Even if it was just the PvPers, its pointless forcing people to do what they don't want to do.
But some players just want to fuck with the world or achieve their personal goals through shady gaming styles. Most players want to get along in this game. So far it hasn't mattered much what it takes to do good, as long as its not unbearably boring. Crafting wasn't particularly exciting (however it can be if implemented right), that's why it was scorned. Farming encounters is moderately exciting and pretty damn necessary when it comes to amassing stuff, it's also somewhat rational when it comes to fallout world. That's an example what necessary features should be like: exciting and related to the gaming world's background story. When players use these features, it starts to look like they are part of the world and role playing without wanting it or not.
So if everyone had to have water, it'd fit both requirements of a good feature. If it was implemented well, it'd be exciting and automatically it would fit the background story. In addition you devs could manipulate the water output so that players playing the game in the wrong way from your point of view could not get access to water.
It would work if it were optional though. To use two FNV examples, you could opt in to a hardcore mode, which would mean you always gain X% extra xp, or create a system similar to being well rested, so whenever you were "well hydrated" you would gain X% extra xp. This way you create a reason to fight, or run a water pumping station (or if you extend it to eating , why you would run a farm) and those that have no interest in it could ignore it withouth losing anything.
It could work like this except additional xp isn't really necessary. I brought up the water idea because it suited as an example about constant requirement for everyone. If it was only optional, it wouldn't be strong enough encouragement for players to play the game how you devs want it to be played. I mean I suppose you wish players to play fonline in a way that it looks like they were wastelanders and after wasteland related goals.
