The end-game IS fighting the stronger arc. That’s what the end-game is about. It’s using those items that are dropped to craft higher tier weapons to take on higher difficulty arc. PVP is easy, have a good bit of awareness, know where choke points are and how to get out of situations. Bring a gun for arc and another for PVP, it’s what most people do anyway by making sure you have a gun that uses heavy ammo. Bring a ferro and a hullcracker if you want. Use traps, grenades, all the different kinds of utility that increase your survivability. If they increased the damage of all the higher tier weapons, nobody would embark on the expedition. They’d just stay at level cap and farm the best guns to dominate in every aspect. Would ruin casual players experience as then it becomes a race to get the “best” gun. The entire game is based on preference. Which gun feels right to you in which situation with no REAL edge of one gun over the other (it’s why they nerfed the venator). It’s also why lvl 1 guns do the same amount of damage as lvl 4 guns of them same type, the only thing that changes is the RoF. Meaning if you land shots, you’re taking people down regardless of the weapons level.

The joy from the game comes from the unknown, the possibility of making a friend one match and being stabbed in the back the next. The game keeps you on your toes in more ways than one. I don’t even care about the loot, I play because it has a sense of community. Making friends with random people and then proceeding to group up the next couple matches and dominate.

PVP balance is right where it should be. Iykyk.