Sorry but FD has no idea what it wants from its game.
That's your opinion because it isn't the game you want. FD have actually been pretty consistent in their position, and what you see as cluelessness is very likely a commitment to the way they see the game progressing.
There are couple of different issues here anyway. PvP for the sake of it, because it's more fun than PvE (an opinion), and role playing PvP, mainly piracy.
The first of these is something that for sure David Braben, and therefore presumably FD do not wish to impose on the whole player base. They give it as an option, something you can do, and technical limitations aside, it is something that some CMDRs seem to engage in consensually, and post their engagements on Youtube. I would be surprised if FD ever imposed PvP on everybody, which would by it's imposed nature be non-consensual. It might make the game shine for a few players, but I doubt very much if it would be seen as a good move by the majority.
Piracy is a potentially different matter. FD have indeed stated in the marketing blurb that you can choose to play the game as a pirate. What they can of course never do, is assure you a constant stream of victims, unless those victims are NPCs, as that is very much within their powers. It's exactly the same for any of the professions, except perhaps exploration, that you will have to play the PvE game to progress. They are starting to address the issue that NPCs are not up to scratch as opponents in combat (opinion again), and that will doubtless be a continual balancing process. They absolutely need to do the same for NPC traders to make them acceptable targets for player pirates, and I would presume over time they will try to do that.
Personally, I cannot imagine that there are many players who log into a computer game to every time be someone else's content, their victim. While I'm sure that some players will enjoy the occasional interaction of being pirated as they trade to make credits, that will have to get old pretty soon, after all, there's only so many ways such an interaction can go.
The way the game is designed, the differences in ship strength and capabilities, the potential for loss that credits aside can amount to hours, if not days of gameplay due to destruction all make that destruction something that most players will strive to avoid as much as possible. CQC will presumably be the exception to that.
If you are looking for more interesting player with player content, whether that be PvP, piracy, system / faction conflicts, then I'd look at the things that FD seem to be doing with groups. If you are just looking for 'live' prey, then I imagine you will always be disappointed.
