Gotcha but doesn't apply to me. I just like to blow up internet spaceships and no there is no such thing as consensual pvp in my book, not in this game.
I agree, that if you join open, you consent to all that can happen in open, if you don't want to be at risk of 'all' that can happen, don't be in open, that is what the other game modes are there for, fully agree there.
HOWEVER.
I also want to point out that just because you 'can' blow up someone, does not mean you should do so at every turn and chance you get. If people blow up everyone they see, is it then little wonder that people will move away from that game mode unless they want to blow up everyone they see as well? And last I checked that is not the point of open, its 'open' not 'blow up everyone', open is meant that 'everything' can happen, PvP, and randomly getting blown up, is just a part of it, if that part becomes too big a part, then less people will be in open, and that's my point with previously mentioned, that if you play super aggressively, and use the whole "but I am allowed to" defence, then don't be surprised if people don't want to play with you.
Again, just because you 'can' do something, doesn't mean you 'should' do it. There is so so much more you can do then just blowing people up randomly.
And no I am not saying you specifically are doing that, but there are clearly people that are...and those are hurting the game, and they exist in all online multiplayer games, and they hurt the games there as well, eventually there will be measures against them, and they will wander over to another game where it is easier.
But yes, on first line, yes, PvP is combat, you can get attacked any time, but in general PvP is when there's a 'fight' that yes, can be lopsided, but if you just squash someone, it isn't really PvP, at best it is ganking, at worst, griefing.