I wanted to like FireChat, as it was previously possible to use it entirely offline, in a purely P2P fashion.

While this is still possible, you are now forced to first create an account online, and subscribe to a bunch of internet-based channels, before the app will let you use the P2P portion.

This is frustrating. The market is wide open for someone to make a pure P2P communications app that doesn't require internet access at all, even initially.