YoshiP's thoughts on GC future and our compiled suggestions

In his recent Dual Shockers interview, YoshiP had this to say about Grand Companies https://www.dualshockers.com/final-f...yoshida-soken/ :

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G: You’re finally implementing the Captain rank for Grand Companies. Is it something you’re considering to accelerate in the future, or we’ll have to wait several more years to get to Major and higher ranks?

NY: We kind of feel that Grand Company content has become a bit too simple, always doing the same thing over and over. I don’t personally like that, so I want to change things a little bit. To change things up is going to require time. We ask players to give us a little bit of time after we implement Captain. Yet, in that time, we’re going to be thinking about something new.

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I think this may be a good time to start compiling as much suggestions about what he can do for the Grand Companies in perhaps this thread. I would ask my fellow forumers to contribute and also, if they know of any threads that had some very good suggestions to link it here. The goal's to create a sort of unified thread so that SE can look at it instead of sifting through forum page after page. Normally, I wouldn't even bother going with this venture as I never know what Yoshi or SE's thinking about...neglected content but since he made the mention, I thought "why not?".

EDIT:

State of the Game: Free and Grand Companies + Campaign and Conquest System - Delmontyb
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...es#post4728304

Let free companies rent or buy factories from Grand Companies - Bacent
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...es#post4478387


I'd thought to organize the ideas into three main headings: Cosmetics, Gameplay and Features. Cosmetics referring to, well, GC aesthetics like for example Rank Titles, Glam ideas, emotes etc.
Gameplay would refer to what sort of activities can be added to GC stuff, like actually adding more guildhests, sidequests, exploration, etc.
Finally, features would be like QoL additions to GC. It can be things like adding jobs for your squadmates (we're currently restricted to classes), promoting or demoting units so they tackle harder missions--and speaking of which--maybe even having the ability to jump in a mission to assist your mates.

Here are my ideas for now. I'll scour the forums during the week for interesting threads regarding GC suggestion/improvements and add links here.

Cosmetics:
-Like I mentioned, wearing our rank titles
-More GC uniforms, for sure and even slapping GC insignas onto selective gear
-Editing your squad's idle animation to your liking
-Barrack editing. It's like housing decoration features.

Gameplay:
-Ability participate in your squadmate missions if you want.
-Sidequests, naturally. Maybe even throw in rep points with squadmates to discover more about them, their history, goals, etc.
-GC actions. This actually might be iffy. On one hand, it sounds cool to be able to execute maybe a GC leader's skill in actual duties. On the other hand, we'd have to contend with possible skill bloat and balancing issues. I'd leave that to the dev team to figure out.

Features:
-Ability to link some GC related activities with your FC. If your FC has picked a GC to ally themselves with, it'd be nice to actually act upon it from time to time.
-Job editing for your squadmates.
-Exercises can be more in-depth and give squadmates additional skills/bonuses

That's all I have for now. If YoshiP's given the GC some actual thought, I think he might be pretty serious about it in the future. Let's give him our 2cents :)

I like all the ideas you mentioned, especially barrack editing and wearing our titles.

I would like if the mission where we rank up with our squadron was a solo instance with some story aspects to it (or something similar to Hullbreaker Hard).

Give us a Final Fantasy Tactics mode where you get to take your whole squad for tactical missions and fight alongside them through story-based scenarios that differ depending on which GC you're in.

Maelstrom? You take on the role of a commander upholding order among the pirates of Limsa, along with inspecting foreign ships for contraband (particularly the slave trade) and the occasional skirmish involving the Sahagin and Kobolds.

Immortal Flames? You take on the role of a commander investigating crime and corruption among the nobility (though obviously not as simple as it sounds, considering just how messed up Ul'dah is), along with the occasional skirmish against the Amaljaa.

Twin Adders? You take on the role of a commander trying to assist the Padjals in upholding the will of the Elementals, investigating poachers and criminals from other regions hiding out in the forests (particularly the Lambs of Dalamud), and the possibility of an expedition to the destroyed West Shroud. Other duties include maintaining relations with Ishgard for joint skirmishes against the Ixial.

Grand Company lore is... Very, very lacking, which is baffling considering how important they are to the game's narrative. This would be a very good way to shore that up.

I imagine the Squadron member limit would also be increased to 10, to account for potential story members joining your squadron.

