Finding like-minded players is tough in current MMOs. If you don't play with friends, the only criteria that strangers tend to use to judge you in most MMOs are your class, your level or build, and your willingness to commit time to a group. But what if games could facilitate player connections by matching the quality of experience sought by different players? In other words, what is the next step in LFG?
It is about letting players clearly express what they're looking for in their game and creating a way to satisfy these desires. Players should be able to express their PCs' emotions and needs in the game world. This can extend to all goals, beliefs, and values. For instance, you could declare your character to be a champion of Justice, and once you've proven yourself in a storyline designed for this purpose, you'd be put in contact with other Justice-minded characters. Maybe you'll form a new group or faction, adhering to rules and oaths that help strengthen your drive. The game itself would enforce these rules and test you and your faction-fellows with situations. This means that being a paladin is more than having shiny armor and a holy sword. What if actually being just, pious, honest and honorable -- acting in the game world in ways that demonstrate those particular virtues -- gave you in-game advantages and let you meet players who have chosen the same path?
From there, it's easy to imagine new kinds of player organizations that would develop organically like religious orders, trading networks, armies, tribes, political parties, crime syndicates, local communities, and so on. Each group would be defined by what brings its members together: their common values and goals. Since the goals of these organizations would sometimes conflict, player competition would naturally emerge from the existence of such groups. This competition would not necessarily be PvP combat but could take on other forms: Religions may compete to convert characters, merchant guilds might arrange trade routes, or indeed, law-oriented factions may hunt down criminals. By being able to do the things they personally enjoy doing, players would create content for other players.