Problem
There are literally zero people recruiting for anything regardless of the time or day.
All groups are made through shouts and the linkshell's chat.
Issue
The design of the recruitment function alienates most players from using it.
While making open recruitment after setting the parameters to join is a good idea, what isn't a good idea is to downright remove giving players the ability to set themselves as looking for group. A lot of people rather just flag up and do their business while waiting.
Solution
Redesign the recruitment and party search function. Use something similar in simplicity to FFXI's looking for group flag and the /sea command.
The drop down menus have to go. They require too much attention and thought for something that should be simple in nature and they are annoying to browse with a gamepad. Forcing us to set so many options also does nothing but turn players away from using the system.
The current design already has a drop down menu for purpose, location, leve listing, level range and a comment.
This is all very redundant. A single checkbox with purpose and leaving the comment box as optional (and not accesible through clicking an extra button) would make things so much more simple.
The translator doesn't work in the comment box either. This is a big mistake as it hinders communication with foreign players. And the english and japanese leve names are different, so they should all be included in the translator.
If a player begins recruitment and there are players who meet the group's conditions flagged as looking for group, they should be automatically get a prompt with an invitation to the party and the group's details (this being the purpose, level range and comment box).
And please don't put any drop down menus in the new system. A checkbox if you must. But no dropdown menus. They are incredibly annoying with either mouse and gamepad.