omg this is gonna be a long post. I started to write what I thought was going to be a short one but looks like a 'rant' if rant means longggg post so here it goes lol. if you actually read it thank you for baring with me and there are cookies in it for you if you get to the end of it.
I can't speak really on all the pvp stuff since I am not pvp player.
but in another game I played they had open pvp in a few maps where all levels could go (actually they had limits as to starting level for each map but that still left you with many different levels being able to have entry once you hit the minimum level to enter) and basically instead of maps that had smuggled goods it had free roaming world bosses spawn as well as daily quests players did and other quests which they just had to do one time.
the problem was that for the most part you had no choice not to enter if you wanted to get your quests done and of course if you were low level you could be picked off by high levels.
the only point for higher levels to kill there however was kill points but that was the goal of pvp players to gain kill points.
I don't remember if there was some other point to it like so many kill points got you some reward or not.
anyway at first they had no restriction to what level could pk but later they implemented a level limit.
how it worked was that if you were like 5 levels ( could have been 6 or 7, can't remember) below the level of a player that the higher player could not attack you.
however if you were 5 levels below them and attacked them first whether it was accidental or not you were then 'flagged' which meant the higher level player could attack you and anyone that may be in your group if you have a group there with you was flagged as well so it was open season for the player you accidentally attacked if they wanted too.
once you left the area though you were no longer flagged.
now they could do something like this but add like some kind of time limit to where if you get flagged you would have like a 30 minute or hour timer on you so even if you left if you re-entered within that time you could still be attacked by a high level player.
also I can't remember if once a lower level player got flagged if any high level could attack them or just the player they hit but it could be like that so there is more risk if a lower level hits a player within that 5 level difference.
this did help give lower level players a chance to do their thing without higher level players constantly going there to pk and it still allowed a host of activities there for players.
world bosses could still be competed against by groups and/or guilds as you could still have guild wars or whatever and individual players could still pvp and even pk randoms just helped protect lower levels more from capped players or higher to pick on them.
I believe in that game world bosses being on open maps also could be stolen even if hit by another group and they had some bosses specific to each map spawn while there were some that spawned in the pve area maps as well.
I think the simple solution is keep TA as is but just program it so there is even like a 5 level difference to what level of player you can pk/pvp.
this would still allow for players to do their thing whether it's pk for gain, pvp for fun etc.
but leaves some players at slightly less risk of being pk'd by high levels.
keep in mind with just a 5 level limit there are still players higher then you or lower then you so it doesnt' mean there aren't players not in their 40's that won't pk.
and 45's will then be more inclined to do pvp or try to pk players within their 40's which is at least a more fair way to do it.
I am not sure being cap is only 45 still if it's doable with a 5 point lvl spread.
the other game started with I think level 50 and they raised their caps pretty frequently for the 2yrs it was around (yup game closed, didn't survive long) and final cap was 70 or 75, can't remember now lol.
so maybe it would have to be like slightly lower number and just raised when cap level raises, don't really know.
I have to agree with others about no point in being upset when you get pk'd because while it's annoying to some and seems unfair to be killed while skilling/gathering or doing PL or dailies it is one map that is designed with pvp in mind.
we have other places to skill and gather if we choose.
we may not have PL but then ofc all of that is a choice.
you do have other ways to get valor besides TA I believe?
PP we can get from dailes so the treasure we get every time we kill PL gives us rings and charms we may or may not use, rest is npc makes us bit of gold other ways we can make that too,
bags with gold, pp, which maybe we get both or one of the other and bags for vp again random if we get it or not from it.
players want the mount I know so if your lucky you get the one treasure box that contains it.
for anyone that doesn't know already it's not what rank you get when you kill Pl that gives you the disc. you can be rank 4 and still get it or rank 10 and still get it.
I got two of those and was a different rank each time.
I forgot the name of the box that contains it but it's one specific one I believe and not sure if it always contains a disc or not?
and I digress as usual lolol 
...
when I joined we didn't even have that map yet and we did all our skilling and gathering without smuggled stuff that stacks.
it's just a perk if you want to venture there.
TA was more peaceful generally at times with such a small community pre steam but having the game gain players is really what will help keep this game going and the developers doing their thing to keep it going so we seen maybe a bit of increase on the pk front but whatever level we are that's the risk we take if we go there.
also not sure why though I haven't seen it myself players would blame other players for agreeing that with the fact we all go at our own risk even if we are not pk/pvp players ourselves.
we are just being chill about understanding the mechanics of it.
