I just created a team (German, if you're curious) and am ready to play in some exhibitions, but I noticed that the last date anyone posted in the forums wassome time ago.  Are there active leagues and a thriving FC Dynasty climate out there?  Or is this another Whatif product on the way to extinction due to inactivity in terms of both development and marketing?

I'd be happy to accept challenges for exhibition games, although keep in mind that my team is at the lowest level and I don't know anything about what it takes to build a winner here.  But I'd like to see how the sim works, even if it means getting thrashed by teams that are already in whatever the equivalent is of a Premier League in FC.

One other quick question - do I have to be in a league in order to sign other (better) players?  I assume so, because I don't see any button where I can do that as of yet, and I don't see that I have a payroll anywhere.  Given the inactivity in the forum, I am thinking it will be a LONG time before there is a league that I can join.  Bummed.

Welcome to FCD.  Dust off a box and have a seat.  Don't mind the spiders. 

Sadly FCD is not a thriving thing.  However there are some hard liners who can't give it up.  I've been here since it launched, it's a neat little thing, and I like my team.  Hopefully you will get into a world with some action in it.  Far as I know, there are still a few out there.

So you just created a team, I have a good idea what you have on hand as far as personnel... just play exhibition games, don't worry about getting beaten.  (Although, I do believe the Ex simulator is kinder to noob teams than actual league play is.)  If you don't want to search for teams you can just issue Open Challenges, the sim will match you with any other team that's also issued open challenges.  Depending on who's out there, you could end up playing five games in a row against someone at his park... but again, that's not the point.  Just feel out the game engine, which kinds of players you want in which positions, which formations you like.

You will likely be thrashed against any veteran team, but right now you're just feeling it out.  And once you get into a league, you'll get pounded in your first season until you can rebuild your roster by A/ letting the contracts of your current no-talents expire and B/ signing your own players - which happens in your second season, assuming you've spent the first season building a cash roll to do so.

Yes, when you join a league that's where you'll find new players to sign.  Your starter team has 20 under contract, and you can't dump them till after your first season, so right now you have 6 maximum players who you can add, unless you can nicely ask other owners in your new league to take a few benchwarmers off your hands via transfer.  When you join a league you'll get the automatic league payout of 4 million bucks.  Your current roster is worth a whole lot less than that, probably less than 1 million.

On your FCD screen, under "Community" on the right side, you'll see links to Countries and Worlds, where you can check the status of each.  You look to be one of three German teams waiting, and the next two worlds due to roll over with Germany in them are World 87 and World 91.  87 will roll over in about a week, in fact.  If there are openings for new German teams there, then that's where you'll end up.

Thanks! - I've read the FAQ and some of the threads, but getting the info from a veteran is way more useful!

If I am reading the "Worlds" page correctly, my guess is that I will be placed into World 87 (since I have a German team and that World appears to be the closest to the end of the season with a German league in it).  I am really itching to get started, even though I know that I will probably go 0-for-the-season in my first year.

Hopefully you can make it in World 87. I am in there and our German league is very active and the strongest in our world. They are currently full but have three teams that appear to be abandoned and should be replaced when we roll. Hope to see you join us.

What happens when there is not a country in any of the leagues and you team is from that country?

It wouldn't let you do that.  When you choose/create your team, you choose a country that is already in an FCD world.