Im saying that because you hurt yourself by using open and outfitting for defenses and PVP. You lose jump range, Cargo/passenger space in doing so. Which mean less missions, the chance of death against your opponents and so on.
Thats why Solo and Private is being used and PVP is a side show.
And yet they continue to balance and make changes based around PVP.
Like I said before, all Modules, Missions+++ and ships are based off PVP activities.
But the " PVP " we see is small because you have that mode option. And they are making changes to make changes. Its so easy to see.
Its still going to be Elite Dangerous. With a meaning for PVP.
You saying it, doesn't make it so. They certainly take PvP into account, the Heat Meta and the Combat Beta are testaments to that. But, you aren't taking into account the things they don't do. FD doesn't restrict what and where people can do stuff. They know people have many motivations, and they hope to cater to them all. The design decision about the Modes allows for people to choose their play style.
That isn't going to change. You have no evidence to support this claim. None. Just a distorted view, bent to fit your desires. Balance takes PvE in to account as much as PvP. That is obvious. Look at all of the decisions FD have made, preserving PvE-centric aspects of the game. It's obvious that PvP is a concern, but not the guiding principle.
Let's see, what function does a Mining laser/Lance have in PvP? What function does a ADS or surface scanner have in PvP? What function does a Passenger mission have in PvP? Adding difficulty to a PvE mission doesn't sound all of that PvP-ish to me. What possible use to PvP is the Dolphin, or the Orca? You may point out that peeps do PvP in them, but we all know that's for a laugh, not for success. What does the Thargoid story line have to do with PvP?
I'll reiterate: "When all you have is a hammer, all you see are nails." Giving PvP a meaning would be a good thing, but don;t expect them to bring this PvE temple down, just for the sake of PvP. Nothing in this game's history points in that direction.