I personally don't pk anyone and have no interest in stealing goods from other or killing lower level players for their stuff or for any reason.
I'm also not interested in attacking levels closer to my ranger's level because as stated I'm just not a pvp player but I know TA is designed this way and if a player wants to do that then they have that choice just as I or anyone else does of going there or avoiding the place.
I have a friend in game who has never once been there ever!
more props to her ! lol.
she had leveled her skills and gathered what she needs the old fashioned way of non smuggled goods.
I doubt she even ever bought some to save her time and work though maybe she has but I still know how much she does for herself in game with patience and all she gets it done. kudos to her indeed 
just saying it's possible to do without TA if you feel badly going when someone comes along and pk's you.
players will make their own choices how they want to proceed there.
I don't particularly like being pk'd though since pre-steam I don't really go to ta much anymore to gather and maybe been there for PL half a dozen times since steam launch.
if I do get killed there at PL I just wait after I respawn till it's dead and poof I got my daily done. then I just continued off TA to do other things since I know after there is a bunch of pvp going on if there are lots there lol.
as to just being attacked in general there must be really boring to pk me cause I just am not a pvp player so I either just die cuz I"m like eek what's happening 
and it's too late lol
or I try to leave which ofc usually fails before I die anyway ( you can't leave once hit rofl) so can't see the fun if there is no real pvp action between the two but no biggie, have at it if you must lol.
also losing stuff, while sure it's a little 
because we took the time to be there collecting isn't so horrible that there is a reason to be upset about it in world chat or at all.
you won't lose all of what you collected.
you will lose any smuggled gold, yes,
you will lose tokens ( if you want to keep them every time you see you got one just head to the depo and deposit it or risk someone coming along and getting the bunch if you haven't but that's a better way to do it then just have none if someone comes along)
but it's not the end of the world.
you can go do something else and come back and try another time and you still will have some of your smuggled stuff (depending how long you were there already) and any gained xp you had while fishing/mining/foraging.
so just come back another time, try a different server or put them on your friends list and keep your eyes on the little map in case you don't catch the log ons and then just leave if you see a red dot or if they log on just leave and come back later.
oh and never afk there. go off ta if you need to afk.
that said, those that are the pk'rs and feel the need to shout about it in world chat to brag or goat those you pk'd, it's so unnecessary to that.
your being immature and just as bad as those that react in world chat after being killed.
just see no reason to do either thing. I know that won't stop certain players from doing this but your not really saying much about how you may be in other situations in game such as working with a group in dungeon for example.
Players shouldn't QQ in world chat because of pk in TA since that was the intention of the design of it.
like others have said, was a risk for a gain not a place that had no risk for easy stackable goods and xp. that is why we still can gather and skill in the rest of the game without the risk if we want too.
That said in the same light Players who PK who start trashing, mouthing off or goating those they pk in TA. are just as bad as those that get angry in world chat for being killed so please if your one of those players that act that way you really don't have a leg to stand on about it either.
have a little maturity about PVP and it still can be fun for you and you still gain what your after if you PK there but let the player you PK leave without commentary and everyone will have less drama in general. jmho ofc.
PVP stands for Player versus Player.
or could be a Players vs Players like a group pvping with another group.
maybe I'm wrong but from what I have seen in some cases in game it was intended for friendly fun competition.
well that's my guess anyway.
for players who enjoy battling it out with other players rather then just npcs.
so they can compete using their skills, something they can work towards by building up their characters and testing it out.
should have some honor and respect to each other.
have fun 
, say thanks for a great fight. 
'shake hands' 
discuss what could be better or whatever and it can be just as much fun then creating some of the uhm well bs I've seen that can occur sometimes with these things.
( and I"m not saying I seen a lot in this game, actually I haven't seen that much of it compared to what I seen in other games but just putting it out there, food for thought is all)
like those tornies some have put together. have to give props for going to all that effort for their fellow pvp'rs to get some fun about it in a friendly competitive way.
but for some in games pvp is a way to give them opportunity to trash another, think they are working out something else in game lol.
they get angry, they insult one another. eek it's a mess.
blah was one reason I personally didn't like pvp, the other is I just plain suck at it lol.
oh I promised cookies at the end !
p.s : wow look what happened when I tried to post lmaoo
'You have posted a message with more emoticons than this community allows. Please reduce the number of emoticons you've added to the message'
that's a first for me rofl!
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lol