I think you just have to change your mindset of the pvp side of the house.
Elyria approaches it as the players run everything. So when players are attacking innocents, those innocents will go to the local authorities and after proper channels are done they put out a bounty on the people who were the harassers.
The game doesn't reward PVP, and in fact with the survival aspects of the game unless they have their own bandit settlement they are going to be hard pressed simply surviving out there without food and water.
PVE will be possible against creatures, and likely will be required for anything Canis rabbit and up, and PVP although it exists does not have to be participated in.
I myself am going to be a pretty pacifistic Alchemist (qualifier because I will still know how to kill tyvm) and don't plan to participate in pvp at all. SbS isn't ignoring the non pvp crowd, we just have to take a step back when looking at the open world pvp and address our approach to the game with that in mind.