It's not good for app discovery. You already need to know what you are looking for. Other than that, most of the time it works fine.
In other words, it's a bit like Amazon.
This has very little to do with what I said (arguing some library doesn’t make things easier) but ok.
>I go searching and I can't figure out what some of the apps even "DO",
It’s been a couple years but I don’t remember the play store being different.
>Here is this app, you need to install these other things too to make it work
Like the Termux API app needing termux? That’s the only one I remember being like that. Most of the apps I used were self contained. Do you have an example?
From memory F-droid was much better than google play except for the lower selection but it has been a while.
What are you installing to make it a bad user experience?
I don't have google services (no google account) at all, only use F-Droid and Aurora store and haven't any problems. Even convinced a friend to go the same route with minimal handholding and they aren't technically inclined - no problems.
I go searching and I can't figure out what some of the apps even "DO", others are "Here is this app, you need to install these other things too to make it work, also it only works with X, so maybe it will work for you I duno....".
Now I get why it is the way it is, I don't expect much more from folks putting out software for me like that, but it's a terrible user experience.