Best MMO PvP you ever played?

For those of you that don't get the appeal of losing or looting loot post pvp, here are two perspectives to consider.

1) In a non risk game (like wow), if I am clearly going to die, for example by getting jumped by 3 people while I'm at half health, I'm probably just going to /dance and let them kill me. I won't try to run, fight back, or even salvage the situation. I play passively and take the fight out of their ganking, hoping to deny them the pleasure of a futile reaction. I'll take the minimal gear hit, and use the opportunity to sell or whatever and move on. I just don't care. Oh well, I'm getting ganked, le sigh. Boring. Have fun gankers, I'll get you next time. Oh noes a repair bill.... let me check my mailbox and auction house...

BUT, when I know I can lose gear that I worked to get, I all of a sudden care about the outcome of the fight. In that same situation in UO where I am probably going to get ganked, I use every tool at my disposal to claw, scratch, kill, flee, trick, or otherwise avoid getting ganked. I may or may not get away, but so help me Crom I try my damndest. Why? Because the loss is enough to make me try to self preserve and take the encounter seriously. It raises the emotional stakes of pvp, making it more of a adrenaline rush. Seriously, in example 1, there is no reaction, just sigh. In UO, I'd freak out and turn into a cornered badger fighting ferociously. That is more exciting, thus, more fun.

2) You could lose not only just minimal easy to get / craft leather armor, but as you've surely read, you could lose a house, boat, or castle that it took much effort to make. It makes you much more invested in your accomplishments and much more motivated to protect them. Thus, it is more engaging, and more fun.

Lastly, I know that getting looted sucks, and there are a lot of strong opinions on the matter, but going around calling everyone sadists or aroused by pixles isn't really constructive, appropriate, or true. Myself, I think gear is overrated. It is the gameplay experience that pulls me in, not the funny hat I ground hours to get that looks like every other player my level that has the same F'in hat. I'd much much rather have compelling and exciting gameplay than shiny loot. And for the record, I really prefer organized team based pvp to ganking people and looting their stuff. BUT, I totally see the appeal in a loot corpse system, and clearly, so do many others.

Cheers,
-IG

P.S. +10 for chest trapping, that took me back!