you want my thoughts on bringing PvP back? it's simple... your on the right track... give them an incentive to attack
no really...
what incentive IS there to actually attack?
credits? missions (in PvP only if you do secret stash attack)
segs? missions (and laughable amounts if in PvP)
workers? between credit missions? more missions (PvP only in secret stash)
exp? missions... and items... (and everywhere else)
cp? encounters
items? galaxy missions (good luck finding in PvP... merchants will have plenty of extra warehouse to avoid this)
resources? mining... and items (can't get any in PvP at all)
there is NO PvP only resource
all you need do, is add a resource that can ONLY be obtained through PvP, and actually make that resource WORTH something... and there you go.
tbh, when emi started introducing cp and commander exp, I thought that was going to be PvP only... boy was I wrong
---edit:
to be really honest, this game wouldn't hurt at all if emi made credits workers items resources to be found in mothership missions and galaxy, and then made commander exp (and cp in general) only in PvP