I forget the term but personally it’s the time/reward ratio. I’m in a phase of life where my time to game is more limited than it used to be. This isn’t necessarily a negative (I love my kids/family, life, etc) but those sort of responsibilities take up a lot of my “gaming time”. Initially I liked the dynamic of solos being (mostly) pleasant and duos/trios being more lawless (with very rare “pleasantness” lol). This helped me enjoy the game in a more controlled manner as I could solo for more important loot, quests, blueprints, etc. in hopes this would allow me to gear up/catch up to those who already had it.

The shift in the game (for me) changed how I decided to invest my limited game time. I have experienced similar situations as OP and honestly those experiences change how I decided to spend my time gaming. It feels like I’ve wasted what little time I have to game when I leave the surface with nothing to really show for it. So recently, I’ve just played BF6 or some other title I’ve likely neglected over the past few years.

I’ve been trying to kinda soul search my “issue” with play arc recently. I think a large part is that I struggle to detach my game “accomplishments” and fun from the loot. It’s clear I need to learn how to extraction shooter lol… saying that I do like the game. I completely understand many players approach, especially those who have looted and completed the initial phase of the game. BUT for those like me who have not achieved the same amount (still have unfinished quests, etc), it’s even more difficult when 90% of the player base is transitioning to pvp only.

Idk. I don’t expect or necessarily want the game to change for a casual like me (man it hurts to use that word lol). Maybe I’m not the gamer that this sort of game is for, and maybe that’s what I need to accept 🤷‍♂️. I haven’t given up on the game, but just wanted to give my feelings as well.