As someone else mentioned, I'd bet if you asked all the people who don't PvP why they don't, it has nothing to do with losing gold or pots(or other disposable items), it has more to do with:
- Cheats and exploits - pick your favorite for this. Every PvPer knows what they are as do many of the Tram people.
- Attitude - nothing like getting ganked by 10 tamers with greater dragons and then being told you suck at PvP *rolleyes*
- Training - no, I'm not talking actual skill level but real life ability to PvP. I've known people who could wipe up a shard with no skill above 110 and mediocre equipment.
In the old days(all of 2-3 years ago), Pac's most notorious PvP guild was able to get people to try PvP events we hosted due to our attitude. Great fun was had by all. We didn't smack talk them when we crushed them... didn't rez kill them... etc(at these events... at champs spawns, if we didn't rez them, they were fair game but we also tried to keep the smack talking down)
Unfortunately, while EA
could do something about the first... there isn't a single thing they can do about the last two. As long as they aren't being profane, they could say you suck in various manners all day long.
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And there is nothing anyone can do to make someone a good or great PvPer.
This is from someone who HAS been on both sides of the fence on multiple shards. And those three stick out in my mind as the biggest things that held people back.