Question regarding Free Company membership

[Nayito]

Disclaimer: I've only ever played XI and XIV! So "guilds" to me have only been linkshells, and you've always been able to be a member of many.

People have referred to Free Companies as "real guilds"; and we will still have Linkshells.

We know a few things:

*FC's will have their own chatlog
We'll have emblems we can put on certain armor
You need 4 people to start one (*and those 4 people have to be from the same Grand Company because the FC is formed at their GC desk?)
You can have FC housing (but you don't have to)

...and possibly the most important detail: you can only join ONE Free* Company.

What if you want to change Free* Companies? There are many reasons this could come up. Maybe it's a dumb question with an obvious answer to some of you, but I don't think I've seen it mentioned.

My question: Will we be able to resign/quit/leave a FC* and join ANOTHER one (right away?)

For a free company you need only 3 ppl, as yoshi-p's example on the live letter, him wada and foxclon making a FC. and they can all be from difrent GCs.

As for been able to switch, think about it from the other perspective. lets say you are a ldr of a FC and you invite someone in, but this person turns out to be a dudge, never helping, always bitching, etc. you'll want to get rid of a person like that, so you should have an option to do so. In the same way you join some a FC and didn't end up been what you spected, so you'll wanna quit. Like an LS there will be options to quit/kick ppl. Now since the FC will have a comun storage unit, where the ldr will grant permition for players of the FC to use, I imagine that for someone to quit a FC will need to "ok" from the ldr, to prevent someone comingand stealling all the FC's shit.

Ok... i know you are using wrong word there... there isn't a GC house, GC are the city-state, main story of Eorzea, for player-run we use FC instead

If you are talking about the Grand Companies (Limsa's The Maelstrom, Gridania's Order of the Twin Adders and Ul'Dah's The Immortal Flames) then yes, you are able to make a switch to another Grand Company loosing your progress(maybe can't remember) of your previous pledge Grand Company.
You cannot MAKE a GC, but you can make a FC instead

For Free Company which i think is what you really "meant" here. Will be able to buy land for housing from respective GC(? need clarification here lol xD)

you can't cvhange GCs, it was VERY stressed when they were introduced, so ppl won't choose at random

[Seraphe]

Sorry Nayito, but you're wrong on this one

19.09.2012

Guten Morgen,
Good morning,

ich habe mehr Informationen zu den freien Gesellschaften für euch. Bitte beachtet aber, dass die Details noch nicht zu 100% feststehen und sich Einzelheiten noch ändern können.
I have more informations regarding free companies (FC) for you. Please note that the details are not 100% confirmed yet, and a few things might change.

Freie Gesellschaften sind - auf einem niedrigeren Level - Zweigstellen der staatlichen Gesellschaften. Sie können unabhängig von der eigenen Zugehörigkeit zu einer staatlichen Gesellschaft gegründet werden, wozu vier Spieler notwendig sind. Das heißt, dass man zum Beispiel eine freie Gesellschaft unter dem Banner des Mahlstroms gründen kann, obwohl man sich selbst der Legion der Unsterblichen verschrieben hat.
FCs are - on a lower level - branches of the Grand Companies. They can, independent of the own affiliation [with the GCs], be founded by four players. This means that a free company can be under the banners of the Maelstrom even though you're pledged to the Immortals.

Eine freie Gesellschaft kann über hundert Mitglieder haben und auch hier gilt, dass man einer freien Gesellschaft beitreten kann, die nicht Teil der eigenen staatlichen Gesellschaft ist. Eine freie Gesellschaft kann sich also aus Mitgliedern der staatlichen Gesellschaft aller drei Städte zusammensetzen.
A free company can have more than a hundred members and therefore too it applies that you can join a free company which is not part of your own grand company.
So a free company can consist of members from all three grand company.

Einige Kontaktkreis-Features werden auf die freien Gesellschaften übertragen, wodurch es zum Beispiel möglich sein wird, einen Leiter zu wählen. Kontaktkreise selbst werden in A Realm Reborn hauptsächlich als Chat-Kanale fungieren.
Some Linkshell-Features will be transferred to the free companies which will allow to choose a leader, for example. Linkshells in a Realm Reborn will primarily function as Chat-Channels.

aaand this one.

