Yeah they have made some really stupid design choices putting class defining and powerful items behind some horrible grinds.
I'm rank 130 because I have a lot of play time lately, but it is hugely frustrating and off-putting to my friends that they constantly lose to players that are better equipped just because they have more play time.
BF1 is the only BF that got it right (as in many things): The original weapons were decent. The gadgets were all there early. Play time just got you more variety and flexibility, it didn't hand you huge raw power upgrades, so noobs and casuals (no insult intended by the terms) were much happier.
I've never understood the desire for experienced players to noob stomp using a fake power gap (it is largely power, not skill) but apparently some gamers are pretty much just lol trolls and want kill-streaks more than they want a fair fight and EA/DICE are there for them.