I played Fonline for two or three days, and this is exactly why I stopped playing. There is minimal information that could help a newbie to get used to the game, all I kept seeing was "shovel shit until you can afford a tent". I loved Fallout 2, but this online adaption got way too boring, way too fast. Shovel shit, try to buy a weapon, get PKed within ten minutes, start over, repeat. Fucking stupid.
The sentiment around here seems to be that abusing noobs is fun and it keeps this game elite. It's also going to ensure that this game never makes it out of beta. If you can't rely on new players to enjoy the game, build their skills and offer a challenge to existing players, the game will never grow. After several hours of monotonous shit-shoveling and several more walking from the res point to the nearest town repeatedly, I can't see myself playing this game or recommending it to anyone I know.
I played lineage 2 for years, one of the most noob-hostile, unforgiving pvps I've played, and it was still far more inviting than FOnline. I read something about "joining a faction", and perhaps that makes the game easier, but I've learned to steer clear of any mmo that treats new players like a nuisance.