25.09.2012

Guten Nachmittag,
Good afternoon,

ich habe neue Informationen zum Wechsel staatlicher Gesellschaften für euch. Es wird euch möglich sein, eure staatliche Gesellschaft zu wechseln. Natürlich ist das mit einigen Einschränkungen verbunden. Ihr werdet zum Beispiel nur die Gegenstände eurer aktuellen staatlichen Gesellschaft ausrüsten können.
Außerdem wird euer Rang nicht von eurer alten auf eure neue staatliche Gesellschaft übertragen, sondern ihr fangt wieder beim untersten Rang an. Allerdings wird euer alter Rang gespeichert, so dass er nicht verloren geht.
I have new informations regarding the change of a grand company for you. It will be possible to change your grand company. Of course, this is connected to some restrictions. You will only be able to equip items of your current grand company, for example. Furthermore you will not be able to transfer your old rank to a new grand company, which means that you will start from the lowest rank. However your old rank will be saved so it won't be lost.

Einzelheiten können sich natürlich noch ändern aber das oben genannte ist der aktuelle Plan.
Things could change, but what was mentioned above is the current plan.

[Nayito]

I haven't kept up with the devs that much, thanks.

[Felis]

Normaly in every MMO switching the guild is very simple.
1. quit current guild
2. join new guild

[JillyBean]

Normaly in every MMO switching the guild is very simple.
1. quit current guild
2. join new guild

Good to know. I wonder, do the plans for Free Companies seem more elaborate than guilds in other MMO's, or pretty similar?

[Zumi]

I don't even get the purpose of free companies they seem to be the same thing as linkshells.

[Alhanelem]

I don't even get the purpose of free companies they seem to be the same thing as linkshells.

They're not. Linkshells are just chat channels. Free Companies are like guilds in other games, with special benefits and privileges. Linkshell members do not have to be in the same free company and free company members do not have to be in the same linkshell.

Typically guilds have things like a guild storage system where people can put items that any guild member can use, sometimes they have a guild HQ or special meeting place of some sort, and some games have special content that you can only challenge with members of the same guild.

We've all been used to treating linkshells like guilds but linkshells have always offered nothing more than chat capabilities. Free companies aka guilds do much more than that.

[Klefth]

you can't cvhange GCs, it was VERY stressed when they were introduced, so ppl won't choose at random

They actually said we will be able to change GCs, just not nationalities. They also said GC gear would only work if you were part of that GC atm.

[Zenaku]

They're not. Linkshells are just chat channels. Free Companies are like guilds in other games, with special benefits and privileges. Linkshell members do not have to be in the same free company and free company members do not have to be in the same linkshell.

Typically guilds have things like a guild storage system where people can put items that any guild member can use, sometimes they have a guild HQ or special meeting place of some sort, and some games have special content that you can only challenge with members of the same guild.

We've all been used to treating linkshells like guilds but linkshells have always offered nothing more than chat capabilities. Free companies aka guilds do much more than that.

yep we can get house for our FC set each member with diff ranks like Noob,member,legacy,leader and when you have a guild bank you can make noob that can't get any item members can only get item from tap 1,2 Legacy can get any items and leader can change the rules.

So only members who you put under noob can only donate items and have to ask other for items. This is a good idea when you have a new member joining and your not sure if they be a good fit or just want to be in your FC to steal all your items lol. "You can change the names of the title as you wish mine are just examples"

Linkshell would just be chat just for casual/social people and FC would be for raids and i can't wait it seem like they doing a great job with the system.

[Zumi]

They're not. Linkshells are just chat channels. Free Companies are like guilds in other games, with special benefits and privileges. Linkshell members do not have to be in the same free company and free company members do not have to be in the same linkshell.

Typically guilds have things like a guild storage system where people can put items that any guild member can use, sometimes they have a guild HQ or special meeting place of some sort, and some games have special content that you can only challenge with members of the same guild.

We've all been used to treating linkshells like guilds but linkshells have always offered nothing more than chat capabilities. Free companies aka guilds do much more than that.

They could just add the same guild features to linkshells and not have to create a new name for it.