WoWtro

[Numtini]

There's no question that I'm a dissident on this, but I stopped playing WoW when the instant anonymous grouping went in. I can't say for certain that was why I stopped logging in (my account is still active), but given that I play these games rather than other types largely for social reasons, I can't help but think that's it. I met a lot of people in PUGs in WoW, I hopped five realm-servers to find a place where I usually got nice pleasant adult people around me.

I'm never going to see these people again. It's like being back in Tribes. It's not that it's not fun on some level, and admittedly I've never been a big WoW fan, but I think it was a step too far. At least for me.

Developing that into a free to play instant random dungeon crawl game? Now that strikes me as a great idea.

[Nebu]

There's a lot of merit to your observation given my own preferences.  One of my favorite MMOs to date is ATitD.  My love of the game had little to do with gameplay (most was easily macroed) and almost entirely about the mature and engaging playerbase.  I'm coming to realize that MMOs, to me, are little more than a chat room with a 3D interface.  I think that's why I have avoided grouping and pugs in WoWand become a bit reclusive in MMOs as a general rule.  I just don't have time to deal with the level of obnoxious behavior in these games anymore. 

[Modern Angel]

I can completely see the anonymity of WoW's LFD system being a bit of a turnoff. It does end up feeling like a big FPS where you just switch game maps every fifteen minutes with little to no continuity. I use it to just do random dungeons with friends and guildmates, though. Fuck a pubby. And while I agree on the merits it's infinitely preferable to waiting for two hours just to get a pubby tank who doesn't spec right and wipes five minutes in.

[Numtini]

I had very very good luck with PUGs on both Garona/Horde and Earthen Ring. It was very rare to find idiots or rude people. My experience on Zul'jin would be another story. Also, had a good group of friends, rarely enough to fill a group, but usually enough to start and dominate the atmosphere of one. That kind of dropped off with the instants as people tended to roll a group and go rather than ask around and wait. So really, to me, as a healer, I never had to wait very long for groups anyway and they were usually good, so to me the instant matching was mostly a loss. However, I'll probably keep my sub up and play it the same way I played Guild Wars or I'd play an FPS. (Well I have six months to decide... while I was drifting out my six month renewed.)

But LOTRO is another question entirely. There's just no way at all and there are so many very easy things they could do to fix it so you could find groups. Some, like a global LFF if you are in the LFF system, are just dead simple. But Turbine has always kind of drifted in the nether regions, somewhat oblivious to the rest of the MMO world.