[Request] Free Companies need some updates

[LillithCale]

Update 03/21/2020

Well, it's nice that FC's got a little love this update but I still feel like we're in need of a few more QoLs.

I am beyond pleased we got expanded chest space, that was sorely needed! But I would have liked more actions, the ability to have a third action active, and to be able to charge grade 3 actions quicker. But choosy beggars and all that.

Do you think we'll see more updates to Free Companies in the next patch or will we be waiting a few years for the next improvements?

Update to OP:

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE consider giving some of the options you have made for Fellowships to Free Companies! There are some features that would really benefit Free Companies and it's a shame to only make them accessible to Fellowships!

Original OP:

I've been a leader of a Free Company for quite some time and I'm starting to feel that Free Companies really need a little love. I would really like to see FC's get some quality of life updates to them, and maybe even some new features.

Suggestions:

• Charging more than one Tier 3 buff at a time. Grade three buffs take forever to charge and last only a day. It makes it difficult to put them up frequently without extended preparation.
• [ACQUIRED!] Upgrade the FC chest. Between Buff materials, Workshop parts, seeds for the garden and various other things there is very little space in chests to allow members to utilize it.
• A Bulletin board/calendar. It gets difficult to communicate events to people who may not use discord or want to copy down an external link to view them. It would be great to get a tab added to the FC window that could show when events are being held.
• New Types of FC Buffs. We've had the same buffs for a long while and it be cool to see new ones. Perhaps something like a buff to increase fate gemstones or a higher treasure chest portal chance.
• Glamor Dresser for the FC house. I think this is already in the works for housing but it would still be nice to provide one for our members to use.
• Colored nameplates for FC members. It would be great to be able to see who is in the FC at a glance when wandering around. We are able to choose a custom color for people on our friend's list, so why not for fellow free company members?
• More deployment allowances. With Subs being the current content a lot of farming for mats is sending out all 4 subs to get what is needed. While Airships are less current, there are still items obtainable only by airship that are then neglected because we can't spare a slot to send out an airship. Even just upgrading to 5 deployments would allow for 1 Airship to go out if all four subs are farming upgrade materials.
  
  

  Another thing they need - an actual heirarchy system for ranks so you can't promote someone to a rank with more permissions than you have yourself.
  

  FC vs FC pvp? castle siege or something
  

  A time out option in FC chat. For those human moments.
  

  Still waiting for those FC Alliances.
  

  I'd like Airships to have some actual content behind them, something akin to a mix of Treasure Maps and Diadem... I'll always find it incredibly lame how, in a game where you can build and own your own Airship, all that is good for is essentially Retainer Ventures 2.0... We don't even get to ride the damn things, it's such a pathetic piece of content that should have amazing potential...
  
  Change it so that Airships come back with a RNG chance for something like the Treasure Map portals, so you can gather up your FC and go to some random floating island to gain some extra rewards... Maybe it's not always visiting an island, works better for actual boats rather than Airships, but you could have a fight on the ship for some interesting variety... Like I said, works better for a boat (something like a reworked Kraken fight), but Final Fantasy has it's fair share of Airship battles as well, something like 10s Evrae fight?
  
  Of course, the elephant in the room is how Airships are in limited supply, given they're tied to Housing, so not every FC would get access to such interesting content so there is no point developing it... That's just an argument from moving the Workshop off Housing though... Put the Workshop as a physical location in the 3 starting cities that FCs can pay to access, then every FC has one and the Housing version can just function as a more convenient way to access it.
  

  Need more permission settings for the FC chest. When things go south and some people get butthurt, the first thing they do is ransack the chest like the Bugle Brothers.
  
  In fact as far as access goes, there should be more options.
  

  Company actions/buffs are seriously in need of an update. FC's could also use some sort of message system and message board that is meaningful to communicate with members. Would also be nice if the 4 crafter requirement be lifted for small FC's at least.
  

  Make FCs searchable in game with a menu of which you can apply through. It's a frustrating task filtering through player search and lodestone, and hoping someone's online to accept you.

Any thoughts or suggestions to add to the list?

[Avidria]

Another thing they need - an actual heirarchy system for ranks so you can't promote someone to a rank with more permissions than you have yourself.

Also I think you can change name colors for FC mates? I know you can for party members and friends (I have mine set to aqua and orange).

[Kaliesto]

Not just the FCs, but the GCs really need the update too considering there is a lot of ranks that haven't even been implemented yet.

[MaethusXion]

More FC Chest slots, purchasable with Points

[CorbinDallas]

Some way to do FC related things without the need for an FC house. Like an aetherial wheel at the Grand Company or something so my FC can use the buffs we brought over to Twintania.

[TwistedTea]

Are Free Companies still relevant?

With crossworld linkshells etc?

As a FC leader, I'd rather SE move away from tying more features to FCs.

Buffs can and should be obtainable from the Grand Companies.

Things like the Airships/Submarines/Workshop etc should be made available for individual player access. For example:

Skysteel Manufactory in Ishgard for Airships
Kugane/Limsa for Submarines

Anecdotally, having played on Tonberry,Levi,Cactuar and now on Balmung, I don't think that besides the FC leader and their inner circle, normal FC members get the benefits of things like Airships or can actively participate in such FC content.

[AnimaAnimus]

FC points should be usable to buy instanced FC houses that are much more grand that what we have now and can be expanded upon. It would work at solving that housing crisis too.

And expansions for these houses should require fc points too, as well as expanded garden plots and such. Just give us more reason to have the points, help with housing and help us customize housing more

[kyomaZZ]

FC vs FC pvp? castle siege or something

[Raige]

A time out option in FC chat. For those human moments.

[TheGrimace]

Still waiting for those FC Alliances.