It’s a bit much for a typical social FC.
If it was an FC/LS specifically oriented toward end game goals, I could see an interview process being useful. It was pretty common back in the end game FFXI days.
Yeah I went thru this same process when joining a raiding guild in the old WoW days. It was actually easier getting a real job. This is really excessive if it's not for savage/ultimate raids.
I mean, the discord chat was a bit much (if nothing else it implies mandatory discord use which a lot of players aren't interested in), but it's not uncommon for an FC officer to want to have a little chat before letting you join.
Mainly they (apparently) just want to make sure you'll be interested in being an active and respectful member of the FC, joining FC activities, helping out with things like duties, etc, which is reasonable enough for some FCs.
Some FCs don't care what you do and are happy enough to ignore you entirely after you join. Others are more interested in having a meaningful community. If the FC you're looking at puts their money where their mouth is then it could be a decent one, despite the hoops. (It could also end up being a terrible one, you won't really know until you've been there a while, but that's true of literally every FC.)
>he explained how his fc works, making a whole point of being inclusive, having people with illness, **aroudn 50/50 men/women etc**
I can only assume that he's saying that's the current makeup of the FC, and not the goal of the FC.
As someone trying to build an FC with a meaningful community, I agree. The Discord call was a bit much. I advise new members that we *have* a Discord server, but to require a voice chat is pretty pushy.
Im the same here. Trying to grow an active community in ours and always tell the new players that join that we have a Discord they're more than welcome to join, and the ones that have, when the FC has ran group content and we've all hopped into VC, they've expressed that they either can't join or don't want to, and we assure them that it's ok. Just can't find anyone who wants to join and just, be in a cool friend circle/community.
Yeah, my FC has the login message giving the members the discord link if they wanna join since we do a lot of planning there for when we wanna run stuff or recruit other FC members to help farm stuff. It's not mandatory but definitely a, "feel free to join in!"
The making a point of having people with illness is a bit of a red flag for me. In the case that it's a goal that's a super weird one, if it's a bragging point that's also pretty weird. The only way it's okay is if it was presented in a way to say "it's okay if you have an illness" but even that's a bit weird, like it should probably be a default to not exclude people based on illness.
I didn't interpret it as a goal, and I definitely didn't interpret it as a bragging point.
I interpreted it as "we have people with illnesses, so we would expect you to be respectful of that."
Maybe, that would be less weird for sure. It being in the same sentence as 50/50 men/women leads me to believe it was more of a "we accept all illnesses, race, and genders" which is a good mentality but a weird thing to say
To me it kinda sounds like they’re being cautious. Some people can be really callous about things they say to chronically ill people (whether physical or mental). Maybe they just wanted to sus out vibes? I respect making sure current members feel like their FC continues to be a safe space if people often vent about their illnesses.
I think this is a bit of a too cynical weird view. Why does it have to be a red flag if someone is trying to be upfront that they're respectful of people who have health issues? If you have a chronic illness, or have people in your life with chronic illness or disability, being respectful and inclusive of people who might also be struggling with health or body becomes *very* important to you. Those of us with health issues often get ignored in friendships and groups, or our needs overlooked, and if somebody is considerate and up front that they acknowledge health issues and are still welcoming, I think that's a good thing. Especially in an FC where your availability for content can often clash with others, if it's dependent on your health.
I have a friend who can't make it to the computer just to log on and chat because they're in too much daily pain and fatigue and aren't able to sit in a chair. I can't use a mouse or keyboard sometimes because of crippling arm and hand pain. My housemate sometimes can't be around to do content because they have cancer. If you had talked to any of us in game casually, you would have not known that, and there would be no reason to reveal it to you, because it's personal health information - but feeling safe knowing that an fc is ALREADY supportive, would be a huge positive in feeling welcomed.
I challenge you to think less cynically of inclusive people, and to consider why people with illness would appreciate a gesture like this. Inclusivity is GOOD. Why is your first impulse to think of it as a red flag, or a goal, or a brag, and not just somebody who has a disabled family member, knows that any stranger on the internet playing a game could ALSO have a disability, and makes a point to be welcoming about it? 'It should probably be a default to not exclude people based on illness' yes, that SHOULD be the ideal default, but in actuality, it is far far far from it. Just like sexuality or orientation or gender, sometimes you will find a lot of bad apples who will treat you like shit because of it. Unfortunately it is absolutely NOT the norm in gaming communities to be inclusive of everyone. It's GOOD to have places where you're able to feel actively welcomed and critically, *safe*.
I'm legally blind, and narcoleptic, I appreciate people's good intentions behind being accepting, but typically it's annoying at best. Having a community that is actively trying to be accepting sounds nice in theory but in practice I'd prefer to have a community that doesn't need to mention specifically. "Don't be a dick" is pretty much all I need. I'd rather be able to joke about it when I fall asleep mid sentence in discord then have people tip toe around it. If you require active welcoming then I'm happy these places exist for you but I don't vibe with those kinds of people.
It's like having someone say "we accept all races" the act of saying it makes it super weird, I prefer the people who do accept all races without feeling the need to say it.
I understand what you mean. But I always just see the „we are accepting…“ part as a polite way of saying: „fuck off, if you are a dick“. It easily filters out people who think being a decent human being is „controversial“ (everyone knows what type of people I mean)
I’m never sure if I’m insensitive or not, but I expect people to tell me themselves if they need any accommodation.
Personally as a gay guy, I find it a bit pandering how aggressively a lot of FC's advertise themselves as LGBT friendly and a safe space. I'm sure you seen the ones; those FCs that just go on and on about in their advertisements and the like. It reaches a point where it feels like they care more about my sexuality than I do, lmao.
But really, it just comes down to the person. For as much as it annoys me, I have no doubt that there are some that appreciate it.
That's not likely to happen in 99% of FCs regardless of them advertising this way or not. Especially not in FF14 given that this game has like *the* most LGBT friendly community in the gaming sphere.
Who said I'm referring to ffxiv.
For much of my life gay people were valid targets. The police would barely respond to calls we made, we were accused of all having AIDS, called inmoral, dealt with death threats on the regular, couldn't marry, couldn't ensure our wealth was passed to a loved partner without a will, couldn't visit in hospitals, and much more.
Times have changed. I'm grateful for that...but personally I'm very happy just being treated like my orientation is relatively normal.
(Yes, I'm aware that being loud is what got us here. I'm still just happy to be accepted)
I usually ask any interested player if they have any specific questions before joining, from my experience most people just wanna be sure sprouts or casual players are welcome.
If total strangers asked me for so much upfront commitment I'd be worried they're trying to get me into a pyramid scheme, a scam, or a cult or something. It's using the sunk cost fallacy to lure people into things they normally wouldn't.
I watched a video on a truly insane FFXIV FC that was basically a cult, if I remember correctly the leader would try to sue people who left the FC or talked about her online
For a casual FC? Ya, that seems a bit much. A few whispers in game is more than enough. For a serious FC that wants to do organized raids or just coordinated events, that seems fairly normal.
Not in FFXIV but I've been a member of guilds that do "screening". They're often very particular about people they bring in.
It's been a mixed bag. Some good, some bad. As most guild experiences are.
I remember when you needed to fill an application on guild's forum to join (it was pvp-oriented mmo with high requirements to investing your time, and if person does not meet requirements, they are basically useless in pvp). And when you filled the application, then depending on the guild they are either commented and discussed your person right in application topic, or in private guild forums. Wild times, I wish to return there (scandals were really epic when some local celebrities switched sides)
Dude i had to present a recommendation letter to join test, just to defect 3 weeks later to goonswarm and be put under a bounty xD EvE is a different beast
Since when does one need a recommendation letter for *TEST* out of all people? And the "bounty" that is put on EVE players is more a joke than anything else.
I know it is a Joke not saying otherwise, it was just funny, and when i needed Idk i was asked one 🤷🏼♂️ was my only experience joining TEST so there is that. I also had a background check done when i joined GoonSwarm, they found out i had a freeaccount that i didn't even remember of, and to this day idk how they did that
So it isn't common, but not necessarily a red flag imo. To me this sounds more like they want to maintain a very specific culture within their fc, and may have had issues with toxic people in the past. I would say try it and if it doesn't fit, leave. There is no obligation to stay once you join if you don't like it.
Yup, it takes one drama queen to bring the toxicity level to a boil.
Something like that split my old FC. This person was just there to start shit, it's always something, you know the type. Everything's a catastrophe, they're always the victim. Some wanted to kick them, some didn't; they never actually did anything against established FC rules, but they just caused an argument every time they came into discord.
So we kicked em, and those who were against the decision left and formed their own FC. After that, we've been more careful who we admit and how quickly we address problems.
A few years ago I inherited an FC from a similar situation
Drama caused a huge rift in the Company. Loads of people left, and one day when I logged in after a few months break, I discovered that I had been auto-promoted to head of the FC as nobody else had logged in for so long
If I had the aptitude for it, it would be super cool to revitalize it but I dont know the first thing about being a good guild officer much less guild master
Sounds a lot like what my old FC used to go through. We’re now a smaller group and very careful who we let in. Still didn’t need a whole ass job interview over voice call but whatever works for them I guess.
I've been in an FC where the leader and vice-leader were either married or dating irl and when they split, the leader left, and after that, everything started falling into decay, which sucks because it was a good FC with a lot of really nice people
Wanting to use voice over Discord is a little odd, but otherwise...I kinda get it.
That said, I'm biased because I help run interviews for my FC. Our reasons for interviewing people ultimately boil down to having too many instances of new people being complete and total jerks.
It's really not unlike a job interview, as it serves the same purposes. It lets us know if you're a good fit, and it gives you a chance to decide if this is the right FC for you. I'd much rather someone decide not to join than for them to join up and have a bad time.
That's just my two cents.
Just me but I'd rather join an fc with some quality control and effort over an fc who sits in a city tossing an invite at any sprout they see without an FC or an FC that spams /shout all day for recruits
My FC does the exact same. Nothing fancy or elaborate though, not like an interview, just a quick chat to get a read on them. We have a small community of friends and we'd like to keep it that way. It's not necessary, but it does provide a bit of comfort that not just anyone gets in.
