hmmmm,
Lots of stuff here and instead of going point by point I think its really a issue of not totally getting the mechanics.
If you dont want hit its very easy, dont carry enough gold to make it worth the risk, and yes many people dont care about levels (and for the lose 5 and lose your VL one big laugh I have is as I have not set my points I can lose 50 and not hit VL XD )
Dont be a,, well for lack of a better word, a noob! If you get on the bad list of a pvper you are digging your own hole. Bountying, smart or insulting messages, crying to others it only encourages them.
IF you put your gold away and still got hit, well some do it for prestige, you have some options,,,
Bounty, and as mentioned before you are pretty much paying for a friend to clear them and steal twice from you, this isnt a flaw in the game its a sad example of how nobody throws stam like they used to! I picked up over 20 FSP in the 2x event by taking it from people who didnt have the sense to put it away and I lost a little over 8 levels,,,,worth it. There are guilds,, few and farther between that isnt a good idea to hit a member of as you have a strong chance to lose 5. But not many out there lately and one reason is all these rising star top 20 for the month dont want to toss their stam away to punish a guy who hit you with 5 million sitting out
Hit back! This is sometimes all it takes to show you wont take it laying down BUT, you also may be setting up a extended fight. If you arent ready to throw stam a couple times a day it may not be your option,,pvpers like a challenge.
Ignore it!!! If you left gold out, asked for it or sit in stam gear you pretty much forgot it was a pvp game. Buck up buttercup, save the bounty tickets and gold or FSP and move on.
Long and short its not a problem with the game its a problem with players, nobody defends themselves or their guildies like they used to! It has allowed this situation to arise, people dont think what always was and still is pleanty of payback is enough and its mostly because they cant get anyone to do it for them!
Finally one last thing I want to touch on, its become a kinder and gentler FS over the last couple years. People still pvp but the threat of any message being taken the wrong way and other things. Its almost like a pvp game where only a minority participates and the rest are just our lil jingle bunnys waiting to be seperated from their exp and money and dont think that part in your bio about how you are #11 in your monthly top 20 isnt one reason the guy who has gained and lost levels 100 times doesnt enjoy attacking you and dropping one of those ranks.
I think that I have said it many times and stand by it even today, the problem isnt pvp its that we arent encouraged to do it and have fun with it! Too many get all bent out of shape if you take any exp much less the gold. If there was a way to salvage it and make pvp fun for all id be all for it but sadly think that its just a part of the game I enjoy and participate in but will ever be accepted by the majority of players.