Free Company

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What Is a Free Company?

The Grand Companies of the Eorzean Alliance suffered grave losses at the Battle of Carteneau. But nothing could have prepared them for the calamitous arrival of the Seventh Umbral Era. Dalamud's descent upon the battlefield triggered the release of Bahamut, an elder primal seething with rage from eons of imprisonment.
Bahamut's wrath cost the Grand Companies countless troops, and of those who survived, many reportedly deserted the battlefield. When the dust of the Calamity had settled, it became apparent that consolidating the strength of the Grand Companies was imperative. The resurgence of the Garlean threat could not be ignored; the Grand Companies needed to replenish their troops to ensure the safety of the realm.
And so, in an effort to bolster their forces and encourage the cooperation of adventurers, the Eorzean Alliance sanctioned the creation of free companies—mercenary groups that would serve as an extension of the Grand Companies.
Both established and operated by adventurers, these new organizations require little if any contribution from the Grand Companies to sustain them. Moreover, their contracts are formed on an individual basis, making the assembly of troops against opposing threats swift and efficient.
By the decree of the council of the Alliance leadership, adventurers are now free to lend their aid to any Grand Company, transferring their allegiance as they please, and as a result, provide the Alliance with the manpower it needs. As the forces that threaten Eorzea continue to grow, the policies of this new system will allow adventurers to undertake such duties as transcend political boundaries.
Each free company can only be affiliated with a single Grand Company, that each organization might have a better measure of the manpower at its disposal.

What are the benefits of a Free Company?

Free companies are adventurer-run organizations which allow their members to pool resources, be it items or gil, to accomplish feats that would be difficult or impossible for a single individual.
To form a free company, a player must first submit a free company petition after acquiring signatures from three other players. The player who submits the petition will become master of the free company, and can invite additional players to join.
Upon forming a free company, members will be granted access to a company chest, which can be used to store items and gear to be shared with all members. Furthermore, by increasing your free company's rank, you can create a company crest, as well as use a number of company actions to the benefit of your members.
Free companies will also be allowed to purchase estates upon which to establish headquarters. They can also participate in a number of events such as large-scale player-versus-player combat.

— https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/grandcompany/about_freecompany/

Free Companies are player operated organizations similar to guilds in other MMOs. Players can only be in 1 Free Company at a time, and the size limit on companies is 512 members. Like Linkshells, Free Companies have separate chat channels that operate across servers; unlike Linkshells, Free Companies have the option of additional ranks and activities for members. Free Trial players cannot join Free Companies.

Finding and joining a Free Company

New players can find an existing Free Company on the official Community Finder on Lodestone (added in Patch 5.35). Use the search options to filter by server, size, affiliated Grand Company, and desired activities. Once a desired Free Company is located, check the Member List for the Free Company and use the in-game Player Search to find an online representative of the Free Company. Once found, click the player's name and select "View Company Profile", then click the "Submit Application" button if the company is open to application. Another option is to travel to the Free Company's estate, if they own one, and apply at the placard out front.

While there is no in-game search for Free Companies, Free Companies often recruit in the /shout chat of major cities and endgame hubs, and asking in the /shout chat for a Free Company can also result in multiple recruitment notices.

Creating a Free Company

To create a Free Company players need to be level 25 or higher. The founding player must not have been in a free company for at least 24 hours. Creation process:

1. Obtain a company petition from the OIC administrator in Ul'dah, Limsa Lominsa, or Gridania.
2. Fill out the petition with the company's name and tag.
3. Obtain three signatures from three other player characters in the same server. The player characters can be at any level, but they cannot be in a Free Company. Note: All signatories will become founding members of the Free Company after creation. They can leave after the process is complete.
4. Return to the OIC administrator with the petition and pay a  15,000 gil registration fee.

Name changes

The master of the Free Company can change the Free Company's name by speaking with the OIC administrator at Grand Company Headquarters. This is possible once every 30 days (Earth time).

The tag can be changed in the same way, but as frequently as desired.

Activities and ranks

Players can rank up their Free Companies by participating in activities to earn Free Company experience points. As of patch 5.2, there are 30 ranks (up from the previous eight ranks).

