FC vs. LS -OR- How I learned to Create a Community

[Sadana]

That's an interesting FC/LS creation story. Thanks for sharing that. ^^ Here's mine:
I made a throw away character on a JP server when NA servers were closed during EA. I'm flat new to this whole thing and jumped at a chance to join a FC when I saw a shout for Harmonium. I got help from FC mates often and really appreciated it. I barely remember the FC creators disappearing into the aether and being replaced by the second FC leader. She was a hoot. We had many silly convos on FC chat and things were lively. Then something went awry. There were 4 or 5 other EN FCs on this server and people started sniping endgame players from each other's FC. There was much backstabbing and bad feels. I was maybe level 35 and was clueless. I had a spontaneous bikini party with the leader and found myself an officer. ^^ THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON I WAS MADE OFFICER. Then free transfer month happened... omg, it was like rats on a sinking ship. Nearly all our endgame players left. People I was 'friends' with didn't even bother to say bye or anything. The FC leader had gone on vacation weeks prior and hadn't returned. I was the only 'officer' left. The leader showed up one day when I wasn't online, asked who should be leader, and ta da... I was voted in.

I racked my brain for ideas. Entire other EN FCs transferred servers. I invited a few stragglers here and there. Hell, I thought of leaving. Then it occurred to me to make an English LS to bring together those FCs left on Atomos. Those who stayed were damn stubborn. We didn't want to combine into one FC though since people had their loyalty. Shortly, I found myself having to review the LS membership often because we hit the 128 cap. ><

We've gone through some low points (and high points) since. Now, Harmonium is one of the bigger FCs on the server. We still use the LS of course but the vast majority of our casual conversation takes place in FC chat. Sometimes it's quiet, sometimes you better learn to speed read. XD

We are held together by not much more than a common language and a serious stubborn streak. I see the EN LS as my baby, but HARM as my family. I'm damn lucky to know these people. We do everything from player run silly events to coil to QQ over atma farming and we celebrate each other's victories... no matter how small.

I sincerely hope they add FC alliances sometime soon as I hope it will bring the EN FCs on Atomos closer together. I can wish that my allied FCs could make use of our house npc's and stuff. Hell, I'd be happy if they increased the LS member cap to the same as FCs. I don't understand why it's so small in comparison.

eta: The point is that every LS & FC has a different reason for it's existence; a different back story (even if it's as simple as "for pvp")

[Clavaat]

-snip-

Thanks for the post! I actually forgot to mention member size in my OP. I know size would become a issue server-side, but maybe they would be able to allocate some resources to increasing that as well. I have about 40 members, give or take in my FC, and about 70 in my LS