Quote Originally Posted by SuzakuCMX View Post
And I'm just asking (along with others) what a Player Company could do that a Linkshell would not be able to do, or have the added function of doing. If there isn't anything, then there is no point in having a Player Company at all.
As it currently stands, linkshells are literally chat channels. You may, and by XI's standard are expected to have multiple, and use them as small groups with which to run certain aspects of the game, be it social or what have you. In this way, it can be very difficult to make a singular connection with just a linkshell.

Take for example a linkshell bank. If you let members give and take freely, one member may then take from all of their linkshells, and be dedicated to no single one. Further, as a linkshell can be created on the fly and up to 8 may be held, if given access to player housing, banks, and vehicles, what is to stop players from making 7 personal banks and houses?

Linkshells lack any need for specific loyalty. Companies, as envisioned here as large groups of people working toward a single goal require loyalty. Were they to release companies, allow people to keep their linkshells yet join only a single company, when it comes to company events you would naturally be loyal to your company.

If you don't see what I'm saying, picture this. Say they put up a company conquest system, reminiscent to XI's nations. You're in multiple LS's. Which LS should your progress be awarded to? These kind of scenarios could arise with all sorts of potential company content.

Further, linkshell size and controls are very limited. The very definition given of companies implies they will be larger groups. For my linkshell, we are rapidly nearing the LS cap. We have a strict app proccess and break the shell routinely to remove inactives, and at this point, we have roughly 20 spots remaining (Including the inactives to be trimmed) before we're entirely out of space and entirely filled with only active members. As such, we are not a zerg LS that takes anyone and everyone, so no, that is not why I'm nearly out of space. I do, however, wish to hold true to my statement that there will always be as many slots for more to join us as there are good people to fill them. Companies would allow and cater to larger groups of players, where linkshells may be anywhere from 8 to 80 active players for content, Companies would be designed around more.


All of this, however, is entirely irrelevant to the question at hand. I merely wish to know if they are still in the works. People can say there would be no content for them, but that's because they aren't implemented. Sort of a chicken and the egg kind of thing. If launched, I imagine they would be launched in the far future along with content.