Free Company
Free Companies are player operated organizations similar to guilds in other MMOs. Players can only be in 1 Free Company at a time. 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 and be part of a Grand Company. The founding player must not have been in a free company for at least 24 hours. Creation process:
- Obtain a company petition from the OIC administrator in Ul'dah, Limsa Lominsa, or Gridania.
- Fill out the petition with the company's name and tag.
- 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.
- Return to the OIC administrator with the petition and pay a 15,000 gil registration fee.
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
Grade 2 Actions
Grade 3 Actions
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) |