I propose the following:

In order to protect lower level players (below 2/2/2/2/1), I suggest they be like ghosts in the 'verse. This would allow for them to experience all parts of the universe but with no consequences until one of their levels passes the limits prescribed above. The other part of this is to only allow them to dock in capitol sectors until they achieve non-newb status. With these changes would come a warning that they cannot harm other players until they move out of newb status, and that they themselves would be impervious to damage.

These 'ghosts' could fire weapons at other players but the impact would not be registered on the receiving player's end. This would eliminate the exploitation of trying to distract other players when they are involved in combat. 'Ghost' players would also not be possible to select as hostile with auto-select ('x').
EDIT- I have just had a thought on expanding the the ways in which a 'ghost' will interact with other players. In the case of a low level player trying to distract or interrupt a combat in progress, the 'ghost' could not appear physically (ship/weapon's fire) in the other players' universe within 500m. They would still be able to chat with all pilots in the 'verse, but would not be visually present. They would also see everything they ever did, they would just not be seen.

I see these restraints as very basic and kind. It gives players a chance to try a few ships, get a feel for the flight and combat models, and meet a few folks within the 'verse.

Thoughts? Concerns? Ideas here are drawn from this thread:

http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/20142

I replied to this in your other majig... The answer is still the same.

No. As Dr. Lecter said, "No magical shields for anyone."

How are they (newbs) going to experience the universe with out a certain amount of danger? When I was new, I was scared s***less to go into gray space, and for good reason. I was a newb. If newbs are allowed to go into dangerous areas then they'll go back when they're above the "ghosting" requirements. And die. A lot. What's wrong with trying ships and flying around in their home, and relatively secure, area?

Ghosting is similar to instancing... which I've heard Incarnate poo poo a couple times. I feel like the newbs should have the same experience. The newb sectors should of course be heavily protected against griefers... but that goes without saying. Now, when it comes to newbs getting in the way of battles, this seems very unlikely for two reasons. 1) battles don't tend to take place in noob areas, and noobs rarely seem to venture to grey. 2) those who do venture to grey rarely make it down there in one piece... too many rats and the like serve as a barrier to entry for the noobs.

Non-consensual PvP does mean nowhere is safe and it is best to reinforce this concept from the start. In-game solutions are best to keep newbies safe long enough for them to get comfortable with the game, learn the ropes, and want to stay with VO enough to pay the monthly fee - the tiered defenses, in place and planned, will more than likely be adequate to protect newbies from all but the most determined griefer.

In line with an in-game solution, how about a warning message the first time a newbie ventures past their respective nation space into Grey to add some flavor? Nothing fancy, just something that pops up on their HUD as they near a border wormhole like: "WARNING! You are leaving UIT monitored space. Proceed at your own risk. Have a nice day."

As a newbie, part of me likes the idea of "ghosting". However, the part of me that's an experienced gamer says: "this is a bad idea, how would I learn the dangers of the universe?". I would be rather upset if I had been ghosted in the past, traveled through greyspace to do a mission/explore/whatever, and then gone back at a later date only to be obliterated by pirates.

If anything, I like Daare's idea of a warning about leaving protected space. That's enough to make you think "maybe I don't really want to go this way", and it also reinforces the idea that greyspace is dangerous.

Agreed. Once. One Warning = Good. Many = Very Very Very Terrible.

I will accept the shutdown of this idea, i just had to put a feeler out for the thought. Let it be noted that such levels were chosen because anyone with a grasp on the game mechanics will surpass these levels within 1-2 hours of gameplay. I had figured that such a low limit on the levels might allow for such a mechanic to grow into reality.

Thank you all for your feedback.