The problem there is that without someone experienced to guide things, it generally ends up being a total wash. If it happens at all.

I'm betting a lot of the people who are saying 'Just make a PF of your own' are on the high-pop servers and don't realize how much of a chore that actually is outside of their bubble. I maintain the big problem is just how this game handles cross-server play, and DF is a bandage that comes on too late for any of the high-end content. SE knows this too, which is why they already put the full-tilt Echo on Bis/Rav.