DEV REQUEST:DUEL/SPAR system

[kyuven]

snip

I'm sure they were planning PVP, but let me tell you something...if it's not in the game at launch then it is not a high priority for the dev team. Housing wasn't there either, and look at the complaints there.
Frontlines isn't "traditional PVP" and is still rather unpopular compared to many other aspects of the game. It's point capture, and you're given so many tools that are different from normal gameplay it's almost like driving a tank or car when you normally walk. I really don't understand what they mean by "traditional PVP" but let's take a look at that shall we?
Frontlines uses a set of skills you don't have access to under normal circumstances. PVP is therefore divided from PVE by more than just instances. To make duels, they would have to have the ability to summon up those skills in the open world, OR forego them entirely. This requires time and effort, and testing. What happens if a player uses Repelling Shot in Limsa Lominsa? What happens if they use that skill on top of the building with the tome merchants in mor dhona?
We THINK we know, but if you're going to allow PVP, you have to make DAMN sure you know. And then you have to test its interactions with other skills.
What happens when players are defeated? what happens when mobs interfere with a fight? What happens with party buffs? These are all things that, again, OPEN PVP has to consider.
The game was not DESIGNED with this in mind. There are areas within the game that were not DESIGNED for combat. This is why there are certain areas where combat just doesn't happen, and when it does, they make use of instancing.
Which is probably what PVP tournaments would entail.

Frontlines is popular because you can succeed without actually being good at PVP, which makes it attractive for people just looking for fun. If it's more popular, they develop for it. Plain and simple. And the queues are STILL an hour long. Why devote resources to something that is just going to be complained about and no one will actually do?
1v1 PVP is kinda like that. The game is NOT balanced for 1v1 pvp. And it probably never will be.

And complaining about PVP on the PVP forum? Sure yeah that happens. Of course it happens. But you can generally tell the popularity of a problem by how much it shows up OUTSIDE its intended forum. It's a litmus test. PVP may have problems not mentioned on GE, but the volume of its presence of GE compared to, say, the MSQs, steps of faith, or Atma droprates should be indicative of its relative popularity.

The option to IGNORE all duel invites would be present

Once again you need to address this point:
How do you ignore people around you dueling?