About Harmonium FC & Atomos Server

**We now are accepting applications through our new FC website http://harmoniumatomos.enjin.com/home** updated 2/18/15

Whenever I see a blog post written by someone feeling blah about the community on their home server, I often step in and invite them to Atomos and my FC, Harmonium. We’ve got a good bunch of people here, lots of warm fuzzies, and I’d like to share that with others. :) BUT… it’s probably best that I try to briefly explain what all makes Atomos different; kind of a ‘what to expect’ blog post for those who may consider moving here. It IS different. I can say that because I have played alts on other servers. Hell, I’ve considered moving before. But something keeps me on Atomos…

Some key points:

- It IS a JP server and it’s not Tonberry. Tonberry is the unofficial AUS/SEA server, so it’s more than half EN speaking. Atomos… isn’t. We’re probably 10% of the population. Why this is bad? It can be hard to get a party. Don’t even bother with EN only; you probably won’t get into the DF. Make heavy use of the auto-translate feature. Why is it good? It brings us closer together. We rely on each other. We get to know each other. And we are some stubborn people… :D We will MAKE it work. We have an English linkshell too to communicate with other EN FCs and JP players who speak English.

- Harmonium is an international FC. A bit more than half are from the Americas; we have a good number from AUS/SEA/EA; and a handful from UK/EU. Why it’s good? Variety is just damn cool. We cover all time zones. Lots of languages. Why it can be bad? Between that many time zones and then personal schedules (and levels), it can be tricky to get parties together for stuff.

- We are very casual. By casual, I mean laid-back, chill, interested in raiding… or not, whatever is good. :D WE HAVE WIPED ON T2 DUE TO DANCING INSTEAD OF PAYING ATTENTION. XD In endgame raids, for example, we will make suggestions to improve… but mistakes are fine as long as you learn from them eventually. :) No rage here.

- We help all levels. We’ve got rank newbies who ask “What’s a job?” and we’ve got folks going through Final Coil. And all interests… we have master crafters and gatherers, people with lumis. We don’t focus on anything but having fun in this game.

- We can be quiet. Sometimes there’s lulls in the conversations. :) That’s ok! Don’t let it intimidate you. Feel free to ask questions. Just, don’t get impatient that it’s not noisy sometimes. :)

- We can be noisy. Haha. I won’t lie… sometimes it’s very noisy. xD Game topics, literature, philosophy, music… you name it. Hope you read fast. XD Sometimes the conversation is 18+… not ERP or anything… just silliness (like discussing my bushes xD). Cussing is allowed and often decorates atma discussions. XDDD

- Harmonium has an anti-harassment policy. Don’t grief others. Don’t be too negative (like telling others they can’t do something because one person has failed). The closest I’ve ever come to having to use it is gently telling a couple people privately that perhaps they are wording things the wrong way. I will never kick without a few private warnings.

- (Mostly) no trolls in the DF. REALLY rare, even in CT. You go into the DF, expect a smooth run. You CAN DF t5. You DC mid-dungeon, more than likely they will wait for you to return.

- Hardly any RMT. I may get a tell (sadly, in EN) maybe once every 3 months.

- The market is weak. It’s a buyers’ market. Prices are really low compared to any NA/EU server I’ve been on. You CAN make gil, just be prepared to work for it.

- A new player may be completely outfitted with crafted gear made by FC members. XD We’ve had to divvy up who makes what gear since we’re all offering to make things. But not just newbies! Even at higher levels, help is offered. :) (eta: But please do not take advantage of our members' generosity; remember to help yourself too!)

- I like player run events. :3 We’ve had planned events and parties and lots of spontaneous silliness. We like trying dungeon runs with non-standard pre-mades. I’ve gone around and screenshotted every FC member for our forums. :) Things like that.

What is it about Atomos and Harmonium? I dunno. People stay. People have left and come back. People have suggested this server and FC to their friends who make alts or transfer in. Mind you, it’s not all sunshine and roses. :) We have our ups and downs of course, like any group. Sometimes we have 40 people online at once, sometimes we have 14. I’ve been told this FC makes the game so much better. I’ve been told it’s like the tv show, Cheers. xD

Before transferring to any new server, I strongly suggest you make an alt and check it out for a while first. Expect some culture shock (every server’s culture is different, some more than others).

(reposted from another of my blog entries)

I LOVE getting new transfers to Atomos server, I really do! I love helping folks out and welcoming them to our warm community and (possibly) unique corner of the game. ^^ It's great that people have heard of us (through whatever channels), but PLEASE for the love of pete...

