"As I said before this wouldn't have been a problem if modern MMOs encouraged a mix of grouping and soloing as a player leveled up."

You've actually PLAYED modern MMOs, correct? So far, every one I've played in recent memory (and my memory is pretty good) HAS this mix of solo and group quests.

I have to say, as a soloist, I'd prefer if the designers don't try to push me to group up. I'm not anti-group; I'm anti PUG for all the reasons you mentioned above. Plus, sometimes you don't have a lot of time during your session. LFG/M CAN force you to sit around spamming the channels, with no guarantee that you'll get what you need.

I think too many people still think that the MAIN reason people play these games is to socialize. If that were the case, Second Life would have more members then WoW. People are after the advancement, the loot and the "personal glory", no matter how illusory that notion is. People still like to play the game on their own terms. Sometimes groups can get in the way of that, so developers shouldn't force people to play in a way that's counter to his or her enjoyment.