Introduce a new way of recruiting Squadron-Members: Instead of them applying (randomly) for our Squad, give us the "permission" to recruit people "from the street". I'm thinking of this a bit like the Blitzball-recruit-system of FFX: Have a number of possible recruits all over Eorzea, old NPCs could be utilised for this, aswell as new ones introduced. When speaking to them as a recruiter, you can convince them to join you or not - that could be tied to what you've achieved with your Squad so far, aswell as things like relationships between squad-members (a wildwood elezen joining you not as easly when you have a duskwight in your ranks, for example).
I know this isnt so much about the new rank, but more about the Squads, but I'd really like them to do something more with them - obviously tied to our rank.
As much as I like getting new glamour and gear and so on, I feel that thats very much "just the same" and I would like to see some "fresh wind".

Another idea: Give us more "responsibility" - the GC-ranks always felt pretty weird to me and just like fluff, because its not like we'd actually ever have to do something for them. I didnt touch my Squad in weeks before I sended them out on excatly that one new mission that was needed to rank up.
So my idea would be to give us a weekly mission that we "have" to complete (maybe in order to earn "points" towards earning the next rank?) - that mission can be selected at random and either be done with 3 of your Squad-members or 3 people of your same GC. The missions should include a certain variety - I really like Saitos idea of having missions specifically for your city-state and I would like to adapt it for this. I could see a variety of escort, investigation or plain battle missions - we could also utilise the PvP-maps for this, seeing how the idea once was that the GC are fighting over the information stored there. No PvP obviously, just "Go there, get some data, come back". I would like those missions to be more "exploring" than just a boring "go to the next questmarker, hand this in"-type of thing.

I'd like them to add more squadron recruits. Or perhaps allow us to design one to our liking.

I'd like more things to spend GC seals on. Not just armor and weapons. Maybe some exclusive mounts? Minions that aren't just reskinned mammets and chocobo hatchlings? How about a nice big banner to put in my yard, like the ones outside the Adders' Nest in Gridania?

I would like to have actual content with them. By actual content, I mean a questline. Almost like a mini MSQ. My squad still feels robotic, and they have no personality. I want to interact with them, even if it is only forced in cut scenes.

I think it would be really awesome and incentivizing to give them exclusive instanced content. Currently, they make adjustments to dungeons to make them clearable with a squadron. Instead of doing this, why not design instanced content around the playability of the squad? It would be a great opportunity to create instanced dungeons sending us into Beastmen strongholds, and/or other areas and give them back that element of danger and hostile threat.

Basically, breathe life into the squadrons.

How about work on the AI because the squadron is dumb as F@#$

This is great news... and I like the fact that the Devs are considering adding something different. I just made Captain on Thursday night and I feel I should be able to do more with my eight member squad.

Personally, I hope they add something like FFXI's Campaign system (see image below). Amoung other things (deliveries, escorts, investigate etc), the way it worked was that the basic system allowed players to assist NPCs out in the fields in fighting the beastmen. It was particularly fun when the high level NPCs (the generals or commanders) appeared in the field and helped out (they could be cured as well).

In order to make it unique to FFXIV, I reckon we should be able to go out into the field with our squadrons and actually do real-time battle and take over strategic locations in the name of our respective GCs or countries. Since 5.0 is coming, perhaps there will be a war zone with the Garleans and participating for say 20 or 30 minutes in this warzone will net exp, great rewards, and a new type of point "standing" chart table within Grand Companies.

Heck, maybe even make it competitive whereby people's points could be recorded and every week the top 100 squadrons in each GC gets a special piece of loot or boon or something.

Or go on timed supply missions, say, from Gridania to Ala Mhigo... faster times with high numbers of mob kills gives extra bonuses, rare loot, crafting items etc. Real good rewards that will keep people engaged.


https://i.imgur.com/5hYExLH.jpg

I would like to see some type of sidequest. Stuff to make us feel like we are contributing to the gc. And of course more rewards to spend deals on is nice :)

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Originally Posted by MarniDawg

I would like to see some type of sidequest. Stuff to make us feel like we are contributing to the gc. And of course more rewards to spend deals on is nice :)

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Yes, actual side missions or even personal tales related to your squadron will be a great touch.

Perhaps even introduce very powerful NPCs who will join your squadron after helping them with their quests etc, or after attaining a certain amount of GC points --- ahhhh, that will be yet another fun thing to do: being able to purchase powerful NPCs (with seals? GC points?) to join your squad after completing certain conditions.

To echo above, I would like to have some sidequest stories involving our personal squad. Give them some personality. Personal squad stuff should continued to be developed (more dungeons, ect) Personalizing the look of your barracks, or perhaps upgrading to befit your station.