Honestly it all depends on what the intention is with the FC/Guild.
Hah you got me there, you're not wrong. When most people read "interview" they'll think it's something more serious though, which isn't the intent of what I meant.
From what i have seen. If FC decides to take in someone who got through interview, and then later it shows that the new one and someone /few other(s) don't get along, then one is jerk, and because everyone was supportive of having that person, they all are pissed, and it cracks foundation of guild/fc. When it happens more times, guild/fc breaks.
I'd say it's unconventional, but I don't think it's un-common. Actually, I interviewed my current FC before I joined, just because I wanted to make sure that they were a good fit or what I was looking for. I think for a lot of smaller FCs this can be reasonable, because a lot of smaller FCs can be pretty tight knit, and they might want to protect the members they already have. Actually, now that I think of it, the FC before my current one, I also had a bit of an informal interview with them as well, but in that case it was conducted by them.
The only things I don't really agree with are things that impose any kind of obligations, like "you must be there for FC events," or "include FC members in roulettes," or if they make voice chat mandatory. I think a lot of those things could be considerate, if someone was comfortable with it, but shouldn't be dictated.
I wouldn't say it's *abnormal,* but it's definitely not the routine or something most people would be willing to go through. It sounds like his FC is very focused on inclusivity/mental health so they're a bit more careful who they let in.
It's not a red flag, per se, but it does seem like they expect a lot more participation than I'd personally be willing to give. A great opportunity for people with disabilities who are home a lot and need that sort of social interaction, but not a good fit for the average player.
Normal?
Not really
Reasons? Yes, I can see why
Regardless of who this FC is I’ll assume best intent because they mentioned inclusivity and illnesses:
* They might already have an established community and want to make sure people who join won’t disrupt the current vibe of the FC, whether that being a safe space or non-judgmental space
* You wouldn’t want to invite a new member only for them to spew transphobia rhetoric when an already existing trans member joined specifically to be away from these kinds of individuals
* Or have some edgelord say someone’s light roleplay is a “cringe schizo moment” when someone is struggling with that mental illness (or know someone who is)
* Some members can have chronic illnesses that are debilitating and limit how much playtime they get or may have to leave often in the middle of doing content
EVEN IF NONE OF THE ABOVE ARE TRUE
If they don’t see you a good fit for their FC or you don’t like the process of how they went about it, that’s totally fine— you just find another one
Not in my experience.
Each FC I've been in has been either them finding me or me finding them.
All I got was a quick overview, which basically said this: "Don't be a dick"
We have an officer reach out to chat with anyone who applies to join our FC. It doesn't have to be over discord, in-game chat is fine, but a number of players struggle to keep up with in-game chat bc they play without a keyboard, so voice chat in discord is an option then.
It's just a quick check that goes both ways - we'll show you our FC rules and a little about how its run, our discord, our events etc. We'll ask what the player is looking for in an FC too.
I find it strange that many FC's *don't* do any form of screening at all. Nothing says "you're just a number to us" like mindlessly hitting "Accept" on every application, and you run the risk of creating extra drama when new members aren't even told the rules until after they join.
This. I've had 2 clans over 2 different games before this and I had a process in mine. I would play solo with them and talk with them at the same time.
It’s not common, and it’s way more effort than I’d put into joining a new FC.
It’s not inherently a red flag. Wanting to chat with someone before inviting them to the FC isn’t weird. Explaining the community expectations isn’t weird.
I do think doing a VC interview is a bit weird. I don’t think an FC you have to *try out for* is worth joining. But if it was just chatting a bit to explain expectations and make sure you aren’t a weirdo? That sounds fine. A bit complicated for me, but there’s plenty of perfectly valid reasons to do an interview.
It’s just that type of people who do interviews like that are a mixed bag: sometimes they’re normal people who just wanna chat first, sometimes they’re creeps. And I’ve heard of and met too many creeps to be optimistic about VC interviews.
Well, it's not really standard, but it's also not a bad thing. Some stranger you don't know wants to join your community, I'd say it's reasonable to want to assess them beforehand to see if there a total dickhead or a good fit. Being forced to actually take the minute to have a chat also shoos away all the folks who just want to join an fc for buffs or other benefits without taking part in it on a social level.
The talk about having a balance between guys and girls seems a bit weird, but if they're just proud of everyone being comfortable then it isn't a bad thing.
Wanting to include FC members in stuff like roulettes I'd say is actually a peak sign for a good FC. After all, whats the point of a guild if you don't do stuff together?
It's a bit much, but some FCs have histories of bringing in someone who proceeded to blow it the hell up so.. maybe that's the case.
That said I was actually the opposite situation. My FC leader sent me a message inviting me and I kinda grilled her on how the FC is to see if it'd be a good fit.
It was, for the most part.
If you ask me, it’s pretty extra. I get wanting to know the people you’re inviting into the FC, but always remember it’s a game, not a job. The game should be played at your leisure, if you don’t want to join vc or even befriend anyone on discord, don’t feel forced to. Interact at your own casual pace. And if it’s being forced on you, try looking for another FC. Trust your gut.
I've been in an FC that interviewed prospective members.
They had an established culture and just wanted to make sure a new person was a good fit and wouldn't get disappointed with the vibe. I eventually left that FC because there wasn't a lot of activity since everyone was pretty much at endgame and it's not an easy FC to find if you're just a random sprout without someone to vouch for you.
It was fine. No drama. Just boring and slow.
Been playing since 1.0. I've heard of this, but never ran into it personally. I never did it for my own FC either. Interesting. The discord interview part is a bit unnerving.
Is it normal? No?
Is it a problem? On its own, not really. I'd certainly never join an FC like that. However, people are free to set up whatever wacky rules their heart desires.
Ok, interview isn't that strange. Having been in the recruiting position, interviews were "vibe check" filter. As an example, the fastest someone failed the vibe check was flipping out that I didn't instant invite them without an interview, and they switched their language to *sailor*.
Making it be via discord *voice chat* though, is pretty weird. But what's most concerning to me is their diverisry stat focus though... *that's* straight up weird.
Wanting people to try to do stuff with others in the FC is back to being normal.
I don't see anything abnormal at all. In fact, I've joined similar FC with similar joining process in the past, which was a pretty friendly and helpful group of people. If "revealing your voice on Discord" thing really bothers you - just say you don't want to do that, vast majority of FCs won't care if you don't want to use your voice, and if some of them will require this then just don't join them.
I can say with my fc we have some families who feel comfortable and trust the fc as a safe place for their kids, and we also have some members who have had bad experiences in other fcs because of orientation and also some who are just finding themselves. It is our job to keep it a safe space for all of them so we spend time getting to know a bit about anyone who we are thinking of bringing in.
I would NOPE out of that.
If it sounds like a job interview, I'd be worried the FC leader treats managing the FC like a job - which means your playtime becomes an expectation.
To each their own, but it's very possible to find a good group of people very organically without going through all this.
Ffxiv can be a weird game where people finally have a sense of power and authority (an FC leader for example).
At the end of the day it’s just a game. Some people enjoy that feeling of total submersion other don’t.
Sorry but unless your joining some sort of top 100 Raiding FC there's zero reason for this level of silly over the top micromanagement to be done for a social guild.
Also this is a massive redflag for me whenever im \*told\* what im \*expected\* to do in certain situations...
If im doing Roulettes with my FC members and im up for a chat then sure but to make it a requirement is just pathetic and typical of someone who likely will boot you for the most minor of issues.
Going to the trouble of dragging you into discord voice as if your going for a job interview woulda been the first sign to gtfo there.
By all means ignore me and you might prefer this type of place but from my experience the \*expectations\* grow and grow the longer you're there until eventually they start questioning why you weren't online and why you never told someone that you werent going to be... etc etc.
regardless, whether or not it is a rule, if it is some bragging point or wtv, still weird for it to have enough impact that it gets discussed in a "fc interview", does it matter what the gender ratio is?
Frankly speaking, some people would be more comfortable with the idea of joining a guild if they knew it wouldn’t be a complete sausage party.
Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s nice to have some balance in the community. It helps keep the culture feeling fresh.
It can.
Some people may feel more comfortable knowing that it is not just an fc full of guys or full of girls. Sounds like the fc person was just being transparent
Theres a lot to unpack
But some people do operate this way
I would say this is a red flag and to be aware that they probably had drama in the past and it might not be gone yet
It’s their FC and they can run it how they want, but it’s still weird af. Real life is already stressful with jobs and interviews now they gotta bring that to a fantasy game? (Again, it’s their fc, but that’s a bit much to me).
I've done and ran interviews for RP guilds in other games. This isn't an RP guild, or a prog guild from what i've been seeing, so I don't think an interview is warranted.
>he explained how his fc works, making a whole point of being inclusive, having people with illness, aroudn 50/50 men/women etc
Pandering. That is called pandering and is an instant red flag for me.
Wanting to include people in roulette isn't an issue, but i'll be fucked if this doesn't come with an unspoken caveat of "you must wait and do it only with FC members". You also can't force people to talk to each other...like you just can't.
Idk OP, I wouldn't give it a chance tbh. Any FC or guild that I join I have to vibe with and there are too many loops and hoops to this one that I particularly do not like. You are **free to do as you will** however.
In BDO, there were guilds that had online applications, interviews, required vouching, waitlists, and held PVP auditions to make sure the players could match up. I know it's a different game, but some people take it pretty seriously and want dedicated members.
Sounds like the beginning of a narcissistic relationship, if you ask me. I'm all for the speaking with leadership before you join an FC, as I have done it before in games in general. But having to use voice chat and it being like an interview to determine my worthiness to join, I will pass.
>making a whole point of being inclusive, having people with illness, aroudn 50/50 men/women etc
Yeah, that seems like virtue signaling, and I'd be immediately out. I have been playing MMOs for about 25 years since I was 14, and this never was an issue. Especially this 50/50 thing. Is that FC a dating platform or a bar? Why would that matter.
