Here is a small part of the problem and for the most part, EA is helpless(or doesn't care enough) to do anything:
Helper utilities that are prevalent in the PvP scene. Enough people use them that those who don't are at a disadvantage. It is discouraging to those who don't use them especially when those "l33t" PvPers try the "I'm soo much better than you" smack talking
The larger part of the issue is pure and simply: the p!ss poor attitude that a majority of PvPers exhibit(well over 50%). I always LOVE the six man gank squads that start talking mad trash when they kill a lone guy. Or the "PvP" tamers who think that a pet kill means a damn thing. Or the not returning dropped suits. Yeah... people really want to pay to come get insulted by some of the trashiest people around
The steep learning curve for PvP doesn't help. Yup, people really have no interest in dying over and over and over without getting any hints on what they did wrong aside from "Go back to tram newb".
If any shards' Fel population wanted more fresh blood, how about trying some of the following:
- cut back on the trash talking
- "run" some PvP schools.
- do some RPvP type stuff similar to what Ooji and Danny did with FL back in the day.
- cut back on that super special sauce
Sadly, none of the above will ever happen so there will never be any fresh blood to PvP and more than likely there will continue to be more people disappearing from it.
I'm lucky that when I got into PvP there was the availability of RPvP guilds that allowed one to progress to a "zerg" PvP/PvM guild. And from "zerg" guild to mid grade PvP guilds. It allowed me to go from super trammie newb to solid meat shield
I find almost no interest in yew gate PvP. Beyond taking my detector to there to screw around with most of the stealthers, worthless to the extreme with the house abuse, guardzone abuse, among other issues.