Now while I want more personal squad stuff to be developed, now that we're captains, officers of said rank typically are the head of a company of soldiers, which is around 100, give or take. Now that'd be a bit hard, so maybe something like being in charge of an alliance worth of soldiers? I'd like side missions that are instances that take place in areas in the world. The instance has several objectives that need to be completed in different areas in the map. Now while you and your personal squad are doing stuff, other stuff is happening at the same time, and it will be impossible to by yourself and not fail. So before the instance begins, you assign pre-built groups under your command to certain objectives (it would be really cool if said prebuilt groups are actually other player's squads but that might be hard to implement). Unlike your personal squads, you don't get to deck them out (though maybe it'd be cool to have some sort of custom divisional logo you could make that they'd have on their armor somehwere...and maybe hoist a GC banner with the divisional logo on it somewhere at the victory screen) These squads go and do what they're ordered to at the start of a mission (capture a resource, protect the base camp, attack an enemy captain, stuff like that. Once a set of objectives are done, you issue more orders for your other squads to do, with various risk vs. rewards. Now if one of your squads you're not with get in trouble, you got two options. Either you can either have your personal squad hold the line on whatever objective you're dealing with and go help the other squad personally, hopefully making it back before your personal squad falls. Or you use a some sort of "Order" to give that squad a boost (some healing, maybe buffs to attack, def). Thing is you can only do that so many times a mission, and it might not be a guarantee if things are going particularly south for them.

At the end, you all get together to deal with a big bad. If you managed to keep your squads alive, it won't be too difficult to deal with. If you didn't, it's going to be a lot harder depending how may you lost. Rewards are given based on objects completed, squads left alive, and maybe other factors.

Yes indeed, my thoughts exactly... these side quests will help to give depth to our squadrons... afterall, they are supposed to be an advanced version of our Companions from 1.0.

For instance, in FFXI Campaign, there was an NPC named Duke Valaineral R Davilles, an Elvaan from San'doria. His job class was Paladin (always seen in PLD AF version two gear) and he was quite powerful whenever he appeared on the battle field. Hands down one of my favourite of the Campaign Generals in all three nations.

Later on, through dialogues and the Vana'diel newspaper, we eventually found out he's the cousin to King Destin and his supporters amoung the nobility actually tried to convince him to make a claim for the throne when the previous King died (due to his popularity with the masses).

However, his loyalty to his cousin was something he considered as a matter of honor and he publicly refused the throne then declared full allegiance to Destin. He remained quite popular with the player base and when the "Trust" system was developed (FFXI's Companion system), he was an obvious choice for tanking--I think him and Elvaan Female Arch Angel were one of the best back then, dunno about now.

So yeah, I personally love those kinds of backstories to characters and this is definitively something that the GC squadron system can explore.

I would like cosmetic changes. Introducing shoulder epaulets with our rank on it would be neat. The rank symbols are already in the shape of a shoulder epaulet, they just aren't integrated on any of the GC gear.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/qr2Wq.jpg
Or a rank emblem that can be put on the armor itself.

Also, given the MSQ, the Alliance is almost made up of 6 nations now. Shouldn't we get 3 new Grand Companies now? Ala Mhigo, Ishgard and Doma?

It's been over a year since I remember Maelstrom, Flames or Twin Adder having anything to do with the story, or even the game. I still visit my GC everyday since I'm the seals are the best way for be to get ventures, but it feels a bit awkward reporting in to the Maelstrom when they don't matter anymore and I'm more interested in rebuilding the Doman Enclave.

Also a problem I've encountered is that it's not worth sending my squad on mission anymore since I've maxed out my crafting jobs, it's vastly more expensive for me to turn in equipment for seals, and it costs like 3000 seals to send them on a mission.
This has made assembling my squadron a waste of time for me since they are max level and I can't really get any positive use out of them. Any of the gear/weapons/tools I'd turn in would be worth about 100,000-150,000 gil in total to get enough seals to send them on a mission to fetch 10 aethernet passes, assuming they succeed on the first try. It's much cheaper, but much slower to earn seals by just turning in gathering mats, and I use those seals to get ventures anyway.

If they are going to insist on keeping the Grand Companies and not get rid of them, they need to make more engaging content for it.

As an aside, one good thing I want to say, command missions with your npc's is actually pretty decent exp. So big thumbs up on that.

1. The stale NPC squadrons. They went through all the trouble of giving the NPC's a custom look and portrait and base class. But at no point did they give them any kind of interesting lore or backstory. You have a ninja butler, an au ra in a pirate outfit, an Elezen in a reindeer outfit, and a lalafell marauder in a snowman costume. THESE NPC'S ARE BEGGING FOR MORE BACKSTORY! As are the others. This actually could have had an interesting setup, with the Alliance currently going strong, imagine adding some extra side quests where you take your squadron through some of it? Or add some easter eggs, like if your GC is in a battle, have some of the NPC's from the player squadron accompany you or be seen fighting in the background. Also let us name our squadron!

