Why YOU should join a Free Company, from my own personal experience ;)

If you are new, a bit shy, or just haven't found the right Free Company that you feel like you belong with... read my experience and let me share with you my story.

The FFXIV experience is fun to play and there's a lot to explore in the world, not to mention completing the storyline. But here's something I learned as I played the game and want to share with you.

I started playing the game by myself. A friend encouraged me to play FFXIV and I've always been a fan for the Final Fantasy series, but my friend wasn't online every time I was.

So I found myself playing the storyline and randomly exploring the world. I'm not very shy, but at the same time, I'm not a person that likes to bother someone else. I didn't ask for help or looked for others playing the game to join a party. No one talked to me, unless it was in a dungeon and I was saying the usual "hello :)" to the party.

It might be obvious to some, but since this is my first real MMO, I learned that I was happiest when I was playing with my friend and talking to him. Curiously enough, the best part of the game was not the storyline and quests (although they're really fun), it was sharing the exciting news that I just leveled, or that I just achieved the ability to create a Job from combining 2 classes, or better yet, when I changed the gear of my character and showed it to my friend. Even though some of these things might sound a bit trivial, I found myself really happy and excited to share, especially with someone that cared and wanted to share too.

I realized that the best part of this game is about sharing the experience. Some might say it's all about the end game <.<, but I believe the journey is more important than the destination... and experiencing that journey with people that are happy and excited to share it with you.

Here's the most interesting part after I learned this...

After a while of playing FFXIV, I started to seek out a Free Company to join. Some were EXTREMELY hardcore, and they didn't care about you, just your stats, while others were really-really casual and didn't have any goals for their FC as a whole. I even saw some that were just dead, no activity, no interactions at all. I was even part of one where the guy that formed the FC just stole all the money and left!! O.O

From all of this I noticed that there were many different types of FCs, but I felt that they didn't share, or perhaps, didn't understand, what I and many others needed from their FC.

Now... I might not have found the right one, because I know that there MUST be some FC leaders out there that will agree with me. But regardless, I decided to better understand every player's aspect of the game. I pushed to level a DPS to 50 first, then a Tank to 50, and finally a Healer to 50.

After leveling all 3 main aspects of the game a player would choose to be, I gained a profound respect, admiration, and new insight on how important each and every player ultimately contributes to each other, as they play together in-game.

You might call me a bit OCD, but I felt like I needed to understand these 3 main aspects of the game for what I was about to do. But before I tell you, I must say that I'm put off by Tanks that don't respect or demand too much from their DPS and Healers. Giving them orders without even knowing their roles. This goes for DPSs that talk nasty to Tanks and Healers too. As well as Healers that put all the fault on the Tanks or the DPS when they fail.

Everyone, without a doubt, can not survive without the rest. Tanks need Healers to keep them alive, and DPS to take down the boss. Healers need Tanks to keep them alive by holding and taking away aggro and DPS to step in and take them down too. And DPS need Tanks to take all the damage dealt, while Healers provide them with health and protection, so they can focus on burning those bosses and adds.

No role is more important than another. Every role has their own unique responsibilities (and strengths and weaknesses), and must look out and support one another whenever possible throughout the journey. Not to mention, we ALL started at level 1... everyone. No one miraculously jumped to level 50 when they logged in. So all players should respect each other, regardless of their level or role.

This same concept should be applied to an FC. So I created the Aetherial Guardians FC on Famfrit with the ideals and principles to help one another, to share in each others journey, to laugh and smile, and to respect one another for what they bring to the table. An FC is not one guy or girl and their members. Everyone that belongs to the FC is the FC itself, not just a member, not just another face in the crowd.

I felt many times like just leaving and not playing the game anymore, but once I formed the Aetherial Guardians, I made amazing friends that share in my journey, as I do in theirs.

The game has taken on a different meaning altogether and it's not the same as before, it's better. I appreciate all the friends I've made and all the ones I will soon make, and welcome them.

Building an FC together, while sharing and exploring the journey across the Realm is what makes the game great for me.

This is why YOU should find and join a Free Company.

There is one out there that's right for you. It could be with the one I created, or perhaps another. But I encourage you to talk, apply, and join an FC. No matter if you're new, shy, or just haven't found one yet. Once you find that FC... I'm sure you'll know how I feel.

Thanks for reading, have fun with the game and I'll see you around. Oh, and say hello if you'd like, or friend me (Avalon Red) on Famfrit. :)

I completely agree with you. Ever since I stopped playing with the friends I made in L2 quite a few years ago I haven't felt the same magic I have in L2 or Vanilla WoW. Being nothing short of amazed at being able to tool around in an established world that I have always loved compounded with sharing those experiences is what has made this MMO the first one for me to fall in love with again for almost a decade. I've gotten past level 40, when for the last ~7 years the highest level I would get to was 25 before just getting bored.

I am not just leveling, I am looking forward to the end-game content, and this is all because of the great friends I have recently made from joining what was a brand new FC on my first day. I had never accepted a random invite like that before, but this time I said "what the hell" and went with it.

Finding an FC that fits your play style is definitely important.