I think the difficult nature of this game is what makes it so compelling!
The feeling you get when you've discovered a valuable item you've been looking for is exhilarating at times. It feels like you've had a small victory.
When you come across another player, you must decide whether to fight or flight. Sometimes you take risks and talk to other players, or hunt and kill for their belongings.
I don't care how hard it is to find gear, or getting killed at the hands of another player, I enjoy the challenge. I just don't like the deflated feeling when you die from things out of your control ie ladder glitches or running down stairs too fast (although funny to watch others die from it). All that time and effort has gone to waste for no good reason.
These are the things once removed from the game, will keep people playing Day Z forever.