I'm a returnee from just before the release of SoA. I play a monk primarily, from the early days of never getting invites unless the friends I joined the game with brought me along... took a year to get to 75. Had some of the best gear *I* could get (full Empy+2, epona, blackbelt, Taipan fangs, etc) when I left. I've always played Monk, even in FF1... 4 monks! FF5: 4 monks! ... I only really enjoy playing on Monk.

I come back, and my gear is useless, so I get Eminence gear... still can't get into shout Delve for wins, I only need 1, because if I got a win, I could solo-farm meywa plasm by those little shards you get from normal monsters in the fields... my linkshell is gone, friendlist is down to only 2 people, but they're not "friends" (friends of a friend... used to do Salvage/Dynamis with them)...

My schedule doesn't allow for regular play times setup beforehand. I play when I can play. I can't join any "Endgame" linkshells like this. I don't have the gear, I don't have the time. How does someone progress in an MMO that requires gear from content that requires large groups to get into content that allows smaller groups? Yeah, I'm stuck... no Delve, no Skirmish... I really REALLY hope they don't add more "Alliance-based" content, and I hope they add more ways to obtain gear that the playerbase will accept as "top-tier" that doesn't require an alliance, or even a party, given enough solo-effort and questing. (hey, just take the Tojil win requirement off of buying Oatixurs, and I'll gladly farm the plasma from using shards for 100-150 plasm per drop.)

The answer most people on these forums have been giving to other people has been: level whitemage or bard or corsair... alliances will take a naked one, no problem, and you can get your win that way! ... um, no. I hate those jobs. Last thing I want, is to have a job leveled that I hate, to be forced to use it for all the content I want to play on a job I like!


I also play Dancer to explore and solo missions (free sneak/invis/movement speed, solo survivability!), and Puppetmaster and Dragoon for fun (though I hate how this game handles pets in battles that matter... AoEdeath) These jobs don't seem any more welcome than my Monk to help me get it geared up.
I tried playing Samurai to help my small group out, but it was horribly undergeared compared to my Monk, and by the time it was 75, Sam needed Empy, and they wouldn't help me even get an Empy for my Monk, let alone Sam.

So, I for one, am glad for the death of Alliance-based content!
Bring on more Campaign and Wildskeeper reives, where I can join without asking somebody if I'm good enough for them to pick on their dodgeball team!
(yes, I still want an MMO... just not with all the restrictions players put on people!)