Very nicely written.
One thing to consider. Is it a mere roleplaying when real money is on the line?
Is there functionally any difference between walking up to a person in real life and taking his/her valuables versus bringing some players avatar hitpoints down to 0 and receiving his/her items in a video game where items can be cashed out for real money? In both scenarios, the robber takes away valuables from the robbed.
this post is my same answer to ONEOMEGA
i started WOW on a pvp server, i was "ganked" by horde players camping respawn just for annoying purposes.
this involved my TIME and not my MONEY
(actually i moved to a PVE server and played for 13 years thereafter, never did PVP content that i dislike (its clear)
BUT
1. this game loots LESS than spending so items are not "just 20 minutes away" but a kill in lootable is actually A FINANCIAL LOSS for the pked player. this means a RISK. and in RCE there must be a reward. i can accept PVP3 where shooting is a financial loss for the shooter (and in fact apart someone looking for some fun it never happens
2. in PVP4 shooting a player rewards WAY MORE than a monster, that is average LESS THAN KILL COST... a 300 HP player is taken down with 1 ped. hard to loot less. make a LOOT on player 98% of the "cost to kill" and no attachers in space will happen.
a player with a PeGleg and a Parrot on his shoulder is Roleplaying a pirate, there is one trader in Boreas with a parrot, saw it. a pirate in space is someone that INTENTIONALLY makes his calculations, risk say 5 ped (not sure of cost to kill a quad) hoping to collect more.
this "WHATEVER AMOUNT" is a financial loss for the traveller that is ambushed, because in Entropia all items have a DOLLAR VALUE
so sorry, i can't divide the moral action of intentionally stealing items from a scammer, a lowballer to newcomers, or a space pirate.
all of these categories are BAD for gaming experience.
Maybe i am full PVE inside and i see anyone that "interfere" with my monster slaughtering just annoying.
i appreciate some comments, sarcastic ones are not relevant, but there are some ideas
developing space is impossible, because of lootable. it is pretty stupid to go fight a space monster and be looted thereafter, so also this need adjustment
maybe "travel corridors" PVE and "interesting spot for special resources" with pvp enabled......