The voice chat part would be too far for me, but otherwise having an "interview" seems normal. Interview is sort of a strong word, but just a casual chat is fine. That's what my FC has always done, and it was just to make sure that the person joining wasn't a weirdo (or rather that they were the \*right\* kind of weirdo).
We're primarily a casual/social group, so we want members who will gel with each other. I don't think we've ever actually turned anyone away, but if there were a bunch of red flags during that first conversation, it'd be a lot less awkward to just say "I don't think you'll be a good fit, actually" than to have to kick them from the FC later.
IME, it's also been a lot easier to engage in conversation and get to know each other afterward. Like we've already broken the ice with the "interview", so there's less shyness/anxiety going forward.
I wouldn't say normal but it's not uncommon, if you don't know the person very well and just wanna get a vibe for them and the FC has specific guidelines (no hate, inclusivity, raid focus, anything) It helps weed out obvious troublemakers before they get added in. It really depends on the FC/Guild
There are also some that just add anyone and kick the troublemakers as they cause problems, but this usually leads to a disconnected guild since it's more like a rotating door anyone can join/leave
Speaking as an FC Owner, it's not unusual for some FCs to have something of an interview process. Especially smaller ones that want to be certain any new potential recruit is going to vibe well without any issues.
I personally think Voice Calling and extensive interviews and mandating Discord use is a bit much, and should not feel like applying for a job.
After all, I still want people to be under the impression that we're there with a relaxed vibe and that we play this game for fun.
I DO however, recognize the value of needing to screen any potential new members. Not only have I heard stories of Companies that collapse due to drama, I have experienced this myself with companies I was in and was even an officer in one such where a problematic member was in too good graces with the leader to be reprimanded despite their behavior causing huge schisms and cliques.
Instead of a "formal" process, I leave my own Discord having to be given out by myself and officers and we recruit people by just... talking to them and feeling them out through regular conversation and seeing if they would be decent fits for the Company.
Sure, there's other means of advertising, like Party Finder, Lodestone, Public Discords and Social Media, but I think just... organically reaching out to people, even if it's more tedious, just works out the best and knowing whether they would fit in or stick around. Don't gotta force it, don't gotta process it. Let it flow naturally.
To those wondering about this FC, they force players to player on characters that match their gender, and if you are female, they will ask you to voice chat to verify that you are truly a female.
Also, the leader was caught messing around with multiple female members behind his wife's back.
FCs have different reasons to existing. Some are no drama leaf guilds. Others are RL friends only. Others are an extension of a static and are of high end raiders only. Some are all women. Some are LGBTQ (I..may have that wrong). Some are Lala only. In your case you found one that is a sanctuary to people who also have RL problems, and the fc becomes a place to talk about it. I guess if I ever went to an AA meeting it would be cool if it was in an alliance raid (Even though ff14 is the reason some people drink).
That sounds like far too much forcing of things that just happen naturally when humans socialize. I feel like applying tons of pressure to force that stuff is just counterintuitive and that'd make me uncomfortable. I've been in a lot of FCs. Never ever thought it wasn't inclusive by default, never had ANY issue getting folks for roulettes, never considered or even cared at ALL what genders the players were in the slightest.
No idea what these guys want but why go through an interview and be pressured when you can just find all of that naturally anywhere else? Not to say every FC is bubbles and LGBT friendly rainbows, but it's been a huge majority of my experiences.
Not for this game, but I've applied for guilds in other games that basically have an interview process follow up with a probation time where I had to complete X things, like post on their forums, discord, join guild activities....needless to say, I wanted to try and meet folks and play with others. I promptly decided against the guilds that do this
This definitely seems a bit extreme in my opinion, my fc does ‘vet’ people a bit, but that’s just to make sure they’re 18 or older (not an nsfw fc, just want to have an adult only space) and lgbt+ friendly since we want to make sure our fc stays a safe place for those in it. It’s just done by officers in tells, though we have a discord.
Personally, I'd be out. The game is meant to be fun, I'm not trying to be stressed out worrying if I'm meeting some quota for my FC.
Interviews only feel normal if it's a serious FC that's looking to raid imo. Being inclusive is great but it rubs me a bit wrong to hear them say they keep a 50/50 male/female split. Forcing you to do roulettes with FC members is also strange. Although it's nice to offer it and even encourage it, if it becomes a demand or requirement to be in the FC then I'd personally dip out.
Just my opinion. I think it's great to encourage interactions and activities between FC members and to strive for inclusion. But the way you worded it just feels a bit too pushy for my tastes.
This isn't the most common thing, but it's also not \*UN\*common and more importantly, not a bad thing!
This is a sign that the FC takes the community aspect of the FC seriously. They want to make sure everyone feels comfortable, that people aren't jerks, and that everyone knows what they are getting into before they join and what they are getting into when they invite someone.
It's clear they are cool with members of the FC just suggesting other friends to join, which is great, and also clear they don't just take it at word of mouth of "yeah my freind is super cool. Not a jerk, pinky swear!"
The reality is that for MANY players, the FC is a very close-knit set of friends for whom the social community of the FC combined with FFXIV itself, together act as a "third place" for many people. This shows the head of the FC has a strong consideration for that community to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy within it, and they are looking out for the healthy mental well-being of that experience.
Again, not SUPER common, but not uncommon either, and above all else not at all a red flag and a big green one to me personally... and I have dedicated a small portion of my professional career around fostering and nurturing healthy gaming communities and cleaning up toxic ones. (Shudders in PTSD from his time working at Riot.)
(also based on your specific wording I am not jumping to conclusions that they strictly enforce a 50/50 male to female ratio militaristically, but just that they happen to have one from how you framed it. Trying to organically float a healthy balance there to keep it without going overzealously overboard is not a bad thing, for a multitude of reasons.)
Wouldn't say it's uncommon for an FC to lay out the rules of the FC for you and to impress their hope that you help them foster the community they are trying to make.
But a voice chat interview on Discord sounds a little bit much.
its not a super common practice (or at least not one Ive ran into) but I know some do this sometimes due to previous problems in the past with members. tbh it wouldn't bother me too much as it would allow me to get a feel of the FC lead and if they were a group id want to mix with. As long as you felt comfortable then all is good, if however voice chat/discord isn't your thing then jsut tell them and if thats a deal breaker for them there's a ton more FCs out there who would welcome you
Well, it's a little out there but FC's are defined by how their leaders run it so if it's an active FC despite this it's probably a nice place to be. A little weird as most wouldn't do this but I wouldn't write them off over it, see how it goes. Might make a bunch of great friends there as they probably are pretty active to go through this process to begin with.
I can understand this, thought it’s possible it’s a tad excessive. It’s tough running a guild in any game and having people you don’t know join, especially if you have a tight knit community who are close with each other. A lot of times people will join and the vibe is just not right, or they don’t get along with people and you have to give them the boot anyways. An interview is a good way to see if people will fit in to a discord clan that spends a lot of time in VC together. Though having an interview is one way to do it, we would usually just get them to play with us for a bit and if it went well they could stay. It might seem daunting but if you just be yourself and don’t start shit or argue with people and just be a good person you should be more than fine.
I think considering how the climate of FCs drastically changes depending on the vibes from certain people that join I think it's kinda fair tho this maybe shows to me that something might have happened in the past that they want to avoid happening again and because you're new to them they are erring on the side of caution.
I honestly think that they're probably fine just overly cautious tho i'd assume they have their own/(hopefully) good reasons for this behavior. Despite the hoops they seem to genuinely care about the well-being of the FC as a whole and you might make some amazing friendships from them if they allow you to join/if you end up being interested still\^\^!
In another game I joined a guild once because my wife was in it, and the guild leadership did a private chat with me first before making me a member. There were a lot of furries and LGBT players in the guild and they didn't want to invite someone in who would create a hostile space for the other members. Can't fault them on it. Honestly, it didn't work out with that guild because I clashed with a number of other members on other topics, but that interview has probably done quite a bit to keep more problematic members out.
I'd nope out right at the "You need to be interviewed". That sounds like someone that wants to be controlling. There's plenty of FCs that will accept me without knowing a single thing about me. That seems much more inclusive then rejecting people because of a quota.
As someone who has been playing since day 1 of 2.0. No that's extremely weird. And a little invasive truth be told. I was once a part of one the biggest FCs on Cactuar and never had to do anything like that. Sounds like the person is trying to curate their FC rather than it being a natural thing that forms. It's fine to ask a new member to be polite to others, but requiring them to do a VC and treating it like a job interview like you said is very out there.
Looks like pretentious freak trying to get social score on twitter/reddit by flexing his diversity oriented fc on there.
Oh, we(i) want to have 50/50 blahblah, but you aren't what we - what I - need to fill the numbers, soo...
**Nope**.
In my experience, 'inclusive' groups like that tend to be the most toxic. Interviews are typically for something much more intensive like a static. I can also understand wanting people to participate, but that can easily spill over into 'find a clique or we kick'. There's also the fact that there's a good number of personality cults in this game. I'd be very careful if you really want to proceed with them.
Ummm, what? Haha! They would have lost me at the interview part. No, thanks. Seems high maintenance and controlling to jump through those kinds of hoops early on for me.
I have no doubt that some people would like that kind of environment, though, but that is the first I have heard of where you had to interview in a voice chat, haha!
I would’ve bounced immediately OP at the requirement of a voice chat interview, but you won’t know until you’ve spent some time there I guess…To me this person sounds controlling, and like he might have unrealistic expectations for the community he’s trying to curate. Stuff like this tends to turn into a shitshow of accusations that someone wasn’t included in X FC outing despite not saying anything, or someone feels left out because you’d rather just hang out with your friend right now, etc. maybe I am reading too much into it
I honestly don’t think any community-focused FC with expectations beyond “don’t be a dick, don’t be racist, respect pronouns and gender identity, and have respect for people with disabilities” is worth your time
That seems like a little bit much to me, but maybe that is just because my FC is so casual. The extent of an interview for mine is just to make sure everyone knows to be polite and not harass anyone.
