[DEV REQUEST] Grand Company Goodies

[Alberel]

We're getting the next set of GC ranks in 3.4 along with a new tier of GC rewards and quests so to some extent your request is already in the works.

3.4 is apparently dropping quite a lot of additional GC content as well, including the ability to recruit and train your own squad to use for something. Details are still sparse but they clearly have big plans for the GCs going forward now, I think they were just waiting for the Heavensward arc to be over.

[bass9020]

We're getting the next set of GC ranks in 3.4 along with a new tier of GC rewards and quests so to some extent your request is already in the works.

3.4 is apparently dropping quite a lot of additional GC content as well, including the ability to recruit and train your own squad to use for something. Details are still sparse but they clearly have big plans for the GCs going forward now, I think they were just waiting for the Heavensward arc to be over.

I think its great that they are giving it a lot of thought(hopefully!) and adding it all in like a mini patch. We really need some GC love all around.

[Istaru]

...including the ability to recruit and train your own squad to use for something...

I have concerns about this. I know some people basically want them to be fully usable for dungeons to get XP with instead of using DF for many valid reasons.

I hope they do not do this. There is very little social interaction in this game as it is. This would be another nail in that coffin. I know what trusts did to XI. I don't want to see that here. I would like to see them be like our path companions from 1.0 though.

Overall, I am curious as to what is coming for GCs.

[Khalithar]

Snip

I agree with you about not letting them replace players in dungeons. Seeing that happen in SWTOR (where most of the time you're better off kicking someone and bringing in a healer NPC instead) is definitely not in the least bit fun, short explanation: SWTOR changed nearly all of it's dungeons to role neutral like PotD but did not balance the content assuming no healer. As a result if you get a bunch of dps, it's better to kick a player and have one person bring out their strongest healer NPC who could very easily replace a player in that content.

That being said, I also don't want the GC squad to be as meaningless as the chocobo ends up being story wise. We're supposed to be the really powerful WoL whose risen high enough in our faction that they're entrusting the lives of others to our command, so yes, I want there to be interesting quests and group content to do with them. The very last thing I want them to be is another set of retainers or just a chocobo with a palette swap. Even if their personalities end up cliche (the hot headed rookie, scarred grizzled veteran, etc.) I still want them to have a personality of some kind and something that makes them memorable. Maybe I'm too idealistic, but I want a reason to care, I want to be excited to go out and quest with them to see them grow as characters, gain new abilities and armor, and so on and so forth.

[Astyrah]

agree. npcs shouldn't replace players in regular DF and raids, if they allowed them, it would kill duty roulette and what little social interaction we have in dungeons. what they can instead do is that they can allow these npc companions to accompany us if df is set to undersized party or special instances like diadem

[Alberel]

I have concerns about this. I know some people basically want them to be fully usable for dungeons to get XP with instead of using DF for many valid reasons.

I hope they do not do this. There is very little social interaction in this game as it is. This would be another nail in that coffin. I know what trusts did to XI. I don't want to see that here. I would like to see them be like our path companions from 1.0 though.

Overall, I am curious as to what is coming for GCs.

Given how much they use things like the relic quests and such to force players to rerun old content to keep it lively for lower levels I doubt they would give us something that would remove the need for other players in group content. Knowing this dev team they likely have an entirely unique type of new content for these to be used in. If I were to guess, it may be related to the coming Eorzean Alliance military campaign against either Ala Mhigo or Garlemald.

That said, I do believe this evolved from the desire to take Chocobo companions into dungeons... so who knows.