XcEvilGenius already touched on this but I think it would help focus on what I think is the most important point. Optional matchmaking is optional... If you're so afraid of all those horrors you just listed then don't use the matchmaking. You would be free to use LFG, clans, friendslist or whatever to put together your teams. I am willing to accept all of those possible problems you listed. And don't worry about me and other players.[b] Don't act like our father and say, "You will hate matchmaking because I hate it and you and I are exactly the same person."[/b] I agree that if some of us use matchmaking we will run into the problems you mention. But it would be my choice and that's all that we're asking for. I would rather use matchmaking for the chance to play content I paid for, and risk getting a bunch of idiots on my team, then to be locked out. Plus, a disclosure. I am one of those idiots that you hardcore players do not want on your team. I'm middling at best at the PvE on this game. I absolutely suck at PVP but I'm not that interested in Crucible anyway so it's not a problem for me. I don't have the Ghorn and whatever else gear is supposed to be the best. I have a Hardlight that I love but I've been told I should get rid of because it sucks. I don't care, I think it's a "fun" weapon and when I play a raid, strike or whatever I like to have fun. I will compromise and put on my Alpha Lupine chest when I'm with a team just so I can play medic (and so they can revive me faster), but sometimes I leave on my Armentirum just so I can have the extra grenades and lots of ammo. So my point is, do you think I should go on these LFG (I don't even know what that means) or third party sites and try to join a team? How do you think that will go? Would you want someone like me on your team? Or wouldn't it be better if there was some kind of optional matchmaking? Maybe Bungie could even make an option for people like me. Click a box with one of two options, "I came here to dominate and get gear" or "I want to have fun. Ohh, and my dog ate my mic." I would choose the second option and I bet many of you would be happy if me and the other casual players found our own playlists to play on. I'm begging Bungie to segregate me from those of you who take this game much more seriously then me. [i][Edit: I kind of garbabled my point here. This final paragraph is meant to show why someone like me doesn't want join a clan, a team, or beg to join someone's team. Because my priorities do not match the priorities of most of the people who join those groups. Sure, I want to try higher level PoE or a raid but I don't want to get bitched at because I don't have the right gear or my aim sucks. I am a casual player. Which, I'm sure some of you will then say that I don't deserve to play this game if I don't take it as seriously as you.][/i] I feel bad when I hold back people who are clearly better than me. And remember that all of this would be optional. The rest of you would not be required to use matchmaking. You could continue to build your teams and be a boss at this game.