1) It is exactly that: player versus player. No more, no less.
2) Because other players can offer a level of opposition that scripting can never dream of.

So EVE is a difficult game to figure out, as I try to balance my personal understanding of what Player Vs Player is.

Although, I have my personal view of what PVP, I would very much like to hear what anyone who is brave enough to post in GD.... as would others who read these threads.

Post with your MAIN, otherwise you're missing the point.

1) What is PVP to you?
2) Why do you like it?

1) To me, PvP is difficult, complicated, boring and pointless. I don't enjoy it, I'm no good at it, and in 10 years of MMOs, I've not yet ever felt I'm missing out on much by avoiding it. The closest I come to 'participating' in PvP is when I successfully come back from losec after a ninja mining trip without encountering another player; I consider those times PvP victories.

2) I don't.

Any gameplay element, combat or otherwise in which the skills, experience and abilities of one player are pitted against another and one emerges the benefactor or victor.

Verunae, I agree with your above statement.

Do you feel that it is more rewarding to win in a PVP matchup if the odds are somewhat technically equal, and your skill was the deciding factor? Or are you perfectly comfortable being part of a gang that defeats a solo player that didn't have a chance?

Which is more rewarding to you? Or are they the same value?

I'm pretty new to PvP myself. I mostly enjoy skulking around in my SB looking for soft targets or black ops fleets.

To me, a kill is a kill. It means someone failed, and/or someone succeeded. Whether I succeeded in scouting him out and hunting him down with my gang, or whether I beat him straight up, it's still a kill.

Most people don't take the thought into account that there are a lot of factors besides "Oh they just had more people". No. They were better prepared than you, they batphoned faster/more efficiently than you did, they had a better fleet comp.

Or, you just didn't watch where you were going. A failure on your part is as good as a success on your adversary's part.

[Edit: Also, I reject the concept of equality as far it goes to "fair fights". No fights are fair and equal, except things like chess. And chess is boring as hell. Things being mixed up, different capabilities across the board, that's what make thing interesting.

Eve has sound?

PvP has taken a new turn in which I shoot torpedos at TEST Alliance Please Ignore (and various pets) structures.

I hear it "generates content" for them when they need to show up for the resulting timer.

That's a Fair answer.... although I do not agree with the weighted value/thrill of the kill as you do.
My nephew thinks as you do, and he's a good kid.

PvP to me is the classic FPS definition: Player (human) vs Player (human) duking it out on a battlefield.

one where you and your opponent chat afterwards about the battle. Is there a magic place for this?

So, if I understand you correctly, you find more gratification in say, a 1v1 frigate/cruiser/whatever fight than in a gang roam killing singles? Fair enough, certainly.

I find as much gratification getting on comms, rolling out with the bros and going to make somebody have a bad day, whoever is unlucky enough to get caught, lol. As far as PvP goes, I have always believed in "different strokes".