2. The lack of GC context in the world. Aside from the leves and certain things in the surrounding area, we see very little of our GC's doing anything. Give us more agency! I know there are certain quests where NPC's acknowledge other quests we've done. How about something like that for our GC's? Also in the main storyline and with the entire concept of freelancer in PVP, they're becoming more and more redundant and pointless with each patch.

3. GC ranks and how little they mean. Can we please have the GC ranks as a display title for our characters? Also, adding to the above about context, how about lower ranked NPC's will salute us when we're higher rank than them on occasion?

4. More rank rewards. More than just coats and weapons please. The old GC uniform with the oven mitts, jacket, and hat are ugly. How about we give the old NPC's a wardrobe upgrade? With a lot of the new mounts added, how about more unique GC mounts? The company chocobo and special bardings were a nice touch but the system needs more.

5. No quest chains. In FFXI each nation had it's own particular storyline addressing a major issue within the country itself and in some cases showed some pretty dark stuff and fleshed out the history of the world. I was a proud Elvaan of San D'oria and the storyline for that country always stuck with me all these years later because the lore reveals surrounding it were absolutely incredible. Sure, a one and done quest chain may not seem like much. But if you do the story and writing well? You can create something memorable and encourage some actual GC/faction pride. Something else that was sorely lacking.

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Originally Posted by Edax

I would like cosmetic changes. Introducing shoulder epaulets with our rank on it would be neat. The rank symbols are already in the shape of a shoulder epaulet, they just aren't integrated on any of the GC gear.
https://i.stack.imgur.com/qr2Wq.jpg
Or a rank emblem that can be put on the armor itself.

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You know, I suggested something similar first for the FCs and later the GCs on the forums ages ago and even drew a couple sketches... right HERE

At the time, I was suggesting that the Free Company logo or coat of arms should be displayed on our shoulder or as part of our tabards. Then a while later, the discussion began to lean towards making the Grand Company insignia's show prominently on our armour as we advanced in rank. Lemme re-post some of those images...

https://i.imgur.com/mhFcX2T.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W5xo5EG.jpg

GC "ultimate" features:

-Squadron access to Jobs
-Squadron Fantasia
-Gambit system for Squadron ala FF12
-Ability to deploy more than 3 with you for harder content
-New paths in old dungeons that lead to Burning Circles you can enter with your Squadron to fight powerful new bosses, for Squadron-specific gear and other prizes
-Squadron Atma: Similar to Atma in FFXI, boosts you can set on Squadron members to make them significantly stronger; Atma earned through GC challenges / Squadron dungeons
-Skirmish mode where you can send your gambit-controlled Squadron up against other Squadrons in PVP to see who wins. During this play mode, Squad members have a chance to unlock the ability to call your character onto the battlefield to do super powerful attacks or heals, like a striker in a fighting game. Players would not actually get to manually control any character in this mode but could switch between character viewpoints, and very basic commands to the AI.
-PVE GC challenges using the above rules, where your skill at crafting gambits against environmental opposition, likely Guild leve type content with minibosses and FATE bosses and Notorious Monsters thrown in, where Atma can be won for clearing select or obscure / secret objectives.
-Brand new highly dangerous beastmen zones for your squadron to do sneaking/spying/sabotage missions in, sort of like Assault from FFXI.

Mini-game turn based simulation like FF tactics with our recruit is what I'm hoping.
Also increase our roaster would be nice,just 2 more is fine.

As someone who never played 1.0, it makes no sense why the Warrior of Light has to enlist in a Grand Company (I have no idea if 1.0 explained it better).

Even worse, it makes no sense on why we continue to remain listed. Considering we do nothing for the GC after investigating the downed airship on our first day, we should have long since been discharged for dereliction of duty. Our interactions with the GCs are always as members of the Scions, not as a member of a GC. Most of the time if we're talking to our own GC they don't even acknowledge us as an officer. We fought against our GC in the Grand Melee instead of fighting for it. We don't report back to our GC to share intelligence about things we've learned in our travels (intelligence gathering would have been a valid reason to allow us to devote so much time to the Scions instead of the GC).

It makes no sense for the Warrior of Light to be part of a GC at this point.

If they want to start making more GC related content, the first step should be to make the Warrior of Light's enlistment relevant to the MSQ. Or they should rework the MSQ to remove the requirement to join one. Leave GC content in, of course, but leave it so the player joins as an option outside the MSQ.

We are basically freelance mercenaries for the GCs, which is also essentially why we can change between the three pretty easily. We also are among the few in Eorzea who can fight Primals without worrying about being tempered AND being able to win. Beating Ifrit was a big deal if you remember from all the way back at lvl 20 when they wanted us to first join.

