Bullets magically disappearing on contact with ships of the same nation who aren't mad at you is highly logical, I agree. "there are many newbs that would sign up for kos, that are just not prepared to be kos. " However, figuring out how to exploit the game so that you can side-step the FF restrictions is not exactly what I'd call preparing to be KOS. Sometimes the best way to prepare for something is to simply try it. I believe that's coming. I don't have anything construct to add, but perhaps this thread could be turned towards the direction of how to better implement the switch to KOS, when it does happen. You should read this thread if you haven't done so already.

This is a space game. Do you really need me to invent some super techno rational for "Bullets magically disappearing"? I bet I can. Pretend I did.

There is more than one path to becoming KOS, and I don't see anything wrong with requiring a newb to know, and be able and willing, to complete at least one of them. Just one! Pick one!

It can be difficult to recover from kos for even the vets, and it could be potentially unrecoverable for a newb. Why put potentially character deleting pitfalls in the game? You might not think that deleting a newb character is a big deal, but I expect many a newb to feel otherwise. Just assume that they feel approximately as strongly about their character investment as you feel about your most developed character.

And... In my opinion...

Gaining, maintaining, and playing the part of, a kos character, can be, and quite often is, difficult. If you can't handle hunting trader or killing sf or whatever, I have to question how well you might handle the rest of the story. Crying on the boards that it is too hard to become kos is not encouraging...