Is the concept of a FC already dead?

[Shougun]

We had bigger PVE guilds in ultima online, and we didn't even have raids.
So don't blame 8 people raids for your inability to find a community.

Blame console players without keyboards !

BiS for Ultima Online wasn't in 8 man locked out content though, afaik. BiS is for FFXIV, therefore people want to join a community that isn't really a community as much as it is really a niche (an 8 man static with some decent friends "on da side"). The only problem with changing (not dropping) the lockout is that FC's will start to sell wins sooner than usual. SE could nip that in the bud if it really bothers them by making selling wins against the ToS, which would be hilarious but quite effective. Imo the gain for FC's is greater than the sooner /sells in shout. Before I went on a break my FC -frequently- had in length discussions on how to work the raid, a big pia that always left someone out and not part of the niche.

Lockouts cause a 150 man FC to become a niche FC where you got "the 8 amigos" and "the leftovers". I've seen a few FC obtain two clearing groups, but mostly I hear of secondary and third groups just failing because they got the left overs of the first group. I'm not trying to change this thread into -all about lockouts- so apologize that being my focus. But I'm very sincere in believing that it adds unnecessary extra stress and ends a determent for the community mentality at large.

While hunts are not the best example and are further off topic they do show, for my server, an example where content not locked out actually causes people to make larger groups to work together. I've had a few LS create 3 to 4 hunting groups. There are other issues with hunts including the chance to teleport to an area with it dead already, but the point is just to show how when content isnt locked people will be more likely to group. This actually goes in turn to support what you said about PvE content in Ultima. Content not locking lead to more people being able to communicate and work together and -not- develop the little niche as often.

Edit: for PS3 players at least the ones I know, they do have keyboards.