[Request] Free Companies need some updates

[LillithCale]

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.

Maybe my Free Company is an outlier but we actively involve the members with the Subs and Airships and do weekly raffles for the items they bring back. Some of them we even just give away or put in the chest for members they take as they please. Is that really so odd?

[TwistedTea]

Maybe my Free Company is an outlier but we actively involve the members with the Subs and Airships and do weekly raffles for the items they bring back. Some of them we even just give away or put in the chest for members they take as they please. Is that really so odd?

Honestly there should be some endgame elements tied directly too free company that are actually relevant. Things in a Free company should add direct benefit to members, be it accessing restricted content, rare buffs, or accessing special bosses. Atm FC's are literally only chat channels with pointless buffs, which is not what a guild should be in any mmo.

My post is not a knock on good FC leaders who distribute the proceeds of an FC house.

But the fact remains, that FC houses and by extension,things like Airships and Submarines are restricted access for many normal FC members.

Such features can bring in 5-10 million gil a week, if not more.

I think, it's not fair that very few people have access to such significant gil producing assets. Which is why, I'm in favour of individual access to such features.

People create shell FCs for that reason.

Secondly, if and when new housing is released,judging by past trends, FCs will get first dibs on buying plots.

Is this fair to individual buyers?

To not get a plot they wanted because someone created a shell FC to buy a house?

Heck, SE still has not closed the loophole that enables a single service account to own 8 FC houses on a server.

In addition, under the current system, you don't even need FC members when working on FC projects; just 3 other players with at least 1 level one crafter. They don't even have to be from your home server,they can also be trial account characters...

In short, I don't trust SE when it comes to adding new FC features/content. SE will probably leave loopholes, which will be gamed for individual benefit.