Op, I started the game during kickstarter and now with only about 18 weeks of flight time logged - I don't know the difference either .. I understand that some people don't play that combat bond route and with there being so little in the way of explanations available in-game you just need to try different things if you want to figure out what each thing is. I went to a low res site and picked a faction and got killed right away - that was a few years ago and I have never gone back... I don't take your limited understanding of the combat bond process in a negative way and I don't find it amusing... It is simply a fact and there are many out there that don't understand it. I feel those that mock are simply trolls. Best of luck in getting the engineer pass granted ... it's the next one on my list and I'm not sure how to go about getting the 100 000 required. Cheers
It seems you are also confusing bounty vouchers with combat bonds. You do not pick a side in a RES, but you do in a conflict zone.
Don't be discouraged because you died 2.5 years ago in a CZ or RES. If you are just starting out in combat, try low intensity or regular RESes, or standard (not compromised) nav beacons. Make sure your cargo hold is empty. Work your way up from there.
Conflict Zones will not help the OP (Tod needs bounties, not combat bonds), and they tend to be more challenging because you do not get to pick your targets one at a time. Don't go into a CZ until you are comfortable with combat, your ship, and knowing when and how to escape a bad situation.