Meanwhile as of the higher ranks we now also have our own squadron, who only really don't do to much because of game limitations, the ones under our command could easily be helping out on the frontlines during say the Ala Mhigo instance in the background.

But yeah, we are a mercenary basically.

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Originally Posted by Kahnom

Mini-game turn based simulation like FF tactics with our recruit is what I'm hoping.

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Last time they tried a tactical mini-game, we got Lord of Verminion. Be careful what you wish for.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

Last time they tried a tactical mini-game, we got Lord of Verminion. Be careful what you wish for.

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Lord of Verminion isn't a tactical mini-game, it's a MOBA/RTS mode that literally nobody asked for.

When we mean FF Tactics, we actually mean something like FF Tactics, a grid turn-based mode.

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

As someone who never played 1.0, it makes no sense why the Warrior of Light has to enlist in a Grand Company (I have no idea if 1.0 explained it better)

-Snip-.

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To understand the whole essence of the Grand Companies, you'd have had to understand the lore of the game and also the history of the implementation of the leves system. The leve system itself was always a foundation of the game since 1.0, and the premise was such that players, both hard-core and casuals, could log in, complete them within 20-30 minutes and gain experience points, materials etc.

The NPC squandron system that we now have in GCs is also a revamped and advanced version of the Companion system from 1.0, where we all had one companion that assisted in in battles etc. In actual context, the idea and concept of the Grand Companies date back to hundreds of years during the various Astral/Umbral eras in Eorzea and is part and parcel of Hydaelyn's history. If the WoL was not a part of them then his or her story falls apart at the very seams.

Direct quote from the official lore on Grand Companies:

For thousands of years, Eorzea has been victim to a catastrophic cycle of destruction and rebirth that periodically envelops the realm and threatens all who live upon her soil; each time faced with a tragedy seemingly worse than the last, however, the peoples of Eorzea have found some way to persevere. One method, seemingly going back hundreds of generations, has been the establishment of comprehensive command centers which combine the military, economic, and technological resources of a city-state in order to better prepare it for the coming doom. These are the Grand Companies of Eorzea.

The last recorded emergence of the Grand Companies was nearly 1,500 years ago, at the end of the Fifth Astral Era and the arrival of the great deluge which triggered the dark period known as the Sixth Umbral Era. It was through these companies that the then warring city-states were able to put aside their bitter differences and join together to form an alliance and ensure the realm survived."

Here's my 2gil;

Add the Gambit System for Squadrons to fix their utterly worthless AI. Farming Gambits would be far more interesting than the "You finished a mission so now they get a straight up stat buff to make up for their worthless AI!" system we currently have... If nothing else, can we have some new folk in the preselected faces we can recruit? The same 60 characters since this content was released... It's about time for some new people to want to be recruited...

Rework Squadrons so the characters are truly random, not semi-random from a select list. Perhaps add random base stats on top so you can see a new recruit and go "This guy is perfect for X", rather than the current "Nope"*infinity I imagine people currently go through trying to get that one specific character they like...

Rework Squadron Missions so that there is a risk of characters falling in the line of duty. How high that risk IDK, but it would be nice to actually bother looking at new recruits again... Surely the whole idea here is that we're managing a squadron, no? I don't really feel like I'm doing that right now... They're just there and I send them out every day to do glorified Retainer Ventures... Doing the training to rework their stats was the closest we ever got to managing them but that's not even really required at all, the Lv50 missions come close but you can still just power through coinflips to get your fake grade 3 FC buff...

Add in a reworked Hamlet Defense to the game as "endgame" Grand Company content. Cut out the Crafting/Gathering aspect (although please rework that into something else) and instead put in Squadrons. A party of, lets say 4 players + a selection of their Squadrons. The goal would be to manage your Squadrons to clear side objectives while you and the other real people focus on dealing with the main stuff and backing up the Squadrons when needed. Perhaps schedule it similar to something like the Gold Saucer Glamour thing, so we have a set day when Hamlet Defense opens up, and the rest of the week to prepare/etc.

The current Squadron Missions can also be involved in this new Hamlet Defense, with players sending their squad off to scout/weaken the enemy/retrieve supplies/etc. which could have an impact on the type of battle that eventually plays out when Hamlet Defense spawns. Perhaps failure, rather than resulting in death, could result in a squadron member being captured, opening up a new mission to go save them. Maybe even make such missions instances rather than Ventures...

Slap Primals in Hamlet Defense and add the risk of your Squadron being Tempered and oh boy. Make me weep for losing my perfect Red Scrip farming boi please. Am I fixated on having my Squadron die? Maybe, but it's hard to grow attached to them if there is no risk of losing them...

