Sad to say that so many other RP sites have died (though some new ones have taken their place) but I'm pleased to say that we've been pretty stable. This hasn't been an accident! We've all been constantly working to keep the RP awesome, fresh, and welcoming to new people.
I recently got to meet with Moot from 4chan for the first time since 2006 and one of the things he said when he was doing his panel at Anime Weekend Atlanta is that the reason 4chan survives and its imitators tend not to is because while anyone can build a website, a website is not the same as a community. Star Army is a great community.
Star Army's longevity is due to the great people. Some of us them have been here for years and some of them just months, but it's not about your tenure, it's about what you bring to the community. It's knowing that the more you put in, the more your get out. And I'd be happy to count you among us again.
For old characters, you can basically make up a backstory for what they've done in the years since you left and then re-submit them to the character approval board. It shouldn't take long to get the thumbs up. Also, with the new Open RP Forum you can play without actually submitting a character so if you'd like to take your character (or a new one) on a test drive there, that's an option.
Welcome back!