It has got all to do with most people's mindset.
In Europe/America/Russia, we PvP in real life for any random flying crap that we see the other may achieve before you, try to impose our views over others, disrespect almost everything and don't even try to look at things from a different perspective. Close to insanity.
Most people of asian countries have a whole different mindset than this one... while here we are greedy liars that will take any opportunity for making some sort of delusional profit by betraying people for it or whatever it involves, there they are way more of a helping type and way more sympathetic with everyone else, they like co-op stuff and play together to have fun, not to own others in shame, they respect their enemies. Instead of calling them "noob x0ax0a", they try to share their tips/tricks and will never admit that - even if you are horrible in PvP - that you suck and are worthless ingame. In other words, they care about other's feelings.
If you ask me, they don't even really care what do they play. So L2 resolves around the market it got more income from, and it was Asia, so they are making a game that appeals to what they want to play. And they want to have fun, so they are making glittery starwars stupid crap for them to create evinronments where they can have some :D
Both mindsets are present in both territories, but generally, that is what predomines in both territories.
I would love a PvP community that would respect itself and try to get better and better, creating higher levels of play.