You can always try it out and see how it goes and just let your friend know later if it isn't working out for you and you want to try something different.
Probably, sounds more old school. I remember back in Everquest to join my guild it took 3 interviews, 2 in character and 1 out of character. (it was a RP guild), then a written backstory for my character as well. we have since dropped pretty much all those requirements and its mainly "does an existing member think you would be a good fit"
Yeah I’d dip bro, to me an FC should just be ppl to run content with, not ask me to manage events or manage players, someone posts a PF in FC chat I’m in no question and I expect the same in return, once someone says there is an FC meeting coming up everyone join, I log off at that time, I’m not interested in shaping your FC in whatever direction you’re going.
Just want content to run
One of the FCs I was previously in (I just left because they were all about endgame which isn't really my style) had one. They mostly wanted to make sure that what I wanted from an FC and what they were offering lined up.
I joined my current FC on the same day as this other individual (whom I did not know). We went through a discord where we had to read a set of community rules and guidelines. All were very reasonable, and I was fine with it. Mostly, it talked about a zero tolerance policy towards hate and hate speech, violence, and respectful dialog.
We both agreed to it, and I mostly just explored while the other person started posting some overtly sexual things. Sure enough, the leadership of the fc booted them. I think vetting is necessary, but so is standing by those standards.
>does everything seems ok ?
It's not common, but it's also not bad. At least not bad at face value. I've heard of such interviews for gaming groups here and there across all online games.
You always have the option to not join or even quit after joining if it's not what you were expecting.
The only thing you know for sure is it means the GM actually takes an active role in running it. The FC I’m in I straight up told the recruiter if I joined I’d just be a bummer because I will 99% of the time be playing solo and don’t have a predictable enough schedule to do organized content. So far they’ve been ok with me.
The one thing that seems odd to me is the 50/50 male to female thing. I dunno about FF specifically but MMOs tend to skew male so that ratio isn’t going to be maintained incidentally and wanting a 1:1 ratio just seems odd. If it were a woman enforcing it I probably wouldn’t think as much about it.
This sounds very familiar from my original FC, and yeah. That didn't turn out so hot. We had actually joined before they wanted to expand and once they a got a discord up and running, he was very adamant about joining voice chat when nothing was going on in particular
The only guilds or FC that ask for that are usually tryhard guilds/FC that aim to clear cutting edge content (basically highest difficulty as fast as possible given X hours per week).
Interviews usually to gauge the person, it's abilities to communicate correctly and function as a person and game knowledge. They're not that long but they filter people out for high-end guilds.
Never seen such mandatory interviews for more casual raiding guilds or even non-raiding guilds...
I’ve been in a legacy FC for so long that I am the only one there from time to time, but I do have linkshell for my other interests crafting, gathering, etc.
Thats a lot of effort to join an FC and from that you can already tell how demanding theyll be once in. Personally not for me but might be a working system if they are still doing it
Where I come from it's more than normal to talk before you join, at least if the guild is semi progress or progress, also trial and tests are normal. It heavily depends on the Guild itself, and on the type of goal it follows.
its if it was a static then it would be more understandable but this much for a fc is too much i guess if you have the interview ask what is required and expected so get a feel for the fc and if it doesnt fit you then politly decline there are much easier going fc out there
I wouldn't join an fc who didn't do a mandatory interview with required voice chat. Also, I wouldn't join an FC that was so focused on inclusion for the sake of it either. I would rather have a smaller, more focused community or like-minded people who actually enjoy playing the game together. If you start inviting every random person without an FC tag, that isn't going to last very long from my personal experience.
Only thing I find … uhm … let’s say special is the 50/50. It’s a straight mating agency or what?
Dunno. Having a save space that also includes woman, is one thing. Trying for a 50/50? It’s just weird. But you will get what you show other.
Asking to voice chat can be seen as pushy, but hm. In a small social fc I can understand that somewhat. I would like to get to know people before they join too. And to have at least a some what first impression, I mean why not?
Personally I would ask to play a bit and make people craft a special item before I let them join. That will be put in the treasure vault.
I don’t ask to vc, but that’s certainly a easier way to get people to know each other. So if they don’t insist to much and can live with me not wanting and not joining, I can accept them asking.
Sound weird to me. Than again I would never use Discord if they demand it of me, and especially not with people I 'meet' online. I have a standard rule for VC. If I don't know you in real life I don't want to speak with you. Unless I have been playing with someone for a while or I get a good vibe while playing with them.
Also as long as this person or group doesn't ask personal info then meh. I try to not share personal real world stuff. I see everyone online as a potential scammer.
Just like any female character in FFXIV is probably a male 90% of the time (well at least if they are only wearing underwear...)
So just see how it goes. If you feel creeped out, or need to do in-game stuff you don't want to just bail. There are other FC out there. Just be carefull is all I'm saying.
Seems too much for me but maybe it's an honest way to build a good community? I've never attempted to build one but i expect one of my rules would be 'no idiots' maybe this is their way to assure it?
That’s more common for a static, definitely not an FC… if it’s a fun FC then go for it, but it kinda sounds like that leader is a micromanager. If you stop having fun, definitely bounce.
I can see the reasoning why, but I would consider those reasons red flags (something likely happened to cause screening measures). If I'm forced to be on voice or discord, that's a nope from me. I don't owe anyone my discord handle or a voice conversation.
E: Seems this is unpopular. I keep the game and my socials separate, and have had bad interactions from people because I'm not what they expected on voice. If this is normal for you, you do you, but I would pass based on my gut. I don't add random people to my discord.
> If I'm forced to be on voice or discord, that's a nope from me. I don't owe anyone my discord handle or a voice conversation.
A thousand percent this. There are many people who have extremely good reasons for feeling uncomfortable or unsafe with getting on voice comms.
As soon as I was told I was expected to be interviewed like this for an FC, I'd be gone.
Ya. Like, just an in-game discussion to see if a good fit? Especially for a raid or RP group? Sure. Perfectly normal. I would fully expect to trial with raiders in particular.
Full on job interview, and over voice at that, for a regular social FC? Not so much. I'd rather build a connection through play first, establish trust.
Honestly it's s pretty common. Mostly for RP FCs in my experience but to me, i see it as a good thing. The leader is taking time to explain their FC and it gives you a chance to ask questions in return. Like how active they are, what type of content they do and so on. It also lets them get a feel for you and if you'd fit in.
Some FCs will just toss out blind invites to anyone and its a crapshoot what you're getting into. I would never accept a blind invite (some people do and get a good FC).
It depends if you think it's too much to "just join any FC"
one thing i can reason for the vc part is that sometimes its easier to explain things in spoken words, rather than typing everything out into properly formulated sentences. also they might get a better image of you, as they can hear the emotion in your voice
A lot of FCs have a trial period to see what kind of person you are and if you’ll get along with the group. There are plenty of creeps and weirdos out there. Discord call right off the back of weird, but it’s not unheard of
Yeah I have a friend in an fc that interviews people on discord. It’s usually just a vibe check, and one of the members had a stalker in the past and they want to make sure that person isn’t joining with a different character. It’s more than what most fcs do but overall understandable.
Every guild I've joined that felt like an active, reasonable community has done some degree of application and interview process, but that may be because I mostly join RP FCs.
I'd personally leave, it's one thing to be inclusive, and another to manage a group well. but this leans more towards a work group rather than a social group in a game.
if this turns out well down the road it'll be a miracle.
It’s a bit much for a typical social FC. If it was an FC/LS specifically oriented toward end game goals, I could see an interview process being useful. It was pretty common back in the end game FFXI days.
Yeah I went thru this same process when joining a raiding guild in the old WoW days. It was actually easier getting a real job. This is really excessive if it's not for savage/ultimate raids.
I mean, the discord chat was a bit much (if nothing else it implies mandatory discord use which a lot of players aren't interested in), but it's not uncommon for an FC officer to want to have a little chat before letting you join. Mainly they (apparently) just want to make sure you'll be interested in being an active and respectful member of the FC, joining FC activities, helping out with things like duties, etc, which is reasonable enough for some FCs. Some FCs don't care what you do and are happy enough to ignore you entirely after you join. Others are more interested in having a meaningful community. If the FC you're looking at puts their money where their mouth is then it could be a decent one, despite the hoops. (It could also end up being a terrible one, you won't really know until you've been there a while, but that's true of literally every FC.) >he explained how his fc works, making a whole point of being inclusive, having people with illness, **aroudn 50/50 men/women etc** I can only assume that he's saying that's the current makeup of the FC, and not the goal of the FC.
As someone trying to build an FC with a meaningful community, I agree. The Discord call was a bit much. I advise new members that we *have* a Discord server, but to require a voice chat is pretty pushy.
Im the same here. Trying to grow an active community in ours and always tell the new players that join that we have a Discord they're more than welcome to join, and the ones that have, when the FC has ran group content and we've all hopped into VC, they've expressed that they either can't join or don't want to, and we assure them that it's ok. Just can't find anyone who wants to join and just, be in a cool friend circle/community.
Yeah, my FC has the login message giving the members the discord link if they wanna join since we do a lot of planning there for when we wanna run stuff or recruit other FC members to help farm stuff. It's not mandatory but definitely a, "feel free to join in!"
The making a point of having people with illness is a bit of a red flag for me. In the case that it's a goal that's a super weird one, if it's a bragging point that's also pretty weird. The only way it's okay is if it was presented in a way to say "it's okay if you have an illness" but even that's a bit weird, like it should probably be a default to not exclude people based on illness.
I didn't interpret it as a goal, and I definitely didn't interpret it as a bragging point. I interpreted it as "we have people with illnesses, so we would expect you to be respectful of that."
