Is pvp dead? Can it come back?

[ItMe]

Within games that focus on PVP, it's often encouraged to be able to curb stomp someone,

There's the difference.
FF14 is far from being PVP focused.
It's strictly side content but would suddenly become the single biggest time commitment in this game if you added upkeep to stay competitive in PVP.
You say

You would quit, but I guarantee hundreds of people would replace you.

What is that based on? Your gut feeling?
Can you support that assessment?
Otherwise we're just gonna have to agree to disagree, because my gut says PVP sometimes feels like it's on lifesupport and making it not respect a players time (very contrary to the rest of FF14's design) would not be healthy for it.

[seros]

Make frontline roullete an actual roullete for starters.

[ItMe]

Make frontline roullete an actual roullete for starters.

They will in 5.3.
It's still being used to showcase the new map that dropped in 5.15 (God 5.2 has gone on forever).

[OskarXCI]

Make frontline roullete an actual roullete for starters.

The daily queue will start rotating all four maps starting on patch day with the Borderland Ruins, followed by Seal Rock the day after, and so forth.

[Gula]

There's the difference.
FF14 is far from being PVP focused.
It's strictly side content but would suddenly become the single biggest time commitment in this game if you added upkeep to stay competitive in PVP.
You say

What is that based on? Your gut feeling?
Can you support that assessment?
Otherwise we're just gonna have to agree to disagree, because my gut says PVP sometimes feels like it's on lifesupport and making it not respect a players time (very contrary to the rest of FF14's design) would not be healthy for it.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned it before, if not, probably in another thread.

I know.

I know XIV isn't built for it, but I'm answering OP all the same in what would work.

And how about just looking up any long standing game with PVP and what makes it work? It's not random, it's just how it works. That's why people still play Aion despite it being cash shop trash now, private servers are plenty active too. It's why people play shooters. It's why broken jank games with unfair advantages can live and breathe well beyond what you would think their lifespan to be. Fighting games have meta, Smash has a meta. People. Want. the Meta

Actually take your head out of XIV for one moment and look at the industry. You can get all the proof you want by logging into another online game that's active and PVP focused and seeing the people at it. Even mobile games. You don't need to dedicate hours of your life to youtube something either. XIV isn't going to be like those games, no duh. But OP asked a question, this is explaining why it would work. I am not saying OMG ADD IT RIGHT NOW because I'm guessing you just like, skipped the part where I said I wouldn't want to change it to cherry pick my post.