To be honest, on normal PVP server communities the biggest issue is how self sufficient you can be with the materials around you. There used to be a problem with clans being able to control Star Metal when it was the highest tier (before Legendary weapons). But that’s been eroded away with dungeons and what not.

You’re not going to get away from PVE in PVP unless you make a Planetside 2 style system (where bases are premade and you simply fight over control of them). The reason for this is PVE gives the reason to PVP. Otherwise its just a quake style deathmatch. You PVE to gather the raw materials to make a base, you make the base to protect your goods, and you PVP in order to protect or take said goods from others.

There’s several issues with the current maps. As I said its too easy to be self sufficient. It would work better if the materials you needed for the best equipment were scattered to the four corners of the map and you could only reliably get one such resource at a time. Requiring trading or raiding for the other bits. Some of this can be solved by restructuring the current maps or making new maps. But most of it requires restructuring the recipes.