MAKE AN ALT FIRST TO CHECK THINGS OUT!! (this is true of any new server)

I've posted before about what to expect from Harmonium FC and Atomos server (http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest.../blog/1288073/), I hope people will at least skim it. Having alts on a variety of servers, I still call Atomos my home for a reason, BUT I acknowledge that it may seem quite the culture shock to anyone used to a NA/EU server (I'll sort of include Tonberry in this group cause Australians.)

Like any server/FC/LS, you get out what you put in. :) No, no, wait... this is a good thing! It doesn't actually take that much effort to get so much out of the game. Added benefit, I would say. :) Be friendly, be patient. Those traits will get you SO far (anywhere)!

I hate to add this, but I should be up front...Harmonium is one of the bigger FCs on Atomos; the other English FCs are... not. If you join a different FC, it may seem REALLY quiet. HARM tries to use the English LS as much as we can... but honestly, we default to our FC chat. Even in HARM, it can get quiet. We have about 50-60 active currently but are lucky to see 20 online at once. So many time zones! It's damn cool to have people from all over the globe! ^^ But yeah, they don't all play at the same time. XD

Can i join your FC? I'm new to this game and i didn't know anyone yet...

Yep! Sorry I just saw your comment now. ^^; I'll look for you in game. :)

eta: Or you can do a player search for my name or just a blank search for all English client players and contact anyone that has <<HARM>> as their FC. :)

When checking out a new server and FC, I suggest a week as a good stretch of time to get to know people and their schedules. If you log in one day when people are super silly or maybe sad over something or pretty much just quiet and keeping to themselves, that does not give you an overview; it just gives you a snapshot of 'right then' in that FC. I'll allow that it will color your judgment for the future. We're human, can't avoid that. But being patient and checking out a new home for at least a handful of days will reward you with a better idea of whether they are right for you and may be just what you are looking for in a FC. ^^

Harmonium has had a great wave of immigration over the past few months that quickly made us the largest FC on Atomos server. Most of these folks come because of my blog posts or posts on the OF mentioning the culture of Harmonium as being a sort of relaxed haven from the assholes found elsewhere. (This is still the case! ^^v) I posted an "about us" to the OF, my blog, and our FC forums, as well as posted the link to one of these on some threads about bad experiences with other FCs/the DF/etc.

What confuses me is that some folks get to Harmonium, LOVE the community, and then start complaining about lack of endgame/hardcore activities. I've alluded to and even clearly stated that this is the case in the "about us". We are a collection of casuals in that many of us play a lot, but aren't focused on progression. We do whatever seems fun to us at the time. We do EVERYTHING in this game (minus Savage coil), but we aren't organized about it.

Harmonium is like going on vacation. You spend your time with people you want to spend time with doing fun, relaxing things. (Anyone who does fast paced, adventure vacations [hardcore players] aren't our target audience.)

For those who want no-hate endgame parties, we actually can offer that. But you will have to WORK for it. For a variety of reasons (mostly time zone and schedule), we don't speak statics. Hell, we don't even speak regular and organized. If anyone wants to create something like a static in Harm, you will have to do it on your own. All it takes is someone saying T6 practice, Wednesday at 9pm EST and then people who say they want to go need to actually show up. Sad to say, this has never happened. We HAVE had a t5 practice party that had a game of chicken to see who could get closest to Twin. (A bard won. He said he was delivering pizza. xD)

Point is... Don't come to Harm wanting all the warm fuzzies we offer, knowing there's a trade off, while deep down expecting hardcore raiding.

A quick update since it's been a while... xD
We've gotten a number of awesome people in our FC over the past few months! Folks are farming SCoB now and learning FCoB. Some people love farming EX primals for weapons and what have you. (wish I was one of them! XD )
Most of all, we are still very much a chill, welcoming FC. Now with more people!! :o

Hi Harmonium Guild,
I've just started playing FF XIV and get attracted by your post while looking for a server to join.

Would you mind letting me to join your guild? (I still don't know where to search for FC in FFXIV yet)

Platform: PS4
My IGN: Ash Crimson (This is also my real english name)
Job wanna be: Ninja
Time Zone: GMT+7 (I'm from Vietnam)

Due my work time, i'm active around 6PM to 0AM on weekday and almost full day on weekend so i consider myself as a casual player.

Thank you very much.