Activities include, but are not limited to: fighting monsters, gathering resources, crafting high quality items, completing guildleves, Grand Company Leves, recruiting new members, undertaking supply and provisioning missions, and Treasure Hunts. These activities also grant Free Company Credits that can be used to earn buffs and items.

Free Company Crafting

See also: Crafting Facility

Introduced in Heavensward, Free Company Crafting allows the players to create Aetherial Wheels, Exterior Walls, and Company Airships for the Free Company.

Free Company Airships

Introduced in Heavensward, Company Airships can embark on Exploratory Voyages. These voyages explore the uncharted lands in The Sea of Clouds for exclusive, rare items.

Subaquatic Voyages

In a similar vein, in Patch 4.2 of Stormblood Subaquatic Voyages were added, allowing Free Companies to send submersibles out on Exploratory Voyages for rare and exclusive items.

Aetherial Wheels

Introduced in Patch 2.5, Aetherial Wheels allows the Free Company to use Free Company Actions without spending company credit.

Retainer Dispatchment

An   Expansion of Duties Permit is required to place a retainer on your estate grounds outside the hall. These permits are purchasable from independent sutlers in any residential district.

One, two, or three retainers can be placed on small, medium, and large estates respectively.

Once a retainer is placed on estate grounds, items that they currently have listed for sale on the market can be purchased by anyone who speaks with them. Other players can also view the retainer's sales history (up to 20 entries). Placing retainers on estate grounds does not impact your ability to summon them via summoning bells to deposit and withdraw items, or to assign retainer ventures.

Free Company Entitlements

The amount of XP required to "rank up" a Free Company is determined by the number of members in that Free Company (XP required increases as the member count increases). As such, there are currently no guides available that state the amount of XP needed for each of the ranks found below.

Rank	Entitlement	Description
1	Company Chest	Gives access to the free company chest.
2	Crest Customization	Allows the limited customization of your free company crest.
3	Chest Expansion	Increases the number of company chest tabs to three.
4	Gear Customization	Allows user to affix their free company crest to armor
5	Company Actions	Allows the execution of company actions
6	Land Acquisition	Enables the acquisition of land in residential districts.
7	Crest Expansion	Allows for full customization of company crest.
8	Action Expansion	Increases the maximum number of inactive and active company actions.
10	Chest Expansion	Increases the number of company chest tabs to four.
12	Action Expansion	Increases the maximum number of inactive company actions to 12.
15	Chest Expansion	Increases the number of company chest tabs to five.
18	Action Expansion	Increases the maximum number of inactive company actions to 14.
20	Action Expansion	Increases the maximum number of inactive company actions to 15.

Free Company Actions

All Free Company Actions have a duration of 24 hours, and only 2 actions can be enabled at once. Actions granting the same buff may not be stacked.

Grade 1 Actions

Rank	Action	Icon	Description	Cost	Aetherial Wheel
5	The Heat of Battle		Increases EXP earned through battle by 5%.	3,010	Grade 1 Wheel of Confrontation
	Earth and Water		Increases EXP earned through gathering by 5%.	3,010	Grade 1 Wheel of Productivity
	Helping Hand		Increases EXP earned through crafting by 5%.	3,010	Grade 1 Wheel of Industry
	A Man's Best Friend		Increases EXP earned by companions by 10%.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Longeing
	Mark Up		Increases Wolf Marks earned by 5%.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Rivalry
	Seal Sweetener		Increases company seals earned by 5%.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Company
	Jackpot		Increases MGP payout by 5%.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Recreation
	Brave New World		Increases the attributes of all Disciple of War or Magic members under level 25 by 10%.	1,505	Grade 1 Wheel of Initiation
	Live off the Land		Increases gathering by 5.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Capacity
	What You See		Increases perception by 5.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Observation
	Eat from the Hand		Increases craftsmanship by 5.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Efficiency
	In Control		Increases control by 5.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Precision
	That Which Binds Us		Increases spiritbonding speed.	3,010	Grade 1 Wheel of Dedication
	Meat and Mead		Increases duration of food effects by five minutes.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Nutriment
	Proper Care		Slows gear wear by 10%.	3,010	Grade 1 Wheel of Permanence
	Fleet-footed		Increases duraton of Sprint in large settlements by 25%.	2,408	Grade 1 Wheel of Swiftness
	Reduced Rates		Reduces teleportation fees by 20%.	3,010	Grade 1 Wheel of Pilgrimage

