Maybe going a different direction with this, but here is my take on the seeking party system from launch till now. What I mean is this is not the first game they have developed and they know it's critical for, oh my a MMO to allow you to, I don't know easily play with others.

I fear SE did not put the easy, usable search party function in because of the lack of content and severe nerfdom of leveling in this game. Remember your first job to level 25, without the sub job (whatever level we got it at in ffxi.) Personally it took me forever to get a rdm/whm to level 30. It was my first ff and mmo. The point was it was a challenge. No daily exp leves, free gil from everything. You had to beat stuff up just to make your way through ffxi, and yes you would fail (not the go back to the aetheryte and try again wink wink, fail. The, lord, I did not set my home point and we don't have raise I might as well quit this party because everyone thinks I am a noob now FAIL.) In failing you, and later the parties learned what works and what doesn't. That being the back drop for where we are now. I digress.

Imagine IF they put the code (I'm sure they saved the one from ffxi) for an easy LFG at launch, heck even now? Zoom zoom party grind damn 1 level fifty down in 4 days, bam zip another, pow zam,boom,, ooops I leveled every job in a matter of 2 months with great awesome parties. Now let's ummmmm ummmm ...... ummmmm.... craft till they raise the level cap in another year and a half??? Look at forum posters from all over, 5 level 50's everywhere, WITHOUT a functioning LFG.

So yes I agree it needs to be in there, truly it does!!!! However, maybe instead of making everything look really fancy first, they could have created some content over a five year dev span; player progression, role development, party involvement (with the ability to find one included absolutely free), then nice looking trees.

My guess, it being square and everything, is that they did just that, it's all in the works and everything is going to work out perfectly and this is all part of the game somehow building up to the seventh umbral era, they did make ffvii after all. Till then I am going fishing. Please say this year has been a dream SE!