Hello, i'm assuming that if you're reading this you're about to get into FOnline for the first time, so lets talk about a few things to get you started.
Character Build
For a first timer having the ultimate PK build isn't that important, it's having a build that will ensure that you won't have much trouble surviving.
First off, grab 10 AG and 3 CH and customize everything else to your liking. I recommend putting luck at 1 so you can have high PE and decent EN, also grab fast shot and small frame if you don't care too much about carry space. (No, there is no gifted trait, it's extremely over-powered)
(Don't put EN or IN lower than 4, trust me on this.)
Now tagging Outdoorsman is a MUST if you want to get anywhere without dying.
Small guns is a great way to dish out decent damage and as a beginner I highly recommend you tag it.
Now you have a choice for a third non-combat tag skill. If you want to keep your weapons in good condition grab repair, if you want to be able to heal yourself and others for alot of health, grab first aid.
Now that you have your build ready, pick a name and password and enter the game!
Civilization
Now as soon as you make it to the world map you should go to the town highlighted on your world map, all the blackness around you is undiscovered areas that you'll get to explore soon, but for now your goal is civilization.
Now here's some tips for when you walk into town.
#1 If someone walks up to you and the use on animation plays they are trying to steal your items, unless the guards catch them there is nothing you can do about it except walk away from them.
#2 Avoid bluesuits with SMGs, if one comes running up to you run out of town and come back later, they are trying to burst you point blank so you'll lose your stuff.
#3 Avoid crowds, chances are someone will suicide bomb right in the middle of the crowd, if you want to chat stay separate from the crowd just to be safe.
Now that those 3 tips have been given you should look for any easy quests for a newbie such as your self so you can gain xp, if you can't find one or have done all the quests you can then it's time to venture into the wastes in the quest to make money!
How to make caps
Tip: Avoid all human encounters early on, especially players!
Wander around the wasteland until you find a city square, if you spawned near Vault city there should be a few east of the city, and near the hub and NCR you can venture south to the boneyard.
Simply enter encounters and collect junk, when you've collected all that you can carry, go to the fix menu and craft BBs. You can sell BBs for decent money, which you can save up for decent weapons, armor, but most importantly a tent!
Home sweet tent
Now your first goal should be to get 10 brahmin hides through either hunting or buying them.
Hunting: This is the hard way to find brahmin hides, I recommend hunting around NCR, or Ghost Farm west of Vault City. It takes some luck to find 10 brahmin hides this way.
Buying: Save up about 1000 or 2000 caps and check if the local merchants have brahmin hides, if not then type in /s WTB Brahmin hides in the chat and get 10 that way by buying from other players.
Now that you have 10 brahmin hides, find a good spot in the desert, open the encounter then open your inventory, hold left mouse on the brahmin hides and scroll down to the vault boy face, then click science.
If you did it right then you now have a safe haven and a place to stash all your gear! Don't bring people to your tent you don't trust!
From here you can do anything you please now that you have a base of operations, enjoy the game and what it has to offer!
Final notes
Don't go it alone! Share a tent with friends or join a faction, it will make the game MUCH more easy for you!
Just be mindful of what kind of faction you're joining, join a Anti-PK faction if you like helping people, and join a PK faction if you want to kill and loot to your heart's content, though joining a PK faction may put you on everyone's kill list, but it's more fun in my opinion.