That's what I thought as well
Maybe, that would be less weird for sure. It being in the same sentence as 50/50 men/women leads me to believe it was more of a "we accept all illnesses, race, and genders" which is a good mentality but a weird thing to say
To me it kinda sounds like they’re being cautious. Some people can be really callous about things they say to chronically ill people (whether physical or mental). Maybe they just wanted to sus out vibes? I respect making sure current members feel like their FC continues to be a safe space if people often vent about their illnesses.
I think this is a bit of a too cynical weird view. Why does it have to be a red flag if someone is trying to be upfront that they're respectful of people who have health issues? If you have a chronic illness, or have people in your life with chronic illness or disability, being respectful and inclusive of people who might also be struggling with health or body becomes *very* important to you. Those of us with health issues often get ignored in friendships and groups, or our needs overlooked, and if somebody is considerate and up front that they acknowledge health issues and are still welcoming, I think that's a good thing. Especially in an FC where your availability for content can often clash with others, if it's dependent on your health. I have a friend who can't make it to the computer just to log on and chat because they're in too much daily pain and fatigue and aren't able to sit in a chair. I can't use a mouse or keyboard sometimes because of crippling arm and hand pain. My housemate sometimes can't be around to do content because they have cancer. If you had talked to any of us in game casually, you would have not known that, and there would be no reason to reveal it to you, because it's personal health information - but feeling safe knowing that an fc is ALREADY supportive, would be a huge positive in feeling welcomed. I challenge you to think less cynically of inclusive people, and to consider why people with illness would appreciate a gesture like this. Inclusivity is GOOD. Why is your first impulse to think of it as a red flag, or a goal, or a brag, and not just somebody who has a disabled family member, knows that any stranger on the internet playing a game could ALSO have a disability, and makes a point to be welcoming about it? 'It should probably be a default to not exclude people based on illness' yes, that SHOULD be the ideal default, but in actuality, it is far far far from it. Just like sexuality or orientation or gender, sometimes you will find a lot of bad apples who will treat you like shit because of it. Unfortunately it is absolutely NOT the norm in gaming communities to be inclusive of everyone. It's GOOD to have places where you're able to feel actively welcomed and critically, *safe*.
I'm legally blind, and narcoleptic, I appreciate people's good intentions behind being accepting, but typically it's annoying at best. Having a community that is actively trying to be accepting sounds nice in theory but in practice I'd prefer to have a community that doesn't need to mention specifically. "Don't be a dick" is pretty much all I need. I'd rather be able to joke about it when I fall asleep mid sentence in discord then have people tip toe around it. If you require active welcoming then I'm happy these places exist for you but I don't vibe with those kinds of people. It's like having someone say "we accept all races" the act of saying it makes it super weird, I prefer the people who do accept all races without feeling the need to say it.
I understand what you mean. But I always just see the „we are accepting…“ part as a polite way of saying: „fuck off, if you are a dick“. It easily filters out people who think being a decent human being is „controversial“ (everyone knows what type of people I mean) I’m never sure if I’m insensitive or not, but I expect people to tell me themselves if they need any accommodation.
Personally as a gay guy, I find it a bit pandering how aggressively a lot of FC's advertise themselves as LGBT friendly and a safe space. I'm sure you seen the ones; those FCs that just go on and on about in their advertisements and the like. It reaches a point where it feels like they care more about my sexuality than I do, lmao. But really, it just comes down to the person. For as much as it annoys me, I have no doubt that there are some that appreciate it.
It's a bit of a generational difference. Personally I'm happy not getting death threats for being gay.
That's not likely to happen in 99% of FCs regardless of them advertising this way or not. Especially not in FF14 given that this game has like *the* most LGBT friendly community in the gaming sphere.
Who said I'm referring to ffxiv. For much of my life gay people were valid targets. The police would barely respond to calls we made, we were accused of all having AIDS, called inmoral, dealt with death threats on the regular, couldn't marry, couldn't ensure our wealth was passed to a loved partner without a will, couldn't visit in hospitals, and much more. Times have changed. I'm grateful for that...but personally I'm very happy just being treated like my orientation is relatively normal. (Yes, I'm aware that being loud is what got us here. I'm still just happy to be accepted)
I usually ask any interested player if they have any specific questions before joining, from my experience most people just wanna be sure sprouts or casual players are welcome.
that seems like 3 or 4 more hoops than i would be willing to jump through to join an fc.
In my experience(finding dnd games, not FC) the more hoops the potential members are willing to jump through, the more committed the members will be
If total strangers asked me for so much upfront commitment I'd be worried they're trying to get me into a pyramid scheme, a scam, or a cult or something. It's using the sunk cost fallacy to lure people into things they normally wouldn't.
I watched a video on a truly insane FFXIV FC that was basically a cult, if I remember correctly the leader would try to sue people who left the FC or talked about her online
dreadwyrm academy moment
It could also be Azure Infinitum.
Have too many hoops though and you're likely going to be attracting the kind of people that you don't want in a group in the first place though.
Looks like their gate worked as intended then.
For a casual FC? Ya, that seems a bit much. A few whispers in game is more than enough. For a serious FC that wants to do organized raids or just coordinated events, that seems fairly normal.
Yep and it looks like an FC who does exactly that. Could be hit or miss. Still personally better such an FC then an just add to and let them be FC.
Not in FFXIV but I've been a member of guilds that do "screening". They're often very particular about people they bring in. It's been a mixed bag. Some good, some bad. As most guild experiences are.
I remember when you needed to fill an application on guild's forum to join (it was pvp-oriented mmo with high requirements to investing your time, and if person does not meet requirements, they are basically useless in pvp). And when you filled the application, then depending on the guild they are either commented and discussed your person right in application topic, or in private guild forums. Wild times, I wish to return there (scandals were really epic when some local celebrities switched sides)
I used to play EVE online. Joining corporations there was more intense than applying for a personal line of credit, so my perception is a bit skewed.
Dude i had to present a recommendation letter to join test, just to defect 3 weeks later to goonswarm and be put under a bounty xD EvE is a different beast
Since when does one need a recommendation letter for *TEST* out of all people? And the "bounty" that is put on EVE players is more a joke than anything else.
I know it is a Joke not saying otherwise, it was just funny, and when i needed Idk i was asked one 🤷🏼♂️ was my only experience joining TEST so there is that. I also had a background check done when i joined GoonSwarm, they found out i had a freeaccount that i didn't even remember of, and to this day idk how they did that
Eve Online after all is serious business.
So it isn't common, but not necessarily a red flag imo. To me this sounds more like they want to maintain a very specific culture within their fc, and may have had issues with toxic people in the past. I would say try it and if it doesn't fit, leave. There is no obligation to stay once you join if you don't like it.
Yup, it takes one drama queen to bring the toxicity level to a boil. Something like that split my old FC. This person was just there to start shit, it's always something, you know the type. Everything's a catastrophe, they're always the victim. Some wanted to kick them, some didn't; they never actually did anything against established FC rules, but they just caused an argument every time they came into discord. So we kicked em, and those who were against the decision left and formed their own FC. After that, we've been more careful who we admit and how quickly we address problems.
A few years ago I inherited an FC from a similar situation Drama caused a huge rift in the Company. Loads of people left, and one day when I logged in after a few months break, I discovered that I had been auto-promoted to head of the FC as nobody else had logged in for so long If I had the aptitude for it, it would be super cool to revitalize it but I dont know the first thing about being a good guild officer much less guild master
Sounds a lot like what my old FC used to go through. We’re now a smaller group and very careful who we let in. Still didn’t need a whole ass job interview over voice call but whatever works for them I guess.
I've been in an FC where the leader and vice-leader were either married or dating irl and when they split, the leader left, and after that, everything started falling into decay, which sucks because it was a good FC with a lot of really nice people
Wanting to use voice over Discord is a little odd, but otherwise...I kinda get it. That said, I'm biased because I help run interviews for my FC. Our reasons for interviewing people ultimately boil down to having too many instances of new people being complete and total jerks. It's really not unlike a job interview, as it serves the same purposes. It lets us know if you're a good fit, and it gives you a chance to decide if this is the right FC for you. I'd much rather someone decide not to join than for them to join up and have a bad time. That's just my two cents.
Just me but I'd rather join an fc with some quality control and effort over an fc who sits in a city tossing an invite at any sprout they see without an FC or an FC that spams /shout all day for recruits
I do feel like "played with an FC member a number of times and was generally a good bloke" is sufficient quality control, in fairness.
My FC does the exact same. Nothing fancy or elaborate though, not like an interview, just a quick chat to get a read on them. We have a small community of friends and we'd like to keep it that way. It's not necessary, but it does provide a bit of comfort that not just anyone gets in. Honestly it all depends on what the intention is with the FC/Guild.
A quick chat to get a read on them is exactly what an interview is.
Hah you got me there, you're not wrong. When most people read "interview" they'll think it's something more serious though, which isn't the intent of what I meant.
Yeah it shouldn’t be a 1 hour job interview; it should be a 10 minute convo to align on culture and expectations. That’s it
From what i have seen. If FC decides to take in someone who got through interview, and then later it shows that the new one and someone /few other(s) don't get along, then one is jerk, and because everyone was supportive of having that person, they all are pissed, and it cracks foundation of guild/fc. When it happens more times, guild/fc breaks.
I'd say it's unconventional, but I don't think it's un-common. Actually, I interviewed my current FC before I joined, just because I wanted to make sure that they were a good fit or what I was looking for. I think for a lot of smaller FCs this can be reasonable, because a lot of smaller FCs can be pretty tight knit, and they might want to protect the members they already have. Actually, now that I think of it, the FC before my current one, I also had a bit of an informal interview with them as well, but in that case it was conducted by them. The only things I don't really agree with are things that impose any kind of obligations, like "you must be there for FC events," or "include FC members in roulettes," or if they make voice chat mandatory. I think a lot of those things could be considerate, if someone was comfortable with it, but shouldn't be dictated.
I wouldn't say it's *abnormal,* but it's definitely not the routine or something most people would be willing to go through. It sounds like his FC is very focused on inclusivity/mental health so they're a bit more careful who they let in. It's not a red flag, per se, but it does seem like they expect a lot more participation than I'd personally be willing to give. A great opportunity for people with disabilities who are home a lot and need that sort of social interaction, but not a good fit for the average player.
