This thread is partly just to get people thinking about the idea, but I'll start off with my thoughts.
Especially interested in hearing from some of our new folks.
The basic idea I want to propose is this - we put character creation templates on our Occupations articles that are already filled out with the basic details. We include, in the template, various instructions for the player to follow.
This includes basic/required skill selections, rank, starting equipment, a boiler plate background of their military history, etc.
We would keep Species as a separate thing, but potentially find a way to streamline the important details from those articles to be less onerous as well.
We put together some short history and culture summary that we think any character has to know if they from a faction.
Then we put it all together in some simple fashion that is easy to follow and concise.
The idea is that a new player should be able to easily make a character in ten minutes or less and be ready to join a plot or Open RP. As many of the decisions that they MUST make should be answered for them and the options they have should be easy to decide.
I don't mind putting together some examples of this to help people see what I'm thinking if the idea seems popular.