Player Run Companies: a Rallying Cry

[Caidryn]

Ages ago, under the prior development team, we heard repeated whispers that there would be something greater than linkshells implemented in this game. In fact, at the time, we were told to think of them as groups of linkshells. A great many players gathered together in a single place for a common goal, complete with the standard trappings of a normal guild in any other MMO.

It has been a little over 7 months since the Collector's edition of the game launched. During this time, I have eagerly awaited these changes, or at least information regarding the plans being abandoned if such were to happen. I have been telling the linkshell I have led since the closed beta (Actually prior, if one counts the fact we formed long before the game's release) to hold on for just a bit longer the entire time, completely faithful that change would come soon.

At first I had hoped to see them in the first large content patch, three months after the game began. When those hopes failed, I turned to the march update, as it had been the time the PS3 version was originally scheduled to launch. My optimism waned a bit when they still had not shown, but perked up once more when I saw the statements concerning 'Public Companies' (Now called Grand Companies) surface in the letters from the producer. Now, however, I can see they are not what I had been hoping for at all.

With no more optimism left in my reserves, I have come here to ask the dev team. When will we have solid info on player run companies? Are they even still planned to launch?


I lead one of the bigger and more influential English Linkshells on Mysidia, and as such, I believe I can say I have a somewhat adequate feel for a linkshell's workings. However, in their current state, they are little more than a chatroom, with many simple and vital features not yet present. Many of my members have now hit 50 on multiple classes, and have embraced what endgame they can by downing the roaming NM's three times per week. However, they are quickly losing interest in this and desire things to do with the entire linkshell. I, myself, also desire a greater purpose for our linkshells than simply serving as a communication line. I have told myself this entire time such issues would be settled by player run companies, but with no info upon the matter, I am concerned I may have been deluding myself as well as my members.

Were player companies to be implemented, I hope to see the staples of guilds in other games make their way in to settle the lack of purpose linkshells have at the moment. Rather than what they were in XI, Status symbols or tools through which to experience endgame, I'd like to see them be a deeper sort of bond, likely fueled through a company level system, company owned housing, and content centered around the large amounts of people gathered in a single company all having to work together in large scale fights.

So here is my humble request as one whom has kept faith in the game and has been playing since beta. Please, at last, give us some shred of info on player run companies, even if only to tell me they're no longer planned.

To all of you that aren't devs reading this, I ask that you speak up if you'd like to know as well. In the game's current state, the community is not yet rich as it was in XI. I wholeheartedly believe that companies would serve to solve that problem, and ask your help in getting info on this matter.

May we meet once more in Eorzea, next time under a more united banner.