P/S: Sorry if i spammed in your guild box. I still dont know how to contact any of your officer in game. =.="

Hi Ash!

Apologies for missing this comment until now! _(_ _)_ You're welcome to join; just submit an application to the FC if you haven't already. An officer will accept when they see the request. :)

Hi Valia, I'm glad that you allowed me to be part of Harmonium FC ^_^. But still, at which level and how can i apply to join your FC ? Because FFXIV doesn't have FC finder system, does it? Or do i have to complete more story quest to unlock that system? :(

Oh yeah, here is my PSN ID: Ash-1007. Too bad that i chose to play FF XIV on PS4 over PC because it's so hard to type any chat text (even thou i bought a portable bluetooth keyboard for PS4). >.>

You can join a FC at any level.

What I suggest to anyone looking to join our FC is to perform a blank player search (no name input). For most who are looking to join Harmonium, the default is E (for English) which shortens the resulting list drastically. Select a character who has the HARM tag from the list and either right-click or square button to pull up a list of options. One is View Free Company. From there, you can submit an application.

While a bit of a long winded explanation, this is the fastest way to find us and submit an app.

You can also target a nearby player with the HARM tag, rt click/square to view their user info, view FC, and submit application. Of course, this requires someone from the FC to be in your area.

Quote:

---

Too bad that i chose to play FF XIV on PS4 over PC because it's so hard to type any chat text (even thou i bought a portable bluetooth keyboard for PS4). >.>

---

We have a high percentage of console gamers. Do what the rest of us did and get a usb keyboard. ^^

In light of recent events, there is something I want to make absolutely clear

HARMONIUM FC HAS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY ON CHEATING

This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Gil buying
Botting
Hacking

This game is easy enough, guys. No need to hurry. ^^v

Hi there!

I'm pretty new to this game. (An 31337 vet of 1 day!)

But today I nearly starved to death before reaching lvl 15, tearing myself away from the screen, and crawling to the cafeteria for emergency morsels. FF:XIV is a blast, and the fact I wasn't expecting it to be makes it even more fun.

I kinda just rolled a random server without giving any thought to the populations, and after reading through your various observations regarding server choice, I'm now taken with your conception of Harmonium and life on Atomos. Once fate gives me the server-is-open wink, I'll surely be making a character there to test the waters.

And certainly, I'm keen to see what you folks are like! ^-^

I do have a lot going on in life. And I'm basically some rando from teh inturnetz who warrants little expectation. But I also have a good feeling about this game, and it'd be awesome to find a friendly community to share time with and do silly things.

I'll try and get in touch. =)

Sounds awesome, Nepthys! :D You're welcome to come hang out, anytime. ^^

A quick update:
We now have a website for our FC!
http://harmoniumatomos.enjin.com/home

<Please check it!>

All applications now need to go through the website. It's a brief questionnaire and one of us is probably online at all times for review. If you are on server already and waiting for acceptance, feel free to request an invite to the English linkshell.

Hi! Is Harmonium still around? I'm thinking about starting another character once I get Heavensward in a Japanese server so I can practice the language, but I'm not confident enough to only speak Japanese haha. Thanks! n_n

Yes, we're definitely still around! Come check us out any time.

Hello y'all, we wanna bring an announcement regarding those interested in joining Harmonium.

We're closing recruitment to Harmonium beginning July 9 at midnight EDT with a few exceptions.

That's the tl;dr, but if you want to read more about why we're doing this, I'll let Valia explain below:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Valia Rosa

Hey Everyone,

After some discussion, the HARM officer team has decided to close the FC to new applications, with a couple exceptions.

The exceptions:

1. Friends & family. No matter what, we will never exclude those you know from joining you.

2. (tentative) Level 50 existing characters that want to transfer to Atomos with the express purpose of joining our FC.
Why allow these only?
They are already vested in the game by that point.
They are already clued in to how the game works.
They have seen our policies and info on the server culture and still want to join us. (reduces complaints about how everyone speaks JP, for example)

It may seem a bit harsh, but the officer & mentor staff are overloaded trying to help (much less keep up with) all the new members that have joined in the past handful of weeks. Just in the past week alone, we have gotten about a dozen new members (and this is excluding those I've encountered personally who choose not to put in an application). While I have recruited Rumi as full-fledged officer and will be adding more support staff soon, expanding the number of officers will not resolve the main issue.

The main issue is that some members are starting to express concerns that the FC has gotten too big.

