The thing about FC's and why people choose not to join

[Dark-Saviour]

The thing here is... joining an FC doesn't take you out of the community at large. It's tantamount to saying, "I joined <some organization> and have completely stopped talking to my friends and neighbors who aren't part of it."

It isn't an intrinsic issue, but that actually is the mentality these systems tend to foster due to a combination of history and just the nature of a lot of players. I've consistently seen a trend in the games I've played (with some worse than others, mind you) of, "Guild >>>> Everyone else. **** those scrubs." If you're not in someone's guild, you are inherently terribad and there's no need to ever do content with you or even associate with you.
And as soon as someone joins an online game, it seems they've been indoctrinated to believe they've "GOTTA FIND A GUILD! FAST!". That combined with the mass spam of invites half the guilds in any game seem to throw at everyone they see makes me confused as to why guilds in their current form can hold so much appeal as to consistently remain a thing.

In my eyes, a 'guild' should only consist of people you've met and already enjoy playing with; it should never be something you enter into before already having a relationship with all of the members. And at that point you don't need a guild because there is no need for that hierarchy and structure with that type of relationship.

But when people are indoctrinated into believing they need to be in a guild and place an unfounded sense of value on other players solely because they're in the same guild, it makes for a community where it is difficult to find the players I'd most enjoy playing with on a universal level.

[SendohJin]

In my eyes, a 'guild' should only consist of people you've met and already enjoy playing with; it should never be something you enter into before already having a relationship with all of the members.

that's impossible? you can't be friends with of all your friends' friends, or what if your friend has a brother/gf or whatever who also played the game.