What do you look for in an FC?

[Kataiser]

Hmm, but how do you do that effectively? How do you get to know people well enough in an MMO if you aren't already spending regular time with them?

Similar to the challenge of finding a good fit for an FC - "try before you buy" would be the idea I suppose

Tangent, but I do think "try before you buy" is important for that very reason. IMO, in most cases, joining an FC should be pretty "no strings attached" for a month or so; if you give it a couple weeks and decide it's not for you, there should be no bad blood for leaving.