Well, I’ve asked Nelson about the hardcore survival element in the past, and this is what he had to say:
In essence, these things are what many of us veterans want. We’ve seen 3.0 as a horror show of steroid-fueled PvP and KoS. And many of us have had enough - despite Unturned being intended as a zombie survival game, in 3.0 the zombies are literally the least of your concerns. Players currently pose far more of a threat, when in reality, zombies (as well as the actual survival element that has been a bit underdone in 3.0) should be your most immediate threat. The way zombies are right now, they’re a borderline joke, and literally any gun you find anywhere can easily clear out towns or even megas. Heck, as long as you don’t find burners, you can pretty much fight any zombie with a decent melee weapon and a small degree of skill.
That is why we’re all pushing for “hard” suggestions. It’s not that we want the game to be a living nightmare, it’s that all these years Unturned has been too easy.