I can assure you there aren't any bugs involved
Another way you can explore the alert system is by using a RIF Installer inside a Garrison, if you haven't done that before, since that will help you get a clearer grasp of the alert mechanics, which is what will lead you to be overwhelmed if not controlled for!
That's a big part of what will determine how hard things are, but at the same time if you're
not exactly driving up the alert and getting more dispatches that way (e.g. assaults), then I would guess your main problem is
not exactly the dispatches or even Operator-called investigations (which honestly aren't that bad since they're not directly after you), but
patrols. Depending on how you navigate a map, you can make it more or less likely that you'll run into random patrols. There are plenty of forces on a given map, but whether or not you actually run into them is up to you
Regardless, -1/Access is going to be harder than previous floors. This is normal and to be expected! Research is usually no pushover, either, but as you say it can also really depend on your build (and play style).
