[Request] Free Companies need some updates

[Nalien]

*On a sidenote the issue with FC only content is that there'll always be that handful of crybabies that will whine if they can't partake in it because they either a) don't have a FC or b) choose not to socialize within the game.

I always see this as a non-point. I mean yeah, people are going to cry because they can't do the exciting new Free Company content, but... So what? I personally don't think their complaints have much merit, getting or making a Free Company is not difficult. If someone doesn't want to be in one by choice? How is that any different than saying "I don't want to be in a static" or "I don't want to learn Ultimate"? Should Savage and Ultimate content be scrapped because a few people are asocial enough to keep themselves from such content? Hell no.

As a FC leader,I would actually like to see a survey carried out to see how many players/normal FC members, actually get to participate or benefit from FC content like Airships/Submarines etc.

Under the current system, the FC leader pretty much controls such features/content and gets to decide who participates/benefits.

Honestly I think they should change the system somewhat... Airships and Submarines should be a perk of joining and committing to a Free Company... Rather than the Free Company just having 4 of each with the leader likely in control of all of them, have it so everyone with the correct permission can have 1 Airship and 1 Submarine... Essentially a "Hey, we'd like to keep you in this Free Company, so have a Free Company Retainer to send off on Ventures", given that's all they really are currently... Perhaps still limit it somewhat, since there's probably some spaghetti code ruining all our fun, so say only X number of people can have the rank that gives permission to build and own the ships. You can technically organize this currently, but it would be absurd to ignore the risks involved in that, you give permission to someone currently, they have access to all your Airships/Submarines. Nothing stopping them stripping them for parts and bolting to another Company in all honesty...

Rework the whole "You found a thing that lets you build another Ship" thing to be a progression system perhaps... You start out by building a regular ass Boat, send it on Voyages to uncharted Islands. One day it comes back with a thing, now you can build an Airship. Send that off too, one day it comes back with a thing that lets you build a Submarine. Come 7.0 perhaps that comes back with a thing to build a Spaceship for Lunar Voyages... Honestly I'd like an all-in-one Ship like Final Fantasy V (so you start off with a Boat, you upgrade it to an Airship, then you upgrade it to a Submarine, and it can do all those functions in one), rather than the Airship and Submarine that we currently have, but something like that likely requires a much more significant overhaul.

Rework the Workshop constructions to be entirely solo, but with a "Other members can donate supplies if they feel like it" stipulation, because honestly the whole "Get 3 people to sit around doing absolutely nothing while you progress the build" was never a good design. I'd much rather a system where you walk up to the build thing, and it gives you a list of members names who are currently building something. They all progress their builds on their own, but I can say look at Bobs build, see he needs some Cobalt Nails, see I have spare Cobalt Nails, and put them towards his build to help out. He gets a little notification saying I donated Cobalt Nails and thanks me in Free Company Chat.

And to repeat my previous idea; Slap Treasure Map style content on the end of Voyages. Random chance my Airship comes back with a location that we can physically ride the Airship to visit and explore for various additional rewards. Some new rewards, some repeating from the Voyage loot table. I, or anyone in the Free Company with Airship permissions, gets that. They say in chat, we gather up and go on a fun little jaunt around some random Diadem-esque island. Submarines can do the exact same thing, just rather than a Diadem inspired area, take from Tempest and the various underwater areas from Ruby Sea.

Oh, and remove the Workshop from Housing... The door in Estates should be a convenient shortcut for groups lucky enough to have a House, not the sole means of accessing the content... Slap an appropriate NPC/Door somewhere in the three starting cities and have that be how every Free Company accesses the Workshop. Your Free Company is allied to Twin Adders? You go to Gridania, talk to this NPC/Door, pay the 500k or whatever it was to unlock the Workshop. Bam. Now you have a Workshop, simply return to that NPC/Door whenever you want to enter it.