I guess you can call me a returning player? Technically I’ve never unsubbed since 2006. I feel like a stranger to the game though. I slid out of the progression raiding scene after Castle Nathria because of IRL time obligations. I’ve been actively trying to return this entire expansion but the community is not as it was. Is it just me or does it seem like the entire game has become pug centric and that joining a guild is pointless. Every guild is recruiting but as soon as you join, “hey go pug everything, we will be available to message in the empty guild discord.” It seems every single guild is a small friend group and the pugs they allow around. Which brings up my predicament. How does one make friends again in an increasingly antisocial game? Yes i am a “wow boomer” or whatever slur you feel is appropriate, but to me being in a guild meant that you did stuff together, not pug it out and only speak on raid night. There is no loyalty or fellowship amongst guild mates anymore. Why has everyone in the game been reduced to a disposable asset? Even if you play solo and pug group content, if you go into a key in an offmeta spec, or tank an off meta path, everyone leaves as soon as the key is loaded like its some kind of unspoken corporal punishment (unless its a break the meta event, where you just play a different meta instead of the meta meta). There is no companionship anymore, to be honest there is very little outside of “youtuber say do this, nothing else work, you bad player”
I feel this is more… server situational? I don’t know what server you are on, but I have noticed that guilds just want more numbers to appear more promising. Asking for help either will get you the answers you have described or they ignore your questions. I myself only have one or two Guilds I have with friends only because that is a route we all chose to do at the time. (and to prevent the guild invite spam that some have on bots.) But the other stuff seems more server situational to me. I haven’t had any problems with pugging dungeons, but I have only been kicked once… maybe twice only because of comp issues. The dynamics of the game have shifted… since legion honestly and we all just make do how we can. I do with you luck! Coming back into the game at this point might be confusing but the game is still fun to play (at least to me) 
ive been on 11 different servers this xpac. from the fullest to the emptiest. ive tried them all