Linkshells are very hard to start. People won't stay active in your linkshell unless there are a lot of people logged in. You'll never have a lot of people logged in unless people stay in your linkshell. You need people to get people. It's a catch 22. I started a linkshell, and am having trouble competing with second linkshells that people have. Besides the fact that I'm very selective in accepting members (the top tier of my friend list only, and that my membership criteria is already restricted to Windurstians only, I don't have any really high level players. My LS essentially started as my first Sarutabaruta party, and my real life friend, and expanded from there. People don't seem interested in linkshells unless there's a group of highlevel players to baby them through to rank 5, RSE and AF armor. It's a big "what can you do for me" sort of mentality. Fortunately, while small, I've managed to avoid adding members in it solely for their own hasted advancement.