I can't believe people in this thread are saying that EVE Online and Perpetuum Online are not PVP-centric games. Absolutely unbelievable. For some reason, people equate PVP to players simply killing each other over and over, but it goes so much further than that.
Nearly everything you do in both games ensures some form of player vs. player competition. It doesn't matter what you're doing in this game, be it camping a spawn of drones, mining a hotspot of HDT or Titan Ore, or trying to sell some of your goods on the market, you're always up against another player. Player-driven anything is fueled by interpersonal competition. One does not exist without the other.
Perpetuum Game Mechanics that Promote Player Competition
PvE farming -
Due to Perpetuum's rising popularity, more and more players are joining the ranks and giving the game a shot. This means an increased number of players are out in the field shooting drones, mechs or other NPC enemies. More players means more competition for kills. How often do players rotate kills and cooperate? Hardly ever. What do they do? Train extensions or equip modules that increase their locking speed, allowing them to lock and "tag" a target before the other player does so.
Player Competition.
Mining -
You've just found a hot spot of Titan Ore and begin mining away for potential profit. A prospective miner passes by and sees you. What does he do? More often than that, they scan for ore, and begin mining right alongside of you, meaning less ore for you.
What are your options?
You can always move.
Train extensions to get more ore than him before it runs out
Can always fit better modules that increase your yield, or pilot a better bot
His choice affected your gameplay. Player competition.
Trade and Market PVP
In this game, as well as EVE, engaging in the market is one of the fiercest, most cutthroat arenas a player could ever compete in. Here, a player will do whatever it takes to drive out potential competition. There are no friends here. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who'd be willing to divulge their trade secrets, letting you know what items turn the best profit.
Using the example from the mining category, how does one acquire a new mech or higher-quality modules? Where does the player you purchased the goods from get them? Where does he get the necessary materials to produce his goods to sell? And most importantly, how does he ensure that you specifically buy from him? Everything, be it the prices of the raw materials, or the profit margins gained from selling goods, are all dictated and affected by other players.
Player competition.
In Closing
Saying this game is not PvP-centric is absolutely laughable. EVERYTHING you do in this game has the potential to affect another player, and in-turn, everything they do has the potential to affect you.
Addendum
Last but not least, the whole "PvPers need Carebears more than the other way around" argument, where Carebears feel the need to exude some sort of smug, arrogant attitude, is simply a load of crap. It's a two way street. Both sides need the other to survive.
Pvpers need Carebears for goods and services, while the Carebears need pvpers for income and customers. If stuff doesn't get blown up, the markets get flooded, prices go down, carebears make no money off the items they produce, market crashes, carebears get disappointed, and then they leave. Oppositely, if raw materials aren't processed into usable goods, PvPers have nothing to use in the field, demand exceeds supply, prices rise exponentially, pvpers can't "play" the game, they get disappointed, and then they leave.
One does not hold more power over the other.
To put it simply, Perpetuum PVP is more than just players killing each other. It's about a living, breathing world where players cooperate and compete to survive in every aspect.