Late with my comments, but I wanted to spend more time on TA before forming an opinion. The real issue, there are two different activities meshed into one. TA is much more enjoyable when I understand and accept the reason I'm going and what I'll be doing.
There is certainly PvP. At least occasionally. Two or more people go at it just because. No risk and minimal reward, except for having a bit of fun. And this can be quite fun, especially if the players or groups are close enough in level/spec/gear. With no risk, even a PvE spec like myself can die repeatedly and be entertained.
Then there is the game of Cat and Mouse. This is where the 'mice' gather, and the 'cats' look for players to kill. Some 'cats' only go for kills they can win, a few go for challenges, skipping those they know they can easily beat from past encounters. Some revel in the kill, others are nice, skipping people they know, who are there often, or who just don't like the game. It's up to the mice to either scurry away or take chances when a pk'er shows up. (Though it is fun when the 'mice' pull a Tom and Jerry, teaming up to take out the 'cat'.)
Unlike PvP, Cat and Mouse has significant rewards for both. The gatherer gets double resources, while the PK'er gets stolen resources. And both get valor points. When gathering, I do everything I can to avoid confrontations.
It's the Cat and Mouse that creates the friction. Partly because no one likes to lose hard gathered resources. Partly because people keep talking about this aspect as if it's PvP. And often because the gatherer is not there to fight, and yet takes all the risk (Yet there must be some risk to double gathers, and IMO the current system is reasonable).
For now, I think we need leave it as is. Unfortunately, there are not enough PvP'ers to sustain TA as purely PvP. Any real risk/reward system might attract more hardcore PvP'ers, but lose the casual ones. PvP risks also throw off the balance in Cat and Mouse, yet the mice are necessary to keep TA populated. And HCS certainly doesn't have the spare resources for PvP only activities. Once we have a significant player base adding more PvP rewards and removing the resources becomes a viable option.
A suggestion, if people truly want more risk/reward to the PvP side (I'm not one of them). Have players sign up when entering TA. A gatherer may gather, but not initiate combat. A hunter cannot gather, but can attack gatherers and other hunters. This requires some risk for hunter losses (gatherers lose resources as now), and some additional reward for defeating a hunter.
Edited by Irradiated, 19 September 2014 - 03:26.