To answer the OP, it's harder to play red side because it was designed that way. Villainy isn't easy nor should it be.
Kidnapping is harder than rescuing, bank robbing is harder than bank protecting.
More ambushes, more unexpected outcomes, life is just harder, but you have to feel that success will be sweeter when you finally achieve it. If you ever do, the odds are against you.
Even if you go Rogue, and do an occasional ok thing, you're still in it for yourself, so there's that.