Player Run Companies: What do we want to see?

[Sonic_the_Hedgehog]

Company just seems like another word for linkshell.

[Roughgalaxy]

Company just seems like another word for linkshell.

Think of Company more like... Alliance. Multiple Linkshells working together as part of a company. (Like corporations make up alliances in EvE)

[Caidryn]

Company just seems like another word for linkshell.

I believe the defining difference would be commitment. With linkshells, you can have... 8? And they're usually dedicated to a single purpose. I picture companies as a huge group to experience huge group content with, as well as the fact that you can't have every LS in the game creating housing for their two members, whereas if companies are made more difficult to form, it helps cut down on the server load entailed and allows players to commit to a single company.

[Vesperia]

Territorial Control -fight for dominion of land and tax your subjects

Heirarchy - A heirarchical structure within the Company where individual players can be assigned authorities by the higher-ups.

Architecture - Companies sell their land to individual players who can then build houses/shops/halls/banks/temples/etc


^ This is why Player-run Companies are not a priority for SE at the moment. They don't have what it takes to give true MEANING to Player-run Communities.

[AlexiaKidd]

I don't believe Linkshells were even supposed to be in the game and that they were supposed to be the Player Companies. The Player Companies (Linkshells) would work for the Public/Grand Companies completing missions and tasks set to them.

Anyway here is what I want from Public Companies most of which has already been mentioned.

Player Company Housing:

Housing for your Company so all your members can share a house/building. Within the building you would have your own private room with your private storage. You can also decorate and furnish your own room how you wish. In the main building you would have communal storage where you could drop off any unwanted mats or items so other members could pick them up and make use of them.

Also you should be able to mount trophies taken from NM's you have killed and missions your Company has completed and of course be able to furnish it. As you Company grows in prestige you should be able to upgrade to more prestigious housing that come with Chocobo stables, Airship Docks and some where to park your Boat.

Transport:

As your company develops you should be able to unlock Private Chocobo stable's so you can raise and breed your own Chocobo's to suit your needs. Further along be able to buy and upgrade Private Airships and Boats.

Content:

I want to be set missions and tasks by the Grand Company leaders and as we progress your Company ranks up in a way so we can take on even more challenging content. Maybe at some point have PvP battles with other Companies but mainly I want PvE content.

[Seidaku]

Player Company Housing:

If this was to be implemented I was curious if it could be done in a much more player controlled way. What I personally would like to see is a developmental path. You start out in one of the 3 major cities, develop reputation and make friends. The next logical step would be to join with a company who would be creating their mark upon the world. More or less beginning their own town.

The way i see it would be creating a instanced zone that connects to one of the major cities and allowing players to create their own communities which other players can visit. Similar to the market wards but with a more open environment with player housing and shops and such.

Then incorporating more options to players the further advanced their towns become, opening up more options. Chocobo stables, ships, airships, ect.

Also ranks would be placed, the further up the chain more and more ranks and roles can be assigned. Obviously starting with a mayor, but it could grow to having generals, council members for the classes, crafting guild leaders, sponsors, and other such designations with different rewards and such.

Anyway, just some random ideas I had from some previous experiences in games and such, think it was a tales series where you got to create your own town and developmental rewards for guild progression is something wow developed with the instanced guild lobby coming from EQ. :P

[Vesperia]

Player Company Housing:

If this was to be implemented I was curious if it could be done in a much more player controlled way. What I personally would like to see is a developmental path. You start out in one of the 3 major cities, develop reputation and make friends. The next logical step would be to join with a company who would be creating their mark upon the world. More or less beginning their own town.

The way i see it would be creating a instanced zone that connects to one of the major cities and allowing players to create their own communities which other players can visit. Similar to the market wards but with a more open environment with player housing and shops and such.

Then incorporating more options to players the further advanced their towns become, opening up more options. Chocobo stables, ships, airships, ect.

Also ranks would be placed, the further up the chain more and more ranks and roles can be assigned. Obviously starting with a mayor, but it could grow to having generals, council members for the classes, crafting guild leaders, sponsors, and other such designations with different rewards and such.

Anyway, just some random ideas I had from some previous experiences in games and such, think it was a tales series where you got to create your own town and developmental rewards for guild progression is something wow developed with the instanced guild lobby coming from EQ. :P

No one would ever use an instanced town and even if they did, it would take people away from the three major cities, essentially creating either instanced ghost-towns or ghost-city states. You cannot make instanced townships popular/meaningful without providing an incentive to go there.

The only way to make player-run towns work is by allowing them to be built as part of the persistent world, and even then there are many drawbacks (such as urban sprawl and a lack of incentive).

Perhaps if the market wards did not exist, player-run towns could develop as a response to the disorganised market wards, wherein each town would specialise in seling items relating to a certain corner of the market.

But again, there's no point to player towns in a game like this. In order for player-built villages to gain meaning in FFXIV, SE would first have to change their whole design philosophy (which at the moment is: turn this game into WoW ASAP).

