Partying atm it almost fully dependent on a good active linkshell.

My linkshell groups nightly for around 4-5hrs usually.

Without that it is extremely hard to get a group, and until the community mind set changes I am not sure the new party search will fix it. Outside the occasional shout people seem to just stick to themselves and very few people use the group function that is in the game atm outside the Japaneses players.

The game is designed for group play atm, issue is most people do not do it. Try to get a linkshell that schedules group at night or one that has a lot of people who where from XI. I haven't soloed any fighting classes past level 10 since I started this game. Groups exist you just have to find them.