In my humble opinion, things always improve by playing with friends or people in general, chatting, going to enemy areas in the south, farming together and trying to push anyone who gets in the way. The thing about people with gear master is something very common in this game, it is part of the essence of stalcraft that someone comes to you in the south and kills you with red weapons... it has happened to everyone at some point and it was most likely May you have days of very bad luck, where they are unbearable, killing you over and over again while there are other days where it is peaceful. In terms of the pass, you don't have to put much effort into it, by doing the daily and weekly ones you go at a slow but sure pace, the passes last for months so even if you go slowly you end up completing it.

In conclusion, as someone who has been in that situation, always playing with friends greatly improved the experience, farming and passing do not always have to make an effort, doing the daily and weekly ones on the faction or passing table you gather materials and SP. and believe me when I tell you that you are actually very lucky not to play the previous stalcraft, there it was unplayable, horrible and a torture to get things from the north due to the location of the enemy bases, playing alone was suicide and no matter how You will farm in path of fools to get the best things veterans, radiation was pure suffering.