The upside to having a large, active FC is that it is very lively. We've gotten some GREAT people lately, new and veteran players alike, that I'm so happy have joined us! (Trust me, you have no idea how happy I am about this... I could hug you all!! ^^ )

The downside however is a big deal. Folks are starting to feel ignored, unknown and lost amongst the masses. I've run this FC, no matter the population, like a small FC. I watch FC chat like a hawk for requests for assistance, answered questions on how to do stuff, resolved conflicts, and love getting tells about players' progress in game. I care about every member and have always tried to spend time with each one. With the steady population increase, especially the explosive increase we've had lately, I can no longer keep up with this. I've talked with the other officers and, frankly, no one can. (I hear "I don't know how you do it" a LOT.)

Harmonium is an interesting case, which we've alluded to in our About Us on the front page. We are an island of sorts on Atomos server. EN speakers are few (as in those playing with the E client), but nearly all of them are in our FC. Being linked by a common language is what keeps us together. All of our playstyles vary drastically and, even having many skilled raiders, we are very much a casual FC in that we let folks just do what they want in game.

We have a warm, friendly, welcoming community and I think we all want to keep it this way. No one wants to feel left out or that they've "slipped through the cracks".

We also don't want to force the most helpful in our FC to spend all of their game time on other players' requests. It's their game too! Burn out is something I am hypervigilant about. We've lost good players due to this in the past and I never want to see it in others. We do not have enough veteran players with comprehensive knowledge of the game, play time, and willingness to give up a large portion of their play time to others to keep pace with the number of new players we've gotten.

That all being said, we will be closing Harmonium FC to new applicants effective July 9, 2015 at midnight EDT. This closure will be in place indefinitely.

-----

What about alts of existing members?

You're welcome to have alts. If you haven't already, put in an application so these can be added.

Will you be updating the application, About Us, forum posts, that one blog post, etc.?

Yes, these will all be updated within a few days.

You usually encourage people to make alts to check us out before transferring; what about them?

I do encourage a trial period, especially for those coming from NA servers since there may be a bit of "culture shock". The application will be adjusted to allow applicants to list the name of their main character and that they intend to make a new character to check us out before transferring. I'll see about making a new trial rank for these if warranted.

I'm not yet level 50 but really, really want to join you guys!!

I'm not going to be completely hard-nosed about this. As long as you are past your free month, near level 50, and otherwise fit the exception 2 requirements, pm me. I'll take this on a case by case basis.

---

Ladies and gentlemen.

It is with great pleasure and much emotion that I am here to inform you that, yes, we have unlocked the doors to harmonium once again!

Not only will our members now be free to step outside the guild house they were locked within for over a year, wash themselves and shave the areas where hair has grown or simply glued it self to them...

But YOU, yes YOU, may join this elite group of hard boiled adventurers once again.

I say, are you interested in adventures?

Have you been seeking fellow blade users or magic shouters to take on a horde of lady bugs?

Maybe you have been lost within the crystal tower for the last year, desperately waiting for a group of adventurers to queue up for sweet sweet liberation.

Do you like sausages?

Well, you have found your support group my friend.

Harmonium, we are here to help those in need and save Eorzea from the evils that lurk within.

<edit>

Nevermind, ran into Sara yesterday.

Hey guys. I'm new to ff14, lvl 36 bard and looking for a guild,are you guy's still recruiting? My friend Ashe Freljord also is looking for a guild so if you could message one of us IGN or give us a link to fill out an application that'd be great :D

message us IG , our in game names are Kami Ebbnflow and Ashe Freljord :D

Hey there, just checking if there are still players active in this FC. Returned to game after almost 2 years, not sure if my FC is still active.

Is this FC still active / taking new memebers?

Hello!
I just left a message in your FC book about joining your FC, if possible. I'll check out application.

Hello all,

Yes, we're still active, but are smaller than we once were. I've only just returned recently (again) and am not sure who to contact about joining. You might try Sara Goldmoon; she's on pretty much every day.

Just to let you know, Harmonium (HARM) is open for recruiting. We've got a pretty strong SEA/OCE contingent and a small, but dedicated, NA group, with some people scattered around various other regions.

We're a rank 30 FC with all the bells and whistles that's been on Atomos since the beginning. I've been with the FC since starting the game in 2014 and wouldn't consider being anywhere else! If you're looking for a friendly and helpful group, send me a message:

Il'lmaeran Quel'lar or Trachenwyda Blaesfydd

Time for another shameless plug. Harmonium is still accepting applications!