So why not make a successful game that appeals to a larger audience and would have an option to make all happy? Why couldn't they allow a game where people who aren't antisocial to invite crew members to replace the default NPC crew? Guild Wars has a system where you can do both, games like Left 4 Dead and the new Resident Evil game allows for both single and multiplayer gameplay. A good competent Dev team would find a way to do both play styles. The current style is just a singleplayer Online Game that people are going to balk at paying a subscription for.

Instead Cryptic is discarding quality in place of a quick release, just so they can sell their Cryptic Game Engine to other companies who also want to create more low quality quick release "MMO's".

I agree that you should never be forced to group with people, but we also shouldn't be forced to play solo with a bunch of lame Mastermind Pets in space either.