Economy of fun?

[Wyndle]

I was just looking at my Steam community list of games that I've played and there is a clear pattern.  My #1 played game at 445 hours is Robocraft.  I bring this up because I see DU's economy as breaking the PvP incentives for most.  What is the incentive for the new solo player to take the risk?  What is the incentive for the casual gamers in a loose knit org to seek out PvP gameplay?  The economy is getting in the way of the play part of the word gameplay.  I want to build ships that can challenge other builders to adapt.  I want to dabble in messing with metas, but I'm stuck doing chores to keep the millstone rolling.  What little equipment I have is far too precious to take unneeded risk with, much less to seek out combat intentionally.  

 

Perhaps it would help to put this in someone else's perspective: