There are 2 main options:

#1 Lift everyone up

#2 Tear everyone down

#1 Consists of a PVE environement where grouping is encouraged.  Bonus is applied in very creative ways such as extra perks per class variety.  Thus lesser geared or less desired classes still give a bonus.  This promotes MMO design and grouping.  It also helps carry lower players.

#2 Consits of a PVP environement where everyone is bickering and trying to get ahead.  It's anti social which is actually anti MMORPG.  It's the current state of BDO.  Because there really isn't much inncentive to help or play with others.  It's a focus on personal gains and other players just ruin the productivity.

It's also due to the failure of P2W design.  Leveling in original RPG's was directly related to power.  Leveling has almost been removed from MMO's and now gear (CASH) is all the power.  Thus there is even less reason to ever party with others.

Yes it is defective game design which results in areas not supporting many players.

However, this PVP issue affects MILLIONS of people:

Here is a DEVELOPER response to a bad steam review about it in their game

Thanks for the feedback. I will be patching in a few more safe areas. However this is a game that is leaning towards PVP so most areas will still remain PVP enabled.

We are continuing to balance the game every day so hope that you keep on playing and that the changes are to your liking. Hopefully one day you will change this review to a positive one :)

Players in a range of 20 levels can currently attack you in PVP.

EDIT: There are now PVE and PVP servers so that players who do not like PVP has the option to not participate in it. Hoping you give the game another go and possibly update your review :)

Notice the developer actually responded to the feedback and implemented PVE servers while still maintaining PVP servers.

So devs should answer to whatever feedbacks they receive? 

NW tried this. And right now, BDO has 15k players on steam alone (more or less the same population it usually has on February), NW has 26k. It had 410k in October. Huge success right? 

Right now, the real loser of LA launch seems to be NW, apparently. Yeah, the same game which was supposed to be better at hearing feedbacks. 

The mods keep removing it, but since you are talking about numbers specifically.  The number you should be concerned about is 15,000 vs 1,300,000+.  The latter is also active players not afk.

Muuuhhahahahaaa. What does the lack of open pvp have to do with the current number of players in New World?

You forgot that New World started with over a million players. And of this million, 95% were playing with pvp mode turned off.

It was Amazon's lack of action that plunged the game, not pve only players. 

Biggest Amazon fails in New World:

- too expensive and limited fast travel

- very little content

- extreme little end game content

- stupid players limitation (1000 per channel, permanently attached to him)

- bugs, bugs, bugs, and many many expolits that wiped out the entire economy of the game.

Thats all. Pve players are still playing quietly, are satisfied and enjoy.

After premiere of Lost Ark, number of BDO players dropped drastically. This is best seen in battles with world bosses. 

Even this idiotic lottery "event" didn't help Pearl Abyss to keep the players. Why? Because players have repeatedly said what they want and Pearl Abyss still resists introducing these changes.

And Lost Ark will be losing a lot of players too. What are the first players who have already reached the end game criticizing? Rng enchanting system. What a "surprise".

It's the same with BDO. They "give us" new pen system. Ok, I have full pen boss armour. Even fallen and helmet cr10 ready for next fallen piece. But what's next? How should I get black star pen weapons and pen accessories?

So I will say it again, again and again. Four steps to make this game playable: 
1. Remove forced pvp
2. Remove channel change cd
3. Add fast travel system to any node (blocked with trade items)

4. Changing the enchantment system (from rng to progressive).

Without these changes, it will still be such a zombie mmo where up to 90% "play" as afk, because grind gives nothing except toxicity.

And finally briefly: Western gamers like Korean mmo games but ... on our own Western rules.

So I will say it again, again and again. Four steps to make this game playable: 
1. Remove forced pvp
2. Remove channel change cd
3. Add fast travel system to any node (blocked with trade items)

4. Changing the enchantment system (from rng to progressive).