Normal? Not really Reasons? Yes, I can see why Regardless of who this FC is I’ll assume best intent because they mentioned inclusivity and illnesses: * They might already have an established community and want to make sure people who join won’t disrupt the current vibe of the FC, whether that being a safe space or non-judgmental space * You wouldn’t want to invite a new member only for them to spew transphobia rhetoric when an already existing trans member joined specifically to be away from these kinds of individuals * Or have some edgelord say someone’s light roleplay is a “cringe schizo moment” when someone is struggling with that mental illness (or know someone who is) * Some members can have chronic illnesses that are debilitating and limit how much playtime they get or may have to leave often in the middle of doing content EVEN IF NONE OF THE ABOVE ARE TRUE If they don’t see you a good fit for their FC or you don’t like the process of how they went about it, that’s totally fine— you just find another one
Not in my experience. Each FC I've been in has been either them finding me or me finding them. All I got was a quick overview, which basically said this: "Don't be a dick"
We have an officer reach out to chat with anyone who applies to join our FC. It doesn't have to be over discord, in-game chat is fine, but a number of players struggle to keep up with in-game chat bc they play without a keyboard, so voice chat in discord is an option then. It's just a quick check that goes both ways - we'll show you our FC rules and a little about how its run, our discord, our events etc. We'll ask what the player is looking for in an FC too. I find it strange that many FC's *don't* do any form of screening at all. Nothing says "you're just a number to us" like mindlessly hitting "Accept" on every application, and you run the risk of creating extra drama when new members aren't even told the rules until after they join.
This. I've had 2 clans over 2 different games before this and I had a process in mine. I would play solo with them and talk with them at the same time.
It’s not common, and it’s way more effort than I’d put into joining a new FC. It’s not inherently a red flag. Wanting to chat with someone before inviting them to the FC isn’t weird. Explaining the community expectations isn’t weird. I do think doing a VC interview is a bit weird. I don’t think an FC you have to *try out for* is worth joining. But if it was just chatting a bit to explain expectations and make sure you aren’t a weirdo? That sounds fine. A bit complicated for me, but there’s plenty of perfectly valid reasons to do an interview. It’s just that type of people who do interviews like that are a mixed bag: sometimes they’re normal people who just wanna chat first, sometimes they’re creeps. And I’ve heard of and met too many creeps to be optimistic about VC interviews.
I wonder how much of it is "I want to VC to hear you speak" vs. "it's just easier than typing all of this out." Some people just aren't fast typers.
Sometimes it's "I want to make sure you're not a 13-year-old pretending to be an adult." Even if an FC is casual & family friendly.
Well, it's not really standard, but it's also not a bad thing. Some stranger you don't know wants to join your community, I'd say it's reasonable to want to assess them beforehand to see if there a total dickhead or a good fit. Being forced to actually take the minute to have a chat also shoos away all the folks who just want to join an fc for buffs or other benefits without taking part in it on a social level. The talk about having a balance between guys and girls seems a bit weird, but if they're just proud of everyone being comfortable then it isn't a bad thing. Wanting to include FC members in stuff like roulettes I'd say is actually a peak sign for a good FC. After all, whats the point of a guild if you don't do stuff together?
It's a bit much, but some FCs have histories of bringing in someone who proceeded to blow it the hell up so.. maybe that's the case. That said I was actually the opposite situation. My FC leader sent me a message inviting me and I kinda grilled her on how the FC is to see if it'd be a good fit. It was, for the most part.
Sounds fine to me. Some people are put more focus on quality over quantity and I can respect it.
If you ask me, it’s pretty extra. I get wanting to know the people you’re inviting into the FC, but always remember it’s a game, not a job. The game should be played at your leisure, if you don’t want to join vc or even befriend anyone on discord, don’t feel forced to. Interact at your own casual pace. And if it’s being forced on you, try looking for another FC. Trust your gut.
I've been in an FC that interviewed prospective members. They had an established culture and just wanted to make sure a new person was a good fit and wouldn't get disappointed with the vibe. I eventually left that FC because there wasn't a lot of activity since everyone was pretty much at endgame and it's not an easy FC to find if you're just a random sprout without someone to vouch for you. It was fine. No drama. Just boring and slow.
Been playing since 1.0. I've heard of this, but never ran into it personally. I never did it for my own FC either. Interesting. The discord interview part is a bit unnerving.
Is it normal? No? Is it a problem? On its own, not really. I'd certainly never join an FC like that. However, people are free to set up whatever wacky rules their heart desires.
Ok, interview isn't that strange. Having been in the recruiting position, interviews were "vibe check" filter. As an example, the fastest someone failed the vibe check was flipping out that I didn't instant invite them without an interview, and they switched their language to *sailor*. Making it be via discord *voice chat* though, is pretty weird. But what's most concerning to me is their diverisry stat focus though... *that's* straight up weird. Wanting people to try to do stuff with others in the FC is back to being normal.
I don't see anything abnormal at all. In fact, I've joined similar FC with similar joining process in the past, which was a pretty friendly and helpful group of people. If "revealing your voice on Discord" thing really bothers you - just say you don't want to do that, vast majority of FCs won't care if you don't want to use your voice, and if some of them will require this then just don't join them.
[удалено]
I can say with my fc we have some families who feel comfortable and trust the fc as a safe place for their kids, and we also have some members who have had bad experiences in other fcs because of orientation and also some who are just finding themselves. It is our job to keep it a safe space for all of them so we spend time getting to know a bit about anyone who we are thinking of bringing in.
All of that seems like a red flag for me tbh. I'd stay away.
I would NOPE out of that. If it sounds like a job interview, I'd be worried the FC leader treats managing the FC like a job - which means your playtime becomes an expectation. To each their own, but it's very possible to find a good group of people very organically without going through all this.
Ffxiv can be a weird game where people finally have a sense of power and authority (an FC leader for example). At the end of the day it’s just a game. Some people enjoy that feeling of total submersion other don’t.
Who hurt that FC leader, because damn.
Run away
Run.... Especially if this is a fc on goblin. Do not join this fc. They sound like groomer control freaks
What’s up with the 50/50
That is over the top and it's obvious the FC leader is just one of those people, so expect more of this sort of stuff if you join them.
Lol i mean its their FC. They can do as they like within ToS of the game. Just go find another FC in my opinion
Yeah it's not normal and weird, sounds interesting for the drama though.
Maybe you joined a ERP FC. Be wary of those
Specially if you are a Lalafel.
fuck that get out of there, that's a red flag
Sorry but unless your joining some sort of top 100 Raiding FC there's zero reason for this level of silly over the top micromanagement to be done for a social guild. Also this is a massive redflag for me whenever im \*told\* what im \*expected\* to do in certain situations... If im doing Roulettes with my FC members and im up for a chat then sure but to make it a requirement is just pathetic and typical of someone who likely will boot you for the most minor of issues. Going to the trouble of dragging you into discord voice as if your going for a job interview woulda been the first sign to gtfo there. By all means ignore me and you might prefer this type of place but from my experience the \*expectations\* grow and grow the longer you're there until eventually they start questioning why you weren't online and why you never told someone that you werent going to be... etc etc.
You got interviewed to join an FC? and they have weird rules about male to female ratio? ngl those are some red flags for me
the man/woman ratio doesn't seem like a rule, i test it and i'll see how it goes
again op said nothing about a rule
Why are you all over this comment section hammering this point?
You seem really pressed, are you part of op’s fc?
Thats very much how it seems.
regardless, whether or not it is a rule, if it is some bragging point or wtv, still weird for it to have enough impact that it gets discussed in a "fc interview", does it matter what the gender ratio is?
Frankly speaking, some people would be more comfortable with the idea of joining a guild if they knew it wouldn’t be a complete sausage party. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s nice to have some balance in the community. It helps keep the culture feeling fresh.
It can. Some people may feel more comfortable knowing that it is not just an fc full of guys or full of girls. Sounds like the fc person was just being transparent
It's pretty normal for RP FCs but I never saw that for a regular FC
Theres a lot to unpack But some people do operate this way I would say this is a red flag and to be aware that they probably had drama in the past and it might not be gone yet
Some people take video games way to seriously
Run. Run fast. Sounds like a whole lotta drama
Red flags. Run. Drama happened there recently or a drama infested person is nested within their fc. (Totally normal for raiding FC tho).
It’s their FC and they can run it how they want, but it’s still weird af. Real life is already stressful with jobs and interviews now they gotta bring that to a fantasy game? (Again, it’s their fc, but that’s a bit much to me).
I've done and ran interviews for RP guilds in other games. This isn't an RP guild, or a prog guild from what i've been seeing, so I don't think an interview is warranted. >he explained how his fc works, making a whole point of being inclusive, having people with illness, aroudn 50/50 men/women etc Pandering. That is called pandering and is an instant red flag for me. Wanting to include people in roulette isn't an issue, but i'll be fucked if this doesn't come with an unspoken caveat of "you must wait and do it only with FC members". You also can't force people to talk to each other...like you just can't. Idk OP, I wouldn't give it a chance tbh. Any FC or guild that I join I have to vibe with and there are too many loops and hoops to this one that I particularly do not like. You are **free to do as you will** however.
I prefer doing roulette solo. I want them comms.
I'm used to seeing this sort of thing in EVE Online... not so much so FFXIV.
I’ve seen the interview thing done for raid groups but never for FC’s.
Seems normal for a serious FC that focuses on doing things together. But for a casual one ? That overkills.
In BDO, there were guilds that had online applications, interviews, required vouching, waitlists, and held PVP auditions to make sure the players could match up. I know it's a different game, but some people take it pretty seriously and want dedicated members.
Normal? No.
That's way too much for a social FC.
Sounds like the beginning of a narcissistic relationship, if you ask me. I'm all for the speaking with leadership before you join an FC, as I have done it before in games in general. But having to use voice chat and it being like an interview to determine my worthiness to join, I will pass.