But in saying that, I guess it could be a form of frivolous fun. Not everything in a game needs to have a meaning. People play The Sims after all, sometimes just to build houses. But again, if SE did include the ability to build your own house/village, the towns would need to be included as part of the peristent world so as not to dilute the population of the rest of the game world.

[Kilta_Firelotus]

I want/ hope people actually talk. I'll be happy to just beable to chat with ppl. This game is too quiet, and looking for a LS is like pulling teeth.

[Volsung]

Most things I could think of, want, and talked with others about I have in here

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-free-to-share

A company retainer, that sells many items from the players of a company

A company bank, where people are appointed and one would be needed present for withdrawal.

Town rep, available through company quests dailys grind (fetch, kill, defend, escort, travel). This will provide the linkshell with buffs that a player can obtain via similar to a signet. As the company levels and has higher rep, the leaders/appointed members set the buffs that effect all members, more buffs with more rep.

Leveling the company via player earned exp. Companies would have levels with higher levels allowing for more stuff (that can be elaborated upon by SE, larger housing area available etc)

Crafting center for the company, place to craft with workshop access and do repairs, can be upgraded for larger space, then each workshop added.

Gatherers could be responsible for gathering the base materials to make the base/airship/boat/weapons/defense

Crafters could take the base materials and make them into other materials as needed

Friendly competition with other companies like conflict, but you invade the others base training against defense systems they've produced. You get defense systems specs by company quest, company leveling so that they're able to be made, then materials from gatherers and crafters.

Providing base materials, crafted goods, tech to the city state for the garlean invasion that will take place.

Tandem work with Grand companies/fighting alongside npcs in events. Company related story mission/quests

Company fishing hole, can be leveled up, add fish etc

Company garden <-- really like this idea could be like harvest moon but everyone works together. could be leveled up, new plants etc

Company Choco stalls, this could be where players raise chocos unless their ideas for chocos are that drastically different.

Company stats board to view member contribution/exploits

Company dungeon, not sure here just being honest maybe a once a week, company determines the time, they go through the dungeon for items/exp? Maybe npcs could join on the trek for a twist.

Company tele spot that lowers anima costs <- would take forever to make but such a goal!

once airships are implemented, make airship content of course, exploring areas unavailable to normal hiking and sky fighting/training

So it would play out like this

Do the initial quest, probably require lots of money or lots of players doing an event to become recognised, to be rewarded with a small disappointing area of land near/in the town. Not much can be done with it at the moment, low functioning areas and small. Starts at level 1. Level it by exping! eventually it becomes exponentially harder to level, making it take longer duh this should be expected.

At the first level, not much can be done, just company quests. Once leveled, you can start upgrading stuff to level 2. A larger piece of land, more functional spots, collect items via gathering/crafting to create stuff. then exp more fore higher levels, rinse repeat.

Basically as long as materials and level are good, aesthetics can be changed/upgraded but becomes exponentially harder to level up/obtain the items for top tier things

basically a mishmash of cool ideas, with a leveling scheme!

[Caidryn]

No one would ever use an instanced town and even if they did, it would take people away from the three major cities, essentially creating either instanced ghost-towns or ghost-city states. You cannot make instanced townships popular/meaningful without providing an incentive to go there.

The only way to make player-run towns work is by allowing them to be built as part of the persistent world, and even then there are many drawbacks (such as urban sprawl and a lack of incentive).

Perhaps if the market wards did not exist, player-run towns could develop as a response to the disorganised market wards, wherein each town would specialise in seling items relating to a certain corner of the market.

But again, there's no point to player towns in a game like this. In order for player-built villages to gain meaning in FFXIV, SE would first have to change their whole design philosophy (which at the moment is: turn this game into WoW ASAP).

But in saying that, I guess it could be a form of frivolous fun. Not everything in a game needs to have a meaning. People play The Sims after all, sometimes just to build houses. But again, if SE did include the ability to build your own house/village, the towns would need to be included as part of the peristent world so as not to dilute the population of the rest of the game world.

I can say that my group and I would certainly use an instanced town. It would get us off the streets of Ul'dah, and give us a nice warm place to sleep at night. That aside, why would you be worried about diluting the player populace in cities? I mean, it's bad if it feels truly and entirely barren, but I imagine these changes and this content would raise the overall population of the game dramatically.

That said, having loads of players standing around in the cities isn't exactly beneficial. Apart from spec reasons, like displaying less models, less load times, etc, there's the fact that the community, as it stands, is largely a silent one. Shouting in Ul'dah doesn't land you a deep, meaningful, or long conversation. (On Mysidia, at least) In fact, I ran a little social experiment where I tried to start the community talking by shouting and chatting in Ul'dah for like 2 weeks running. The overwhelming response were tells filled with hate, that I was abusing the shout feature by talking to people outside of my linkshell, and that I was taking advantage of their eyes against their will. The community doesn't seem to desire comraderie from strangers. It seems most people keep their chats to Linkshell.

Which would make instanced cities, where you hang out with your company, exactly the same as the cities are now, just with less character models afk in random places.