Grand Companies an after thought?

[Myrhn]

Is been almost 3 year since FFVIX launch and the Grand Companies still have the same ranks. I thought that when 3.0 launches the GC would have new ranks as well as new rewards and story but no. Right now it feels like SE just forgot about them and want us to forget about them too. They have even show us the new ranks but no way to get them.
So SE when will we see more ranks and story about the GC? Will it be only a PvP part or will still be PvE? It been long enoght that tehy should had done something about them.

[Enkidoh]

Well, less an afterthought and more just redundant content/lore really - they had far more relevance in the leadup to the shutdown of the original game (where their whole purpose was uniting the disparate Eorzean citystates together under one banner, citystates who didn't even have professional armies at that time) - with a giant space rock hovering over their heads like the Sword of Damocles and Nael van Darnus launching daily assaults against Eorzea... no wonder the GCs came about.

Post Calamity however, the GCs were kind of relegated to the background, what with more and more adventurers stepping up and filling in manpower holes in military affairs that that the GCs were meant to have filled themselves, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn also taking the limelight (which is ironic, given the Scions predecessor in version 1.0 the Path of the Twelve actually started out important but then fell into obscurity when the Grand Companies were first formed).

Given how 3.1 and 3.2 have been hinting at, it's highly likely come 3.3 and beyond into the currently hypothetical second expansion, that the Grand Companies will undergo a revival and that will be when we see new ranks added, but until SE confirms or denies this, take this with a grain of salt.

[Cnidarian]

The last we heard, they were trying to find a way to provide new stuff to the GC's and provide a way to rank up outside of "Kill X of Y mobs, give me Z GC seal, and complete this random dungeon"

[Dualblade]

There was something about how they wanted to add NPCs that would fight under you as well in the higher ranks if I remember correctly, and they really wanted to have that ready before adding in said ranks.

[Ashkendor]

They've basically said that they don't want the next set of ranks to be clear dungeon + turn in seals > get rank, so they're trying to figure out what exactly to do with it. I'm hoping for some solo missions with NPC's to command or something.

[Alberel]

The last we heard, they were trying to find a way to provide new stuff to the GC's and provide a way to rank up outside of "Kill X of Y mobs, give me Z GC seal, and complete this random dungeon"

I'm honestly hoping we may see something along the lines of FFXI's campaign system introduced with 4.0 as a means to gain ranks. If the story is moving in the direction it appears to be then it would make a LOT of sense. I suppose the best way to describe this would be FATEs that have you capture or defend key objectives on the map as the factions warred for control of a region. If we're going to Gyr Abania then the GCs are going to be fighting to capture and hold Garlean territory. It would also be a great way to finally give us a new type of content...

[Derio]

They said the next ranks are very important so they didnt want to rush them or just add kill x and do y.
They also said that they were working on you being able to control your own troops. They are probably stuck behind PS3 limitations with GC and are waiting until the next expansion to do anything with them.

[Cherie]

If I were to guess, they are probably waiting for some relevant part of the story to introduce the new ranks. I'm sure they will work it in there eventually. Last part of the story I did, the cities were kind of... well, let's just say they are kind of warming up to us again. I still have yet to do the most recent story bit though. I need to... >.>

[Kotemon]

I'm assuming it'll be around 4.0 -ish when we actually have to take care of the Garlian threat

[Felis]

Well, less an afterthought and more just redundant content/lore really - they had far more relevance in the leadup to the shutdown of the original game (where their whole purpose was uniting the disparate Eorzean citystates together under one banner, citystates who didn't even have professional armies at that time)

Gridania - God's Quiver
Ul'dah - Brass Blades
Limsa Lominsa - Barracuda

They just didn't recruit adventurers