You can still enter the random encounter maps to fight NPCs, hunting encounters style, so they aren't going to waste. Also outdoorsman being disabled at the moment makes me think they might reintroduce random encounters for that, but there isn't a lot outside of phoenix to explore, so mostly you will just have encounters when trying to get back into pvp fights in the core, or while you are on your way to an assignment.
As far as fonline 2 goes, there is so much broken and unbalanced (also forgotten about, unused) mechanics and systems in the game that they seem to never intend to fix. So yeah it seems like PvE does draw in bigger crowds (also the "canon" aspect for some reason people go apeshit for, even though it is broken and unbalanced and has been for ~10 years), because the combat system in that is just plain weak in comparison to AoP.
Fonline 2 pvp = "are you a burster with these exact 8 perks (or a tank)?.. No? Then go away or reroll newb cos u won't be able to one hex one shot or triple burst at a distance"
So many roles to play. Hmmm, tank or tanky burster hmmm...