All about Company: Set up, Shop, Competition...

What is a Company?

A company works like a guild in other MMORPG. It gathers players together and give a sense of belonging.

It is not called a "guild" because there are guilds in the game.

Benefits

Why should you be in a company? Why should you create one?

Some of the benefits below require your company to be of a certain rank:

• You can use an exclusive chat with your company mates. Unlike other chat rooms, everyone automatically participates at login.
• Company shop: You can display and sell your stuff without time limits.
• Use the company house.
• Use the company storage.
• Nanban Trade without going to East Asia.
• EA and North America Liner.
• A company colony that gives higher benefits to members than to visitors.
• Item gifts every month or other perks according to company rank.
• Does not need to have the company site's language skill to speak to npc of company port.
• Recipes available. Some are said to be unlocked at higher ranks.
• Superior membership title: Discounts for trade goods and other perks.

If you want to learn how to choose a company to join.

How to Create a Company

Requirements

• 1m ducats.
• An open company slot in your target city.
• 5 different people (Accounts) to form a company.
• Leader needs to be from the same nationality where the company is to be founded.
• Leader must not be member of a company already.

Setting up a new company

Sites

You may choose the following sites / ports for your new company:

• Amsterdam
• London
• Lisbon
• Seville
• Marseille
• Venice
• Istanbul
• Genoa
• Tunis
• Athens
• Alexandria
• Calicut

Procedure

Go to the company admin office of the selected site and choose the "create a company" button. If it does not show up check if you meet the requirements above.

Recruitment

Every company needs members. To recruit members go to your company admin officer and hit the recruitment button:

The "Stop Recruiting" option checked will show a message that your company is not recruiting. And no one will be able to ask to join.

The "End Open Recruitment" option checked will prevent newbies from school from joining your company at random.

Please note that it may take a while to show your new set up in company listings. Hit "ESC" button and open the company admin dialog to reset / refresh listings.

You may also manually look for new members by advertising your company in school / world chat or here at UWO-HQ. 

You can also set some "search condition" to help people find your company. Your company will only be listed if it meets the EXACT searcher's options. Strangely enough you will have more chances of appearing if you check less boxes.

Moving a company

Only Directors can do that. Just go to one of the sites above and go to the company admin office. Requirements still apply.

Earning new Ranks / Competition

Your company will earn new ranks by ranking among the highest points every month. 

The maximum points you get is 1 star per month. You normally need 3 stars for each new rank or promotion.

Earning Points  Competing

There are two ethical ways for a company to earn points:

• Participate in the aide fleet
• Competition in the aide fleet
• Delivery of items

Aide Fleet

I cover the aide fleet details in this guide. Check it out.

Aide Fleet Competition

Your company can get extra points for aide fleet success missions and competition with other companies. 

You can check it in the on going aide fleet missions in a company admin office. There are reports everyday and possible results are:

• Mission: Success or Failure
• Competition: Victory or Defeat

I share my findings regarding competion in my Building a Successful Company guide.

Delivery

A random set of items appear for you to choose from every 15th of the month. The limit is 20 points per player (4 deliveries of 5 point item). Anyone can contribute for himself or for others.

Note: The items are not so random as they are picked from a list.

Promotion to Higher Ranks

Once you get the 3 stars go to your company site / company admin office and choose the "Promote" button.

Requirements for Maintaining Company Ranks

These are the new (lower) requirements:

Company Rank	Min. Points	Min number of Members
R0	0	5
R1	20	8
R2	50	9
R3	80	10
R4	110	11
R5	140	12
R6	170	13
R7	200	15
R8	240	18
R9	300	22
R10	360	27

Activity

Activity is one of the most important company indicator.

Contribution / points are one way of measuring it. But with the latest changes, any company director can pay for everybody's deliveries.

Important Mechanics

If a player is inactive for more than 90 days, it will be kicked out of your company automatically.

If a director or leader isn't active for 30 days, it will be demoted to a normal member. The highest level and fame player will take over the position.

Company House

If your company is competitive enough to keep and maintain top 20 ranking for a while (+ some other hidden factors) your company will be given a company house.

There are a maximum of 20 company houses per site. So when someone gets a house another company loses it. 

Along with basic company functions like storage, bazaar, you can also order food and liquor (cheaper and less likely to get drunk or full).

You will lose your company house if your company has less than 10 members or total fame less than 70000. You also have to have a minimum of delivery points or your house will be confiscated.

Company Storage

They can hold up to 5000 trade goods and even money! It starts with room for 10 different stuff (R0 company). 

Deposits can be made by any member, but only authorized toons can withdraw stuff.

Only the director can give (or remove) withdrawal permission. You should not give autorization for people you don't trust.

Transaction are recorded and everybody can see who deposits or removes stuff.

This is the maximum number of different stuff your company storage can hold:

Company Rank	Number of different stuff
R0	10
R1	11
R2	12
R3	13
R4	14
R5	15
R6	16
R7	17
R8	18
R9	19
R10	20

Creating a Company Colony

Company director has to sail to a north american landing spot and claim it. Check the world map for locations where it is allowed to create a new colony.

As a rule of thumb you should create next to another company you know it will have synergy with.

Some create it next to Boston to have the shortest distance, as they will buy goods in their colony to take them for nanban trading.

Others like to stick next to the caribbean for a piracy port / base.

Building your Colony

Building is pretty straight forward.

My tip is focus on residential buildings first. Unlock all upgrades including the square and only build it to your heart desires.

Building require materials and investment. Some times you will have to invest more before construction is completed (Huge projects).

Check fandom for landing spots / building requirements / trade goods available.

Company Nanban Trading

Check my How to set up Company Nanban guide.

Company Liner

EA Liner

Also in my Nanban guide.

No, you can't take trade goods with you.

North America Liner

Doesn't seem to have any requirements. Works like any liner to (or from) your company colony.

You have to be there at a given time and wait the specified time while also logged in.

No, you can't take trade goods with you.

Building a Successful Company

How about learning from an expert at company building? 

You see, starting out a new company is hard when you don't know what to do.

Almost everything takes a lot of time to complete and the learning curve is steep... If you ever learn anything at all.

Most players don't have a clue about what works and what doesn't. And will keep making mistakes because they don't know what the mistakes are!

No wonder why most new companies are short lived.

Do you want to create or grow a successful company?

I created a special guide for my patrons at patreon loaded with strategies and actionable steps in company building. 

I also have useful colony blueprints so you know what you need to get stuff players actually want. Like goods for nanban, colored ores...

Stop wasting your time and check it out!