The specialist system makes no sense in a game where you can be every combat class on one character. If they want to maintain it, then lift the restriction on souls so players can work toward gaining them all. As for the social aspect, I'm in an active FC and I am one of the main FC crafters. But my FC mates have had to go outside our FC and pay ridiculous amounts of gil for things they want or need because our crafters can't provide for them the way we used to.