I don't think there's anything wrong with the Guardian program as it is, but I agree that new Guardians need to be chosen regularly - not to replace the old ones but to add to their ranks. In every game the player base changes over time and some of the players who were the most active in the past will become less active. There is nothing wrong with that, and I think all of us who knew people like Royce and Yanis will always respect them for their contributions to the game even if they took a break from playing. Like others said, being a Guardian is a recognition for past activity and is not the same as being an Ambassador, where you volunteer to be visible and active in game at all times.

Also, a lot of us who play less still read forums and care about this game much more deeply than we would about a game that we just abandoned. I consider myself to be in this category. Just because I won't grind to the cap doesn't mean that I don't care about the game anymore. I discuss it quite frequently with Elly and others on our private guild forum, and I also read the forums here regularly. If it doesn't show it's because I don't feel the need to post in every thread if I don't have something to new to say.