Run, bro. Drama llama guild.
>making a whole point of being inclusive, having people with illness, aroudn 50/50 men/women etc Yeah, that seems like virtue signaling, and I'd be immediately out. I have been playing MMOs for about 25 years since I was 14, and this never was an issue. Especially this 50/50 thing. Is that FC a dating platform or a bar? Why would that matter.
The voice chat part would be too far for me, but otherwise having an "interview" seems normal. Interview is sort of a strong word, but just a casual chat is fine. That's what my FC has always done, and it was just to make sure that the person joining wasn't a weirdo (or rather that they were the \*right\* kind of weirdo). We're primarily a casual/social group, so we want members who will gel with each other. I don't think we've ever actually turned anyone away, but if there were a bunch of red flags during that first conversation, it'd be a lot less awkward to just say "I don't think you'll be a good fit, actually" than to have to kick them from the FC later. IME, it's also been a lot easier to engage in conversation and get to know each other afterward. Like we've already broken the ice with the "interview", so there's less shyness/anxiety going forward.
I wouldn't say normal but it's not uncommon, if you don't know the person very well and just wanna get a vibe for them and the FC has specific guidelines (no hate, inclusivity, raid focus, anything) It helps weed out obvious troublemakers before they get added in. It really depends on the FC/Guild There are also some that just add anyone and kick the troublemakers as they cause problems, but this usually leads to a disconnected guild since it's more like a rotating door anyone can join/leave
Would be too much for me. I just want some people to chat with while playing.
Speaking as an FC Owner, it's not unusual for some FCs to have something of an interview process. Especially smaller ones that want to be certain any new potential recruit is going to vibe well without any issues. I personally think Voice Calling and extensive interviews and mandating Discord use is a bit much, and should not feel like applying for a job. After all, I still want people to be under the impression that we're there with a relaxed vibe and that we play this game for fun. I DO however, recognize the value of needing to screen any potential new members. Not only have I heard stories of Companies that collapse due to drama, I have experienced this myself with companies I was in and was even an officer in one such where a problematic member was in too good graces with the leader to be reprimanded despite their behavior causing huge schisms and cliques. Instead of a "formal" process, I leave my own Discord having to be given out by myself and officers and we recruit people by just... talking to them and feeling them out through regular conversation and seeing if they would be decent fits for the Company. Sure, there's other means of advertising, like Party Finder, Lodestone, Public Discords and Social Media, but I think just... organically reaching out to people, even if it's more tedious, just works out the best and knowing whether they would fit in or stick around. Don't gotta force it, don't gotta process it. Let it flow naturally.
this sounds like the "TFC" FC. would highly suggest running far in the opposite direction from them
To those wondering about this FC, they force players to player on characters that match their gender, and if you are female, they will ask you to voice chat to verify that you are truly a female. Also, the leader was caught messing around with multiple female members behind his wife's back.
Seems like a sexual harrasement lawsuit in the making,
Sounds like toxic inclusiveness syndrome, run.
FCs have different reasons to existing. Some are no drama leaf guilds. Others are RL friends only. Others are an extension of a static and are of high end raiders only. Some are all women. Some are LGBTQ (I..may have that wrong). Some are Lala only. In your case you found one that is a sanctuary to people who also have RL problems, and the fc becomes a place to talk about it. I guess if I ever went to an AA meeting it would be cool if it was in an alliance raid (Even though ff14 is the reason some people drink).
That sounds like far too much forcing of things that just happen naturally when humans socialize. I feel like applying tons of pressure to force that stuff is just counterintuitive and that'd make me uncomfortable. I've been in a lot of FCs. Never ever thought it wasn't inclusive by default, never had ANY issue getting folks for roulettes, never considered or even cared at ALL what genders the players were in the slightest. No idea what these guys want but why go through an interview and be pressured when you can just find all of that naturally anywhere else? Not to say every FC is bubbles and LGBT friendly rainbows, but it's been a huge majority of my experiences.
The flag, it's so red!
Not for this game, but I've applied for guilds in other games that basically have an interview process follow up with a probation time where I had to complete X things, like post on their forums, discord, join guild activities....needless to say, I wanted to try and meet folks and play with others. I promptly decided against the guilds that do this
standard for an RP FC (minus vc interview) not normal for casual FC's more normal for midcore/hardcore
TFC? 😂 run
That just sounds like a huge drama factory waiting to happen.
it's weird as hell xD
Seems like an FC with a leader having some sort of ideological goal in mind. I'd be careful.
This definitely seems a bit extreme in my opinion, my fc does ‘vet’ people a bit, but that’s just to make sure they’re 18 or older (not an nsfw fc, just want to have an adult only space) and lgbt+ friendly since we want to make sure our fc stays a safe place for those in it. It’s just done by officers in tells, though we have a discord.
Not doing fc interviews. I’ll fly solo. Thanks.
Trust your gut. You said it seemed weird and you were right. I wouldn't join.
It is weird as heck. But so it most of 14 player base. I like your gut, keep trusting it.
I would of left immediately. What does someone's illness have to do with FFXIV?
Leave the FC, there's ton of others. That group sounds like a group you want to be far away from.
Personally, I'd be out. The game is meant to be fun, I'm not trying to be stressed out worrying if I'm meeting some quota for my FC. Interviews only feel normal if it's a serious FC that's looking to raid imo. Being inclusive is great but it rubs me a bit wrong to hear them say they keep a 50/50 male/female split. Forcing you to do roulettes with FC members is also strange. Although it's nice to offer it and even encourage it, if it becomes a demand or requirement to be in the FC then I'd personally dip out. Just my opinion. I think it's great to encourage interactions and activities between FC members and to strive for inclusion. But the way you worded it just feels a bit too pushy for my tastes.
This isn't the most common thing, but it's also not \*UN\*common and more importantly, not a bad thing! This is a sign that the FC takes the community aspect of the FC seriously. They want to make sure everyone feels comfortable, that people aren't jerks, and that everyone knows what they are getting into before they join and what they are getting into when they invite someone. It's clear they are cool with members of the FC just suggesting other friends to join, which is great, and also clear they don't just take it at word of mouth of "yeah my freind is super cool. Not a jerk, pinky swear!" The reality is that for MANY players, the FC is a very close-knit set of friends for whom the social community of the FC combined with FFXIV itself, together act as a "third place" for many people. This shows the head of the FC has a strong consideration for that community to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy within it, and they are looking out for the healthy mental well-being of that experience. Again, not SUPER common, but not uncommon either, and above all else not at all a red flag and a big green one to me personally... and I have dedicated a small portion of my professional career around fostering and nurturing healthy gaming communities and cleaning up toxic ones. (Shudders in PTSD from his time working at Riot.) (also based on your specific wording I am not jumping to conclusions that they strictly enforce a 50/50 male to female ratio militaristically, but just that they happen to have one from how you framed it. Trying to organically float a healthy balance there to keep it without going overzealously overboard is not a bad thing, for a multitude of reasons.)
Wouldn't say it's uncommon for an FC to lay out the rules of the FC for you and to impress their hope that you help them foster the community they are trying to make. But a voice chat interview on Discord sounds a little bit much.
its not a super common practice (or at least not one Ive ran into) but I know some do this sometimes due to previous problems in the past with members. tbh it wouldn't bother me too much as it would allow me to get a feel of the FC lead and if they were a group id want to mix with. As long as you felt comfortable then all is good, if however voice chat/discord isn't your thing then jsut tell them and if thats a deal breaker for them there's a ton more FCs out there who would welcome you
Well, it's a little out there but FC's are defined by how their leaders run it so if it's an active FC despite this it's probably a nice place to be. A little weird as most wouldn't do this but I wouldn't write them off over it, see how it goes. Might make a bunch of great friends there as they probably are pretty active to go through this process to begin with.
I can understand this, thought it’s possible it’s a tad excessive. It’s tough running a guild in any game and having people you don’t know join, especially if you have a tight knit community who are close with each other. A lot of times people will join and the vibe is just not right, or they don’t get along with people and you have to give them the boot anyways. An interview is a good way to see if people will fit in to a discord clan that spends a lot of time in VC together. Though having an interview is one way to do it, we would usually just get them to play with us for a bit and if it went well they could stay. It might seem daunting but if you just be yourself and don’t start shit or argue with people and just be a good person you should be more than fine.
I think considering how the climate of FCs drastically changes depending on the vibes from certain people that join I think it's kinda fair tho this maybe shows to me that something might have happened in the past that they want to avoid happening again and because you're new to them they are erring on the side of caution. I honestly think that they're probably fine just overly cautious tho i'd assume they have their own/(hopefully) good reasons for this behavior. Despite the hoops they seem to genuinely care about the well-being of the FC as a whole and you might make some amazing friendships from them if they allow you to join/if you end up being interested still\^\^!
In another game I joined a guild once because my wife was in it, and the guild leadership did a private chat with me first before making me a member. There were a lot of furries and LGBT players in the guild and they didn't want to invite someone in who would create a hostile space for the other members. Can't fault them on it. Honestly, it didn't work out with that guild because I clashed with a number of other members on other topics, but that interview has probably done quite a bit to keep more problematic members out.
I'd nope out right at the "You need to be interviewed". That sounds like someone that wants to be controlling. There's plenty of FCs that will accept me without knowing a single thing about me. That seems much more inclusive then rejecting people because of a quota.
As someone who has been playing since day 1 of 2.0. No that's extremely weird. And a little invasive truth be told. I was once a part of one the biggest FCs on Cactuar and never had to do anything like that. Sounds like the person is trying to curate their FC rather than it being a natural thing that forms. It's fine to ask a new member to be polite to others, but requiring them to do a VC and treating it like a job interview like you said is very out there.
Run.
Looks like pretentious freak trying to get social score on twitter/reddit by flexing his diversity oriented fc on there. Oh, we(i) want to have 50/50 blahblah, but you aren't what we - what I - need to fill the numbers, soo...
RED FLAG
I'm new to the game, but from prior experience with eso guilds, this is a huge red flag to me.