Command Missions rewards need a rethink... IDK what the point in this content even is currently... Perhaps I just have terrible luck, but every time I've done it and had Chemistry effects trigger, it has been a most pathetic reward... Finishing a dungeon I can solo much faster and for more GC seals, to get 1 Red Scrip? Are you joking? I suppose Command Missions would be useful for levelling the Squad up fast, but yeah... Don't have much reason to swap them out or even change their classes, so...

Cosmetics:

- I want to be able to change my squadrons hair, and makeup.

Gameplay:

- Job Stones. I want to be able to upgrade classes, and make my squadron into advanced jobs that came after a realm reborn.

- Adjust dungeons so that they can be done a lot easier. Doing Brayfox’s Longstop HM, and Wanderers Palace HM is impossible on Astrologian. You don’t get your aoe until after level 50, and your attacks are too slow to cast.

Features:

- The ability to take Squadron members into the open world as companions. It would allow us to solo old fates, and other content.

- The ability to name your Squadron. I’ve put a lot of love into mine, and would like to give it a name.

I'd love to see more with the Grand Companies and thanks for linking to my thread for Conquest... I'd love that system in this game. :)

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Originally Posted by SaitoHikari

When we mean FF Tactics, we actually mean something like FF Tactics, a grid turn-based mode.

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Question : What would be the reward ?

That's the main problem of this game. If an alternate content doesn't offer anything significant to boost your character, the content will simply die. Glamours, minions and mount alone can't really keep something alive for long. And creating a Tactical system just be to used once or twice during specifics quests is not very efficient.

Would love to do old extreme/savage content with them not just dungeon running.

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Originally Posted by Ramesses

To understand the whole essence of the Grand Companies, you'd have had to understand the lore of the game and also the history of the implementation of the leves system. The leve system itself was always a foundation of the game since 1.0, and the premise was such that players, both hard-core and casuals, could log in, complete them within 20-30 minutes and gain experience points, materials etc.

The NPC squandron system that we now have in GCs is also a revamped and advanced version of the Companion system from 1.0, where we all had one companion that assisted in in battles etc. In actual context, the idea and concept of the Grand Companies date back to hundreds of years during the various Astral/Umbral eras in Eorzea and is part and parcel of Hydaelyn's history. If the WoL was not a part of them then his or her story falls apart at the very seams.

Direct quote from the official lore on Grand Companies:

For thousands of years, Eorzea has been victim to a catastrophic cycle of destruction and rebirth that periodically envelops the realm and threatens all who live upon her soil; each time faced with a tragedy seemingly worse than the last, however, the peoples of Eorzea have found some way to persevere. One method, seemingly going back hundreds of generations, has been the establishment of comprehensive command centers which combine the military, economic, and technological resources of a city-state in order to better prepare it for the coming doom. These are the Grand Companies of Eorzea.

The last recorded emergence of the Grand Companies was nearly 1,500 years ago, at the end of the Fifth Astral Era and the arrival of the great deluge which triggered the dark period known as the Sixth Umbral Era. It was through these companies that the then warring city-states were able to put aside their bitter differences and join together to form an alliance and ensure the realm survived."

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None of what you quoted explains why the Warrior of Light must be a member of a Grand Company. It only explains what the GCs are (which is fine, they're still a part of the lore).

Nothing I do as the Warrior of Light in the MSQ has anything to do with being part of a Grand Company outside of that one segment after defeating Ifrit and even then, rescuing Biggs and Wedge could have been accomplished without GC affiliation considering as soon as we're done we head to back to the Waking Sands just to discover that they fell under Scion jurisdiction in the first place. Beyond that point, GCs might as well be one of the beast tribes considering the extent of our involvement with them.

As I said, it might make sense to someone who played in 1.0 but that content was abandoned and removed from the game. To someone who has only played from 2.0 on, it makes no sense. I would like SE to do something that causes it to make sense.

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Originally Posted by Reynhart

That's the main problem of this game. If an alternate content doesn't offer anything significant to boost your character, the content will simply die. Glamours, minions and mount alone can't really keep something alive for long. And creating a Tactical system just be to used once or twice during specifics quests is not very efficient.

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Not that I disagree (I'd kill for some horizontal gear progression in this game), but something like Treasure Maps seems perfectly fine as is offering fairly little in terms of rewards. Any potential Grand Company content could have a similar reward structure, plus Grand Company Seals, of course.

