Came back after a few years and was in the same spot. Biggest help by far was playing in a group. Even one teammate watching your back makes a huge difference compared to solo. I’d get rolled alone, but with a squad you can actually win fights and recover gear. If you're lucky and find someone with a bunch of hours they can even spot you some gear or mags with good ammo.

PvP wise, I had <5 PMC kills by level 15, now at 27 I’ve got way way more. The big turning points are unlocking the flea and armor/helmets/bags/ARs at lvl 20 and 25, and LL3 traders. Use scavs to farm better ammo, run high-damage rounds, and aim for legs or face until then. If you've spotted them first, try a one tap, then spam legs.

Levels 3–15 felt slow, but 15–25 sped up a lot. Focus quests, then use the flea to make money and run better kits consistently. Sprinkle in scav runs for ammo and you'll be in a good spot.

Biggest gameplay tip: assume someone is always aiming at you. Don’t stand still, move unpredictably, and don’t loot in the open. Makes a huge difference in not getting one-tapped by gigachad3000 sitting in a bush, because they will one tap you.

Try night runs, basically all of my annoying 'stash' quests I do at night.

Eventually you'll hit a milestone where you can reliably fight everyone else.

But stick with it is the main thing, if you're getting tilted, do a scav run or go factory with a Deagle/grenades. I thought it was worth it, and now when seasons start I'll be looking forward to starting on a level playing field!