues first before blindly rushing forward with leveling in a game where the skill to play the role defines success or failure. A free company should play a major factor in this, and by that standard, I had good free companies the first two MMOs I played.

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