Grade 2 Actions

Rank	Action	Icon	Description	Cost	Aetherial Wheel
8	The Heat of Battle II		Increases EXP earned through battle by 10%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Confrontation
	Earth and Water II		Increases EXP earned through gathering by 10%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Productivity
	Helping Hand II		Increases EXP earned through crafting by 10%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Industry
	A Man's Best Friend II		Increases EXP earned by companions by 15%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Longeing
	Mark Up II		Increases Wolf Marks earned by 10%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Rivalry
	Seal Sweetener II		Increases company seals earned by 10%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Company
	Jackpot II		Increases MGP payout by 10%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Recreation
	Brave New World II		Increases the attributes of all Disciple of War or Magic members under level 49 by 5%.	3,010	Grade 2 Wheel of Initiation
	Live off the Land II		Increases gathering by 10.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Capacity
	What You See II		Increases perception by 10.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Observation
	Eat from the Hand II		Increases craftsmanship by 10.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Efficiency
	In Control II		Increases control by 10.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Precision
	That Which Binds Us II		Increases spiritbonding speed.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Dedication
	Meat and Mead II		Increases duration of food effects by ten minutes.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Nutriment
	Proper Care II		Slows gear wear by 20%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Permanence
	Fleet-footed II		Increases duration of Sprint in large settlements by 50%.	4,816	Grade 2 Wheel of Swiftness
	Reduced Rates II		Reduces teleportation fees by 30%.	6,020	Grade 2 Wheel of Pilgrimage

Grade 3 Actions

Action	Icon	Description	Aetherial Wheel
The Heat of Battle III		Increases EXP earned through battle by 15%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Confrontation
Earth and Water III		Increases EXP earned through gathering by 20%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Productivity
Helping Hand III		Increases EXP earned through crafting by 20%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Industry
A Man's Best Friend III		Increases EXP earned by companions by 20%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Longeing
Mark Up III		Increases Wolf Marks earned by 15%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Rivalry
Seal Sweetener III		Increases company seals earned by 15%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Company
Jackpot III		Increases MGP payout by 15%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Recreation
Live off the Land III		Increases gathering by 15.	Grade 3 Wheel of Capacity
What You See III		Increases perception by 15.	Grade 3 Wheel of Observation
Eat from the Hand III		Increases craftsmanship by 15.	Grade 3 Wheel of Efficiency
In Control III		Increases control by 15.	Grade 3 Wheel of Precision
That Which Binds Us III		Increases spiritbonding speed.	Grade 3 Wheel of Dedication
Meat and Mead III		Increases duration of food effects by fifteen minutes.	Grade 3 Wheel of Nutriment
Proper Care III		Slows gear wear by 30%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Permanence
Reduced Rates III		Reduces teleportation fees by 40%.	Grade 3 Wheel of Pilgrimage

Company Chest

Locations

Region	Zone	Aethernet Shard	Position
The Black Shroud	Old Gridania	Shaded Bowyer	(X:14, Y:9)
The Black Shroud	New Gridania	Adders' Nest	(X:9, Y:11)
La Noscea	Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks	Hawkers' Round	(X:7, Y:12)
La Noscea	Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks	Maelstrom Command	(X:13, Y:12)
Thanalan	Ul'dah - Steps of Nald	Hall of Flames	(X:8.3, Y:9.4)
Thanalan	Ul'dah - Steps of Thal	Sapphire Avenue Exchange	(X:13.8, Y:10.4)
Gyr Abania	Rhalgr's Reach	Western Rhalgr's Reach	(X:10.1, Y:12.9)
Hingashi	Kugane	Kogane Dori Markets	(X:12.3, Y:12.3)