Advice for recruiting for free companies from someone who isn't in one.

[MomomiMomi]

It amuses me that people are using the word "Clique" when it is their choice not to join in on the social interaction.

Let me share my personal experience. I am very much a quiet, prefer-text-to-be-social person. When I first joined my current FC, it was very obviously a group that used a lot of voice, and FC chat could be quiet. Then I realized that if you talk to them in discord chat, you'll get a lot more interaction because everyone on the discord can see it. I also realized that they were perfectly happy to be social with me in the times I do choose to be social in voice. I feel very welcome in this FC, even though I personally very rarely hop onto voice chat so I can be social at the same time as playing.

I submit that people are not choosing to make "Cliques" or to purposefully disclude people, but rather they're simply using the best methods (discord text and/or voice) to talk. And you know what? I've seen people join and leave this FC, citing these very same reasons listed in this thread, when in fact they made zero effort to be social with us. They expected us to make the effort to make them specifically feel welcome, when we in fact treated them the same as everyone else. I argue that a good Discord server is not a sign of an asocial FC, but rather of one of the best FCs you could find.

Most people don't purposely make these cliques. It's something that just happens naturally. They're not intentionally being exclusionary, but they are by the very nature of it being a separate chat that's outside of the game, being exclusionary. Anyone who isn't using Discord is essentially excluded from anything that's happening on it.

[SannaR]

Cliques also tend to happen naturally. So, if you even try to be social with them on their turf you can still be excluded unless they see you as someone to include into their Clique. Some form due to those people having been friends for years or they have the same mindset/personality. This of course doesn't mean you can't have fun with them or talk with them or even get help from them. What it does mean that unless you're accepted by them you still will get the sense that there is a feeling of not fitting in. Also why shouldn't an FC not be inviting to their new members? They asked if you wanted to join and you said yes. How is not trying to get to know you or ask you if you need help ect an ok thing?

[ChiefDork]

This is going to be a little list of things not to do and to do.

8. Don't go in blind.

[Anyan]

My old FC all of a sudden decided that any important news or decisions would be on Discord instead of in the game. As an officer I felt obligated to log onto Discord several times a day just to check. I also had to scroll through endless chatting to find said important information. The fact that I can't use internet on my phone meant that I had to interrupt whatever I was doing to check Discord because I didn't want to be a bad officer. I hated that. Turned out the leaders were a-holes anyway so I left that FC.

[DamianFatale]

“6. Be careful of what your members do. If your members like to troll the local annoying guy in Limsa for the lulz, realize a lot of people are watching them do that, and they may not like trolls, and they will remember the FC.”

This kind of behavior singles people out, and makes more problems. Obviously If they’re being extremely hateful, then fine.

If people are all joking around, and having fun, then lighten up. Who cares what others think if you are all having a good time.

[DubiousDisk]

It amuses me that people are using the word "Clique" when it is their choice not to join in on the social interaction.

Let me share my personal experience. I am very much a quiet, prefer-text-to-be-social person. When I first joined my current FC, it was very obviously a group that used a lot of voice, and FC chat could be quiet. Then I realized that if you talk to them in discord chat, you'll get a lot more interaction because everyone on the discord can see it. I also realized that they were perfectly happy to be social with me in the times I do choose to be social in voice. I feel very welcome in this FC, even though I personally very rarely hop onto voice chat so I can be social at the same time as playing.

I submit that people are not choosing to make "Cliques" or to purposefully disclude people, but rather they're simply using the best methods (discord text and/or voice) to talk. And you know what? I've seen people join and leave this FC, citing these very same reasons listed in this thread, when in fact they made zero effort to be social with us. They expected us to make the effort to make them specifically feel welcome, when we in fact treated them the same as everyone else. I argue that a good Discord server is not a sign of an asocial FC, but rather of one of the best FCs you could find.

Good for you, ya lucked out.

But this is a common theme I have seen in all the popular servers, a new player joins, tries to interact/ask for help, and they are outright ignored by a group of 5 for absolutely no reason, even on Discord.

So yea, I'm going to throw around the word, because whether you interact with them or not, it's inevitable you'll meet that one FC that even though at face value they're nice and friendly, but in truth are utterly non-inclusive for no discernable reason.

So yea my point still stands, if you're going to make some terrible copy/paste "We are a friendly FC with a big house" nonsense message, I'd expect everyone, or atleast a handful of people in the FC to include the new person in some of their social activities, not doing so is outright rude and just shows you only want new members for the sake of having some.

[Lauront]

Nah, he ran away too quickly, so the leaders spell got interrupted. :P

Should've taken Concentrate.

[Ilan]

9. If you don't like the rules of a FC or that they use discord, make your own FC and don't allow that they use discord.

[sakkito]

@Ilan Your reply made me laugh xD

TBH. If I could add my cents... as I am currently running fcless I kinda have my pet peeves about fcs I join.
- I don't mind copy pastes especially if it is spread in time (like 1nce per 30 mins) and is well written. FC I absolutely loved being a part of had a very well written fc announcement listing all the things I was looking in fc. Like at a time I was looking for social, casual and no drama and wanted a big fc. It was all in there and turned out to be true as well x). Good announcement goes a mile.
- do not send me petition for fc to sign without asking if I wanna do it. (yes, that did happen to be this week)
- don't send me invite to your fc without pm. I don't know who you are. Stranger why are you inviting me to your house?
- don't nag me to join after I say 'no'.
- yes, if you do pm make it personable but to the point. Getting random 'hey' to find out 3 mins later that you want me to join your fc is eh. And again describe your fc and its goals. Show me your gold .
-rule of a thumb is IDC if whole fc uses discord and camps on VC (I am shy and defo wont join to start with) and I get that some people dont have mikes built in or are muted for whatever reasons. But... why the muted people have to type in answers in fc chat? Use discord for that. Like it happened to me a few times that I thought question posed in fc chat was directed in general to everyone but then got reply 'ah no I was replying to sb in vc'. Reading one sided convos make me wanna mute the channel.
- and that is my post scriptum and because I have been playing game long enough to see a few fcs in my time... so you got me in.... What happens is that I get 'hellos' from like loads of people but then . it. is. quiet. Or they go back to previous convo without trying to involve anyone. Makes it a bit awkward and hard to acclimate.

DISCORD WISE --- uh every medium of communication has good and bad side. Cliques happen for multiple reasons (and discord is not to blame most often). But if they are there, question is why they don't try to involve new person in more. Like... they invited the newb to their house. Why do you pretend he is not here? XD If a clique is not open to expanding the fc shouldnt recruit. Simple as that. I get that not everyone is gonna fit but if you are aware of the fact that you do have a self-adoration group (nothing wrong with it per se) maybe get new person to meet them and see if they fit before you try to get someone to join. Not everyone has to be in your fc. /shrug

[SannaR]

Yeah the generic FC info shouts are just bad as they don't tell you what makes them different from any other FC. Like the ones that say they're a casual/midcore that does everything and is a family. To me that doesn't tell me what you think everything is. Also be able to answer simple questions or at least try to take the time to answer them. For instance if you say you're drama free you should be able to tell someone how you deal with an argument that gets out of hand. Don't come off like answering a question someone might have is a waste of your time by telling them to go to your site or to your ingame history night or whatever. The person asking is a potential member or someone who if they ever wanted to join an FC or if they left their current one is doing research so they know if you're going to be enough of a fit for them.