1st of all, there should be a pool - players had chance to know this feature. Secondly, from my long term experience in online gaming (reaching far back year 2000), hardcore games are more stable if the rules are comforting hardcore gamares - they are backbone of each game. Making game noob friendly without penalty we know from FOnline, will drove away old players (well, most of them) and will not bring newcomers. Why?
Fallout has its specific world, and FOnline is replicating it, along with graphics, sounds, everything - so only those who actually know it will hang around it. Other situations are rare, and how many absolutely new to F1/F2 will stay longer in FOnline???
Other side is, that no matter how you change - be it no loot or other rules - there are still mechanics in game that are just old compared to new products, and there will be a lot of newbies just wanting things easier. Its old like games themself. So, again - giving 10% stable population great feature in order to lose 90% is bad idea.
I was playing game that was changed many times in order to please newcomers - now, after 15 years, game is dead, and newcomers are not there, and we - verterans - got completly different game we are not happy with. So, yes, giving few great feature to lose most of playerbase is wcs.