It never ceases to amaze me how the wannabe "hardcore" players feel the need to put down the casual players.

How dare those dirty casuals want anything!

It's honestly amusing, because actual hardcore players never say things like that. True hardcore players are very aware that the hardcore population is extremely small - probably less than 5% of the overall population (and that's being generous). True hardcore players are aware that casual players are an integral part in any MMO. They pay the bulk of the subscription revenues. They tend to stay subscribed longer than more "hardcore" players, who finish content and then unsub until the new content comes in. They provide the stuff server economies run on. They are the farmers. They are the crafters. They are the people who make everything function as it should by virtue of being there and being active. The casual players are the pool from which more hardcore players recruit from. They are the players who take in newer players and teach them the ropes of raiding - in a safe, fun environment. And those players, should they ever decide to reach for more, are standing on the foundation the casual players built for them.

Casual players are the lifeblood of any MMO. Be careful, o wise wannabe "hardcore" player. When you turn the casual playerbase away, subs drop and content suffers. You have only to look at what happened in World of Warcraft when the casual playerbase (which had ballooned during Wrath of the Lich King) was discouraged and ultimately driven away by the developers' desire to cater to more "hardcore" players, leaving casual players with nothing to do.

You need casual players far more than they need you.