So what's the point of Grand Companies

[Prototype909]

Other than glamor usages and putting an arbitrary restriction on who you're allowed to enter Frontlines with? They're never relevant in the story (Aside from like 2-3 lines of dialogue when talking with some NPCs where they just mention your rank), they have no storylines of their own, the gear they give themselves is only semi-relevant when you're first leveling up. I mean sure you can buy items with GC Seals but is that really all they're good for? Being yet another currency vendor that could just as easily be assimilated or replaced with any of the other ones?

So what are they for? Because right now they just feel like some half-baked idea they implemented only to put no actual content behind it.

[Kiroh]

Grand Companies actually had some of the better endgame gear in 1.0. Like many things in the game they were carried over but have never really been expanded upon in ARR. They may introduce new ranks and such once the level cap increases, but it's probably still going to be some of the lesser gear for that level range.

(They also had some really interesting story lines in 1.0, and played an integral part of the Dalamud story arc. Sadly much of the story and indeed lore of the grand companies, like many things from 1.0, did not carry over into ARR either.)

[Arielyanna]

I say give SE some time to work out what they want to do with the GC's. Like Kiroh said, in 1.0 the GC's had some good quests... it just wasn't ported over to ARR. The game is still relatively young (mmo wise), so there may be some more development for them in future expansions etc.

[HakuroDK]

Between the Expansion, the Chinese Client, the DX11 Client, the Server issues, Fanfest, and a bunch of other projects, there's been a lot of work on tertiary projects for this game throughout its entire first year and beyond. Once all that is done (I assume by the time Heavensward launches), I'm sure there will be more manpower devoted to content expanding upon things like Grand Company quests and such.

[Felis]

More GC content is coming with 3.0

[WellFooled]

I'd love for grand companies to be expanded too (new content is always welcome), but Grand Companies are important to lore, have leveling gear, vanity gear, and crafting material rewards, are part of the hunt and fate features, have a big list of exclusive achievements and titles., and dictate things in Frontlines. I think they bring a good deal to the table.

[Felis]

I really hope that the GC get a real storyline again. Not just some quests here in there.
During 1.x they were a important part of the 7th umbral era storyline. We spied for our GC, we fought for our GC, we delivered messages for our GC and we didn't switch GC.
In ARR we don't have a strong link to our GC, because most time we just work for Minfillia.

Also Chocobo Caravan was part of the GC contents. I hope it get a comeback someday

[Korilynn]

I wouldn't mind some expanded storylines for the GCs but I don't actually mind them being a PvP/Glamour only thing either.

[Welsper59]

Given the direction of the story the game takes once the Scions come into play, the GCs are a backseat thing right now. Perhaps at some point in time, we'll see them take a greater role, but I guess the writers don't really want to incorporate them much until they get their main ideas out of the way. Once those things have been exhausted, there will most likely be a greater focus on the GCs to supplement content. GCs are separate identities afterall, meaning different storylines ideally... otherwise, it's basically what we have now. A unified story that develops the same way for everyone.

XI is a good example of what to expect with faction/affiliated nation storyline, assuming they ever do release GC related story quests. Taking on questlines that deal with the imminent local danger (beastmen, local/political corruption, etc). Hmm... makes me miss the conquest system a little. Having a bit of pride in your decisions to be affiliated with a faction is a fun experience. We can get a glimpse of that with Frontlines, in fact.

[NozomiKei]

I just wish they would allow you to wear the clothes from any GC you've completed. Our glamour options are already severely limited; they really didn't need to limit them further by restricting us from wearing the gear from any gc but our current one. Those Maelstrom hunt coats are amazing and I really like the headpiece and robe from Adder's hunt stuff, but I'm married to my Flames loincloth. Not to mention the awesome weapons BLM get from the other GC hunt stuff, while the Flames' one is rather blah.