Speaking of which, can we buy old maps with Grand Company Seals? It's pretty much always been the case that people use their 18h allowance to get the highest tier map, leaving the other maps as kind of a forgotten relic... This wasn't too bad in Heavensward, but now with Stormblood, Dragonskin maps are forgotten (aside from the odd Wondrous Tails reward) and with them Aquapolis... Granted the Aquapolis rewards were moved into Scrips vendors, but I think a much better solution would have been to make older maps more accessible... Perhaps even slap them in as rare rewards for FATEs, because right now FATEs have zero purpose at level cap, they don't even give good Grand Company Seals as rewards... IDK why the bonus EXP systems added with Stormblood didn't translate into bonus Seals upon reaching the level cap... It would be nice to have more means to actively farm Seals, as well as more content to spend them on, and Treasure Maps are something I've always found to be fairly fun... Heck you could even have the Squadrons bring back maps occasionally, either via Chemistry effects or just as an additional reward from something like Command Missions...

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

As I said, it might make sense to someone who played in 1.0 but that content was abandoned and removed from the game. To someone who has only played from 2.0 on, it makes no sense. I would like SE to do something that causes it to make sense.

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IIRC, the Grand Companies were tied more closely to the MSQ back in 1.0, I believe we got orders to go investigate and eventually fight Garuda via the Grand Companies, rather than something like the Scions.

I agree though, in 2.0 and beyond, our inclusion in the Grand Companies doesn't really have a purpose... I'd love for some kind of story tied to them, sort of like Beast Tribe quests, but on a larger scale and with ranks replacing reputation perhaps... FFXI did a nice job with its Nation storylines, it's a shame FFXIV doesn't really have anything comparable... It's very disappointing when you rank up in this game, it was actually better in 2.0 I guess (we get send off to do Darkhold iirc?), but now it's just "Send Squad off on a Venture and rank up when they return", there is absolutely nothing interesting going on with this... Give us a plot or something...

EDIT: Actually, thinking on rewards a bit... Could we maybe get something similar in design to the Eureka Effect on Grand Company gear? A stat that boosts the strength of our Squadron for Command Missions, perhaps... That would add a tiny bit of horizontal progression to the game that could make for nice rewards from any future Grand Company content... Would be a better use of those new weapons from Captain rank than whatever their purpose is currently...

Heck, thinking about it I wouldn't mind if we actually had to gear up our Squadrons properly... Right now it's just Glamours, but I'd be totally on board with giving them gear and Grand Company gear could fill that purpose as well as offering unique stats to the Squadron that wouldn't work for us with the current way PvE is designed... Even something incredibly basic like "Increases Chemistry trigger rate" on gear would be interesting IMO...

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Originally Posted by Reynhart

Question : What would be the reward ?

That's the main problem of this game. If an alternate content doesn't offer anything significant to boost your character, the content will simply die. Glamours, minions and mount alone can't really keep something alive for long. And creating a Tactical system just be to used once or twice during specifics quests is not very efficient.

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For me, just being rewarded with a bunch of ventures and seals would be enough. The Quartermaster still sells crafting mats I need, and I vastly prefer to craft in my own home then run around 5 different zones to craft a single object.
Or here's an interesting idea, the final reward for GC content would be a extra free retainer (perhaps renamed aide-de-camp so it wont sound like you've turned a loyal soldier into your maid) , whom you get to hand pick out of one of your squadron. Storage space is more precious than gil in this game.

Given the popularity of X-Com and X-Com 2, I have to wonder why the Tactics series never continued, Tactics Advance was one of the hottest games on Gameboy Advanced.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...i0zQvz0Ulc3JTf

IMO this is how you improve the GC system:

1) Introduce a Questline/Storymode specific to the GC that is done using your Squadron. Quests are specific to the GC, and are done in fleshing out the GC Lore. These special missions will operate something like Hildebrand quests in some regards, except itll be your squad in the overworld doing it. Rewards for completing these quests will be glamours, titles, and emotes. Quest lines will expand with each rank increase.
2) Add more Command/Squadron Missions of Varying type, (like 8 man versions) to increase pool of activities.
3) Create hunt dailys/weeklies using FATES/Hunts as a baseline. For example, completing certain fates as a daily will get you seals, or fates as a weekly for special rewards/seals (like Hunt Ixion/Odin/Fox Fate once per week, or complete 4 fates in a certain region daily for GCs or other items). This will actually be a good thing in the bigger picture cause itll get people out into the world doing things again.
4) Increase the amount of Glamour/Emotes/Housing Items/etc available from GCs and make the cost high (60k Seals). People go to lengths for Glamour/Housing items. That can be used as leverage to encourage #3.
5) Improve the AI on Squadron missions. IF youre running as a DPS, and the AI is a tank, there should be no reason the AI isnt doing proper tank mechanics (like immediately grabbing aoe hate).

Thats what I can think of off the top of my head.

