Yeah, Shinryu isn't a perfect analogy (note however that Raja/Rani were challenging at the time Shinryu was released), but it still served as precedent for the last year when we were clearing tiers of content and getting CS's and story progression. I still think now that people have a "reason" to clear stuff (see Meteor thread too), the groups are being formed fast and furious. I saw at least 6 shout groups on Lakshmi doing clears last night, Ocythoe being one of them.

As for the PUG vs. linkshell debate, that can open a whole offtopic Pandora's box, but I'll just say that I couldn't have been the only person who recognized the better part of 2011 that SE was leading us somewhere and forced my LS through multiple progression event nights to get everyone cleared.