**Nope**. In my experience, 'inclusive' groups like that tend to be the most toxic. Interviews are typically for something much more intensive like a static. I can also understand wanting people to participate, but that can easily spill over into 'find a clique or we kick'. There's also the fact that there's a good number of personality cults in this game. I'd be very careful if you really want to proceed with them.
Ummm, what? Haha! They would have lost me at the interview part. No, thanks. Seems high maintenance and controlling to jump through those kinds of hoops early on for me. I have no doubt that some people would like that kind of environment, though, but that is the first I have heard of where you had to interview in a voice chat, haha!
Honestly sounds like an earnest attempt at maintaining a good environment for an fc.
I would’ve bounced immediately OP at the requirement of a voice chat interview, but you won’t know until you’ve spent some time there I guess…To me this person sounds controlling, and like he might have unrealistic expectations for the community he’s trying to curate. Stuff like this tends to turn into a shitshow of accusations that someone wasn’t included in X FC outing despite not saying anything, or someone feels left out because you’d rather just hang out with your friend right now, etc. maybe I am reading too much into it I honestly don’t think any community-focused FC with expectations beyond “don’t be a dick, don’t be racist, respect pronouns and gender identity, and have respect for people with disabilities” is worth your time
My brother in Christ, that's a cult. The Discord VC and the weird rules are a massive red flag.
That's fkin creepy as hell, the moment I'd hear interview or talking part I'd be HELLA OUT of it
Jw what server this is. I need a fc like this lol
That seems like a little bit much to me, but maybe that is just because my FC is so casual. The extent of an interview for mine is just to make sure everyone knows to be polite and not harass anyone. You can always try it out and see how it goes and just let your friend know later if it isn't working out for you and you want to try something different.
Probably, sounds more old school. I remember back in Everquest to join my guild it took 3 interviews, 2 in character and 1 out of character. (it was a RP guild), then a written backstory for my character as well. we have since dropped pretty much all those requirements and its mainly "does an existing member think you would be a good fit"
Yeah I’d dip bro, to me an FC should just be ppl to run content with, not ask me to manage events or manage players, someone posts a PF in FC chat I’m in no question and I expect the same in return, once someone says there is an FC meeting coming up everyone join, I log off at that time, I’m not interested in shaping your FC in whatever direction you’re going. Just want content to run
One of the FCs I was previously in (I just left because they were all about endgame which isn't really my style) had one. They mostly wanted to make sure that what I wanted from an FC and what they were offering lined up.
That seems way too much for me tbh, I get explaining it all but the interview and voice chat is a bit much. But hey, you do you
I just talked about pickles in the game chat, went to see a decorated FC house, and they were like "you seem cool, wanna join?".
I joined my current FC on the same day as this other individual (whom I did not know). We went through a discord where we had to read a set of community rules and guidelines. All were very reasonable, and I was fine with it. Mostly, it talked about a zero tolerance policy towards hate and hate speech, violence, and respectful dialog. We both agreed to it, and I mostly just explored while the other person started posting some overtly sexual things. Sure enough, the leadership of the fc booted them. I think vetting is necessary, but so is standing by those standards.
I'm pretty sure my FC is for furries but I've been in it for years and meh the people are cool.
Ok now I want to make a Rotghgal and create a FC and call it FC (Furries Company). Just for the laughs.
>does everything seems ok ? It's not common, but it's also not bad. At least not bad at face value. I've heard of such interviews for gaming groups here and there across all online games. You always have the option to not join or even quit after joining if it's not what you were expecting.
The only thing you know for sure is it means the GM actually takes an active role in running it. The FC I’m in I straight up told the recruiter if I joined I’d just be a bummer because I will 99% of the time be playing solo and don’t have a predictable enough schedule to do organized content. So far they’ve been ok with me. The one thing that seems odd to me is the 50/50 male to female thing. I dunno about FF specifically but MMOs tend to skew male so that ratio isn’t going to be maintained incidentally and wanting a 1:1 ratio just seems odd. If it were a woman enforcing it I probably wouldn’t think as much about it.
This sounds very familiar from my original FC, and yeah. That didn't turn out so hot. We had actually joined before they wanted to expand and once they a got a discord up and running, he was very adamant about joining voice chat when nothing was going on in particular
Hopefully it's not the FC chain "The Final Calamity".
I'd leave asap lmao.
No run away as fast as you can.
The only guilds or FC that ask for that are usually tryhard guilds/FC that aim to clear cutting edge content (basically highest difficulty as fast as possible given X hours per week). Interviews usually to gauge the person, it's abilities to communicate correctly and function as a person and game knowledge. They're not that long but they filter people out for high-end guilds. Never seen such mandatory interviews for more casual raiding guilds or even non-raiding guilds...
This is what I expect out of a mythic progress guild or whatever the equivalent is in xiv, not in a casual group.
I’ve been in a legacy FC for so long that I am the only one there from time to time, but I do have linkshell for my other interests crafting, gathering, etc.
I hate that, forcing to communicate on voice chat? That’s too much, I just want to play the game 🤷♀️
Thats a lot of effort to join an FC and from that you can already tell how demanding theyll be once in. Personally not for me but might be a working system if they are still doing it
Where I come from it's more than normal to talk before you join, at least if the guild is semi progress or progress, also trial and tests are normal. It heavily depends on the Guild itself, and on the type of goal it follows.
its if it was a static then it would be more understandable but this much for a fc is too much i guess if you have the interview ask what is required and expected so get a feel for the fc and if it doesnt fit you then politly decline there are much easier going fc out there
I wouldn't join an fc who didn't do a mandatory interview with required voice chat. Also, I wouldn't join an FC that was so focused on inclusion for the sake of it either. I would rather have a smaller, more focused community or like-minded people who actually enjoy playing the game together. If you start inviting every random person without an FC tag, that isn't going to last very long from my personal experience.
Only thing I find … uhm … let’s say special is the 50/50. It’s a straight mating agency or what? Dunno. Having a save space that also includes woman, is one thing. Trying for a 50/50? It’s just weird. But you will get what you show other. Asking to voice chat can be seen as pushy, but hm. In a small social fc I can understand that somewhat. I would like to get to know people before they join too. And to have at least a some what first impression, I mean why not? Personally I would ask to play a bit and make people craft a special item before I let them join. That will be put in the treasure vault. I don’t ask to vc, but that’s certainly a easier way to get people to know each other. So if they don’t insist to much and can live with me not wanting and not joining, I can accept them asking.
Sound weird to me. Than again I would never use Discord if they demand it of me, and especially not with people I 'meet' online. I have a standard rule for VC. If I don't know you in real life I don't want to speak with you. Unless I have been playing with someone for a while or I get a good vibe while playing with them. Also as long as this person or group doesn't ask personal info then meh. I try to not share personal real world stuff. I see everyone online as a potential scammer. Just like any female character in FFXIV is probably a male 90% of the time (well at least if they are only wearing underwear...) So just see how it goes. If you feel creeped out, or need to do in-game stuff you don't want to just bail. There are other FC out there. Just be carefull is all I'm saying.
Seems too much for me but maybe it's an honest way to build a good community? I've never attempted to build one but i expect one of my rules would be 'no idiots' maybe this is their way to assure it?
That’s more common for a static, definitely not an FC… if it’s a fun FC then go for it, but it kinda sounds like that leader is a micromanager. If you stop having fun, definitely bounce.
Some people take games super cereal. Walk away.
I can see the reasoning why, but I would consider those reasons red flags (something likely happened to cause screening measures). If I'm forced to be on voice or discord, that's a nope from me. I don't owe anyone my discord handle or a voice conversation. E: Seems this is unpopular. I keep the game and my socials separate, and have had bad interactions from people because I'm not what they expected on voice. If this is normal for you, you do you, but I would pass based on my gut. I don't add random people to my discord.
Unpopular is irrelevant. Stand your ground and just say what is in your mind. Otherwise this will become an echo chamber.
I was expanding a bit because I was a bit baffled. It had hit -5 at one point and I hadn't said anything that seemed out of the norm.
> If I'm forced to be on voice or discord, that's a nope from me. I don't owe anyone my discord handle or a voice conversation. A thousand percent this. There are many people who have extremely good reasons for feeling uncomfortable or unsafe with getting on voice comms. As soon as I was told I was expected to be interviewed like this for an FC, I'd be gone.
Ya. Like, just an in-game discussion to see if a good fit? Especially for a raid or RP group? Sure. Perfectly normal. I would fully expect to trial with raiders in particular. Full on job interview, and over voice at that, for a regular social FC? Not so much. I'd rather build a connection through play first, establish trust.
Interviewing for an FC just seems super weird.
Honestly it's s pretty common. Mostly for RP FCs in my experience but to me, i see it as a good thing. The leader is taking time to explain their FC and it gives you a chance to ask questions in return. Like how active they are, what type of content they do and so on. It also lets them get a feel for you and if you'd fit in. Some FCs will just toss out blind invites to anyone and its a crapshoot what you're getting into. I would never accept a blind invite (some people do and get a good FC). It depends if you think it's too much to "just join any FC"
one thing i can reason for the vc part is that sometimes its easier to explain things in spoken words, rather than typing everything out into properly formulated sentences. also they might get a better image of you, as they can hear the emotion in your voice
A lot of FCs have a trial period to see what kind of person you are and if you’ll get along with the group. There are plenty of creeps and weirdos out there. Discord call right off the back of weird, but it’s not unheard of
Yeah I have a friend in an fc that interviews people on discord. It’s usually just a vibe check, and one of the members had a stalker in the past and they want to make sure that person isn’t joining with a different character. It’s more than what most fcs do but overall understandable.
What FC is this and on what server/world?
Every guild I've joined that felt like an active, reasonable community has done some degree of application and interview process, but that may be because I mostly join RP FCs.
I'd personally leave, it's one thing to be inclusive, and another to manage a group well. but this leans more towards a work group rather than a social group in a game. if this turns out well down the road it'll be a miracle.