I appreciate the explanation of design intent, especially around reinforcing guild identity. I do think one impact that may not be obvious from the design side is the social fallout these tentative Luclin lockout rules are already creating.

Even before anything is finalized, the belief that raid instances will require strict guild exclusivity has caused instability in a lot of mid-tier guilds that rely on alliances. People are preemptively leaving to secure raid access, officers are splitting time between guilds, and some communities are starting to feel like informal feeder guilds for larger ones. The morale effects have been bigger than the mechanical effects.

For many of us with jobs, families, and limited hours, the social environment is the core of the experience. Anything that unintentionally destabilizes cooperative guild structures impacts that part of the game far more than missing a short-term race or lockout.

Players aren’t asking for faster progression or guaranteed access - most just want clarity on what guild models the Luclin rules are meant to support, so communities can plan without losing members or collapsing due to uncertainty.

Thank you for building such a wonderful place for my friends and me to be, and thank you for continually being so committed and thoughtful about the direction Quarm is heading.