The PvP gear could cost 1 credit i dont care. It should not be in the game. People are just used to it because other games have the same system. If you are doing quests and then see someone you want to attack, then you don't want to equip a whole new set of gear and it's the same the other way around if you get jumped then you can't switch since you are in combat.
Big open world online games used to be about combining PvP and PvE. There are still people screaming for other players to queue for warzones, even though they lowered the prices. Warzones are boring to most people.
Why not change pvp to something like this.
- Place a base on all PvP-flagged planets, that can be conquered by both factions. If lets say the Republic have captured the base then all pub-players on that planet gets a small xp boost and a buff (like the flagship buff or something). The people that are capturing the base gets some commendations or something similar that they can use to buy whatever.
-Each base can have turrets and npcs that can be built/hired by people that have advanced in diffrent crewskills. And the same for the other side. If you are about to attack the base you can build/hire tanks, walkers and troops.
- Open up player bounty boards, where you can find bountys that other players have put on people that killed them in combat. Money will be transfered from the player that set the bounty to the player that completes it, and you can only set a bounty on a player that have killed you.
This is just some examples. But the main thing is to get people to play together. This would make PvP alot more fun. And as a low lvl character you will benefit from high lvl characters that have occupied the base.