Im very partial to the idea of GC dailies/weeklies that involves hunts and fates as I think the issue with the game is that people sit in cities to much and we need to incentive people to go out and do more open world things. Everyones always down for more glamour/emotes and the like and that would be a good way to kind of get people to go do stuff. Also the story quest for the GC would be very cool too. Itd start as something small and slowly expand outward as you go up in ranks.

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Originally Posted by Edax

The Quartermaster still sells crafting mats I need, and I vastly prefer to craft in my own home then run around 5 different zones to make a craft a single object.

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Indeed, having some very useful crafting materials or even some important meals and recipe could be interesting.
If you make it so that doing a tactical mission is the most efficiant ways of gaining GC seals, you could encourage people doing them frequently if they don't have easy access to high gathering nodes.

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Originally Posted by SaitoHikari

Give us a Final Fantasy Tactics mode where you get to take your whole squad for tactical missions and fight alongside them through story-based scenarios that differ depending on which GC you're in.

Maelstrom? You take on the role of a commander upholding order among the pirates of Limsa, along with inspecting foreign ships for contraband (particularly the slave trade) and the occasional skirmish involving the Sahagin and Kobolds.

Immortal Flames? You take on the role of a commander investigating crime and corruption among the nobility (though obviously not as simple as it sounds, considering just how messed up Ul'dah is), along with the occasional skirmish against the Amaljaa.

Twin Adders? You take on the role of a commander trying to assist the Padjals in upholding the will of the Elementals, investigating poachers and criminals from other regions hiding out in the forests (particularly the Lambs of Dalamud), and the possibility of an expedition to the destroyed West Shroud. Other duties include maintaining relations with Ishgard for joint skirmishes against the Ixial.

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I think you're on to something here. With the wopping failures that are Lord of Vermillion and Eureka, this would actually be an effort that would have a lasting and enjoyable impact.

Job access for squadron members.

I've been wanting a SCH and a MCH forever

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Originally Posted by Reynhart

Question : What would be the reward ?

That's the main problem of this game. If an alternate content doesn't offer anything significant to boost your character, the content will simply die. Glamours, minions and mount alone can't really keep something alive for long. And creating a Tactical system just be to used once or twice during specifics quests is not very efficient.

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It wouldn't be used 'once or twice', this is something that could be potentially added onto later on. People will play through something like this because:

1) A Final Fantasy Tactics sequel hasn't been made in over a decade now, and this is something people HAVE been asking for. There's a reason why the FFXIV April Fools 2017 'Tactics Alexander' mockup got an incredible amount of attention from the gaming press at large last year. The Tactics genre in general is a very, very starved genre - starved enough that I believe something like this would actually cause FFT fans to try out FF14 -just- for this kind of thing. It'd also have a dual purpose of allowing FF14 players to demo a Tactics-style game for any actual sequels that get made afterwards.
2) Having it tied to Grand Company lore (and having it differ based on your enlistment) means people will play through it just for the story and exchange information on the differences of each story. LoV has no compelling story to speak of.
3) This is something that could easily be added to later on, narrative-wise. Initial missions would be largely limited to local Eorzean happenings, but can be later expanded to handling things outside of Eorzea proper, potentially building alongside the main story itself.

One could go a step further and even add a multiplayer aspect to this, either squadron VS squadron and/or collaborative missions. Divinity Original Sin 2 did this, and it was a blast trying to communicate strategies among party members (only to get wrecked by the brutal AI coming up with something we didn't consider, throwing all of our plans in disarray).

Probably my biggest gripe with the Squadron system is that it feels passive. You just go in and boss a bunch of people around once a day, and then walk out. You can do a few dungeons with them, but narrative-wise, there's not much reason to. Something like this would put your character on the field with most, if not your entire squadron at once, doing things that actually matter to the overall narrative. At the very least, it'd be something completely new to the game, and lord knows how much FFXIV needs a breath of fresh air content-wise.

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Originally Posted by SaitoHikari

1) A Final Fantasy Tactics sequel hasn't been made in over a decade now, and this is something people HAVE been asking for.

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The appealing part of FF Tactics is not simply the battle system, it's the whole settings, the plot, the characters, etc...You can't really expect an alternate content to have such depth, even if it enrich some part of the lore. In the end, even content like raids (8 man and 24 man) have a very short and shallow story and are only done multiple times because they offer significant rewards for your character.

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Originally Posted by SaitoHikari

One could go a step further and even add a multiplayer aspect to this, either squadron VS squadron and/or collaborative missions.

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If Tactics genre is starving, Multiplayer Tactics genre is even more rare, so it would definitely be something "fresh" :)
I'd personally would be more intestered in that kind of PvP to earn Wolf Marks.