And until you can prove that not one person backed down from buying the game because it had poor social networking, it doesn't matter why those people bought it, because just as that theoretical group exists, so to is there a theoretical group of people who would have bought the game BECAUSE it supported guilds.
What you just described about Mobius is a Guild. Only difference is that it is separated from everyone else.
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The same way that PowerPlay only benefits those that support and participate, and has no benefit to anyone else. The same way that Community Goals only effect people that participate, and no one else. The same way that Exploration, Trading, and Bounty hunting only benefit their participants.
And in so doing they only proved that the absence of guilds wouldn't prevent the polarization of the community.
You've gone a bridge to far here mate, you're really stretching now. You may want to reexamine exactly what you think you're saying. Mobius as a guild, yup....please. Mobius is no more a guild than open is a guild.
The fact is the developers made a choice during the backing phase as to the dogma they wanted to back their game and they chose the ideal of not having formal player controlled groups, by making it clear there would not be guilds. Your point about people that might have backed if there were guilds is moot. Add onto that that the whole spirit of the game as players is independence. We all belong to the pilots federation and that's it, we're a loosely affiliated group of individuals each making our own way in the galaxy and organizing into formal, in game groups completely goes against the atmosphere and culture of the game, you effectively make it into something it isn't.
There isn't a adversarial division between powerplayers and non-powerplayers because it is administered by a neutral third party that makes no such distinction, and any individual that decides there is a division only has the power of that individual to influence the game that way, he has no in game tools to spread that doctrine to other players or organize other players who adhere to it, he is hindered from that kind of unwanted behavior simply by the lack of tools and the game mechanics. If you introduce a guild structure players automatically and naturally assume an adversarial stance with those not in their guild and you not only give them the tools to organize that kind of behavior but the action of giving them the tools endorses it; they tell players they want them to do that.
Powerplay has no effect on the non-participants because it is overlaid as a separate structure. It has its rules etc, administered by devs, but it is separate, yes I see powerplay affiliates, but I will not be attacked by a person because of powerplay unless I associate myself with powerplay, it has 0 net effect on my gameplay, I suppose someone could try to force me to pledge and attack me for not being pledged, but they gain nothing by doing so, indeed they will get a bounty even in their faction leaders home system for attacking me, the behavior is discouraged by the game mechanics as they are now laid out, and the mechanics are carefully monitored by a responsible neutral third party (devs).
By introducing a guild structure I am automatically enrolled in it, whether I want to be in a guild or not other players can and would interact with me because
they are in a guild and
I am not in a guild. Players will automatically assume an adversarial division between those in their guild and not in their guild. We know this to be true because the second you see a hollow icon on the scanner you sharpen your senses for a potential adversary in that individual, because we are both individuals we are on even footing. Not every guild will take active hostile actions towards those not in their guild, no, but it doesn't take every guild. They would get whatever reward their loose cannon GM set for attacking non-guildies. You see, because it is player administered they cannot efficiently or effectively keep it in check without cutting those players who are a lesion to the community off completely, which is not a healthy way to run a game community, especially when you gave them the tools to behave that way. The sheer size of the task would make it impossible to monitor effectively, it becomes a beast of it's own only kept in check by itself and we can see how that plays out in other games, and the effect it has on players who want to play as individuals (the whole point of this game!).
The fact that there are already player groups organized out of game without in game guild functions that practice the kind of behaviors that have been referenced over and over and over and over in this thread is undeniable proof that that kind of behavior would proliferate to a much greater degree given in game communication/recruitment/status tools. Now there are good groups that help the community, the fuel rats for example, but knowing human tendency, having in evidence years of game experience, we know where the majority of the energy would be put, and it wouldn't be to racing eagles across hostile space for giggles.
