You’re not alone in that.
Game design flaws are to blame, IMO. That’s what lies at the root.
I suspect the developers envisioned a completely different pvp, but they left ways for the building system to be exploited and/or used in a different way than what they intended. A lot of the problems of pvp start there.
Just don’t think everyone shares your view. Some people just like full loot pvp, even if became an abomination.
Devs might have corrected that early on, but I suspect their finances back then made the task impossible. It was working, with flaws, but still working.
Likewise.
Theyy would have been blown to smithereens. There’s no way to defend that.
Base defence borders inexistence at this point. Either you’re there to do it, or you can kiss your base goodbye.
Count yourself lucky. You had pike and daggers until recently and thst was basically it.
It’s near impossible to balance any combat game. There’s always a “meta” or two. If they get replaced regularly, it’s not bad already. At least, they should be the less monotonous possible. The problems with current combat mechanics are a bigger problem, not the weapons per se. If the devs don’t revise them, we will be left worse than before the tweaks. Anyway, combat is just one aspect of the game and it will never be very polished. Let’s hope for improvements.
If you notice, there is a lot of content simply wasted, meanigless, useless or underwhelming. This goes for pvp and pve.
Not my style either. I prefer to get in troubke than to get in hidding. However, a lot of people love that way of playing. I don’t have anything against and I can understand what’s appealing about it, but it’s just not for me.
Those bugs and crashes man… frustrating.
You just need to accept them at this point or play something else, because bugs are a feature of this game. Part of its charm… 
Anyway, I love seeing your kind of player, not just here, but in any game.
I hope you bear the problems of the game and keep hoping it improves.
Despite all its problems, this game is one of a kind. A fantastic game, rich in awesome ideas, but with lots of implementation problems.