Think Ishgard will have its own Grand Company, or be a starter City-State?

Both are interesting questions to consider, I think.

To the first, I honestly don't foresee Ishgard getting a new Grand Company. Much as I like the idea, I'm just not sure how it would fit into the overall story, especially since how the post-2.0 Story has been... "changing" some things, in regards to Grand Companies. If anything, part of me wonders if, in the distant future, they might remove Grand Companies entirely... although I'm wouldn't be *shocked* if we saw a new Grand Company.

As far as being a new starting City-State, I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I genuinely believe so. Ishgard may be a high-level area, but I would bet money that there will be a single zone dedicated to freshly-created characters. I'll take it a step further, and say that it will be a Doman refugee-camp, and that it will only take you to level 15, at which point you're sent to other existing areas to level (for the sake of the Main Scenario for new players wishing to play the new Jobs, but without creating an entirely separate Story).

But hey, what do YOU guys think?

I don't think either are likely. I'd be very surprised if you could start in Ishgard. I don't actually expect that any of the new jobs will be available for new characters.

i don't think it'll have its own grand company unless it's completely separate from the others ones, as they'd have to redo Frontlines. Again.

Maybe instead of free companies we can join one of the four major houses of Ishgard in some way...

It will most likely be like Jueno was in FFXI. A new area and a hub for interactions but otherwise not a type of state that we can pledge allegiance to, or build a home at, or start our game out at. I'm pretty sure they have said this but it might have been indirectly. It would be nice but I don't think it will be, at least not right away, Maybe after a patch or two or 4.0. With any luck we might be able to access an Inn room though!

The answer is no. For now but could change a long ways down. It would require a complete rehaul of frontlines. That, and you cannot even get to ishgard without buying the expansion. Also I Sheard Is Still Weary Of outsiders. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't want them in thier military ranks for now. Again might change but not for a good long while if at all.

i would say possibly for the GC, but no for the starter city regardless of what patch we are on you will have to get to the heavenward content to come to ishgaurd, and it wouldn't make sense in the story if they claimed it to be impenitable or unable to visit us if we can waltz right into the centre of it :3

Well, Yoshi-P said that as soon as you register Heavensward, you'll be able to play the Dark Knight. To me, that implies new players, as well. You won't be able to play a Dark Knight without the expansion, thus wouldn't be able to start in Ishgard, either.

The alternative is... what, assign the new Jobs to existing City-States? I could see Machinist fitting in with Ul'dah or Limsa Lominsa, but the other two, I wouldn't imagine so. I know the prevailing theory is that you'll have to be level 50 and travel to Ishgard to acquire the new Jobs, but I honestly think we'd have heard something about that if it were indeed the case. FFXIV is quite a lot different than FFXI -- the fact we're getting a new Race at all proves that -- and I don't see them locking out the new Jobs, which are a major selling-point of the expansion -- from new players.

A personal anecdote was when I purchased FFXI and several of its expansions years ago, I was horrified when I learned I couldn't access the Classes I'd paid for, until I'd already gotten high enough level to unlock them. I quickly lost interest with the game, and I often wonder if those Classes had been immediately playable, if I might have stuck with it longer.

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Originally Posted by Terin

Well, Yoshi-P said that as soon as you register Heavensward, you'll be able to play the Dark Knight. To me, that implies new players, as well. You won't be able to play a Dark Knight without the expansion, thus wouldn't be able to start in Ishgard, either.

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I don't think Ishgard will be a starting City, and it's also possible that the new jobs will be like the ROG/NIN and you have to be lvl 10 at least to unlock them.

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Originally Posted by Terin

Well, Yoshi-P said that as soon as you register Heavensward, you'll be able to play the Dark Knight.

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He also said "Maybe" repeatedly after that. I watched the London fanfest as well.

wasn't something said about joining one of the four great houses in the first "big" reveal for Heavensward..? I'd look it up but you know ... lazy.

I'd like to see them as a new GC, to fill in as free agents for frontlines.

Honestly I would love it if Ishgard became a possible home base for you after getting the jobs, but find a Jueno like scenario more likely, since right now you are find as many players circling Mor Dhona as you do the three city-states.

We have a better chance of the Crystal Braves becoming a proper GC.

Ishgard also employs a unique military system compared to the others, with the Holy Knights doing basically everything the other's GCs do. But, since Ishgard has the four high houses, and the city is core of Heavensward, maybe the option of aligning to one for future gear, story, and PVP has some merit.

I'm really hoping Coerthas opens for some player housing, though!

Some form of monster play (similar to LOTRO) would be fun (doubt it would happen tho:P) Where you can sign up as on the side of Ishgard or Dravanians and on Dravanian side you get put as one of the Dravanian races instead :) Or even like LOTRO create a Dravanian "monster" to use when you sign up for it.

http://lotro-wiki.com/index.php/Monster_Play

I'm actually impressed by how often this question gets asked on a weekly basis...

I believe there would be a GC, and I hope they would raise the ranks a little. As for city starter, new players don't usually get the expansion with main game nor it might be available in the market. Same city starters will pertain.

Considering the great scorn shown towards adventurers and foreigners alike in Coerthas's quests, it'd be pretty absurd for Ishgard to enstablish an adventurer's guild within its walls (and thus become a starting city). The Holy See is their leader, and frankly I can't imagine his figure bowing down to forming a Grand Company, as there really isn't a necessity in Ishgard. The Grand Companies were enstablished to gather intel, military power and supplies under a common banner for each city-state. The Holy See can already have all that in his hands just by being himself.

As for the Houses, the description of the city in the introductionary slides put a lot of emphasis on the importance of bloodlines, so I doubt we'll get to "join" them. Perhaps a sort of pledge could happen, as servants of sorts, similar to the Mercenary system in the Aht Urhgan expansion of FFXI.

Well if we do get the choice to join one of the four houses, most likely for a Main Scenario reason, our ranks most likely will just be a a type of loyalty system rather than become part of the House we choose.

Basically we startout as a Vassal of "House" and then from there we work our way up to Knight of "House" with the moving up rank being a simple side-content like our GC Ranks.

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Originally Posted by Bluevann

As for the Houses, the description of the city in the introductionary slides put a lot of emphasis on the importance of bloodlines, so I doubt we'll get to "join" them. Perhaps a sort of pledge could happen, as servants of sorts, similar to the Mercenary system in the Aht Urhgan expansion of FFXI.

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This is exactly what I was eluding to, and despite the only way we could literally "join" the house in the sense of bloodlines is marriage (though my headcanons of Haurchefant's feelings aside), it is entirely plausible that we players could become a sort of knight for them, as Aymeric points out that neither he nor Lucia have any sort of noble ties, but are on the two highest seats of the highest level of the Knighthood.

So, apparently commoners and outsiders can become knights and raise through the ranks, even if via extraordinary circumstances.

I don't think they'd make Ishgard a starting city because they'd have to develop a whole new storyline for players starting out there. They'd also have to develop a ton of new low level content in and around Ishgard, because a new player starting out there isn't going to be able to walk to Lower La Noscea just to kill some level 2 ladybugs. At this stage in the game's life, it doesn't make sense to devote such development resources to low level content that most players will have no interest in.