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Removing them is literally the same as making them optional in this case. The template only determines the minimum requirement to get something passed.
Removing them isn't the same as making them optional. There are some science nuts, as has been pointed out, who might want or actually care to fill that out. Templates on SARP also have more than a fair share that include optional categories ON the template. They can be removed from the template if someone doesn't want them, which is precisely what I mean. This seems like a forced template change that would take more updating of various systems already, which is why I point out we could just make it optional as a brief fix. There's still the fact we've not converted much of the site to DRv3 templates, have far more ships and the like that need template updates, and more.
It just feels a bit weird that we can't just slap on "optional" to the current template and not try to make another wiki-sweeping template update when we're already behind on updating the countless other template revamps we've made.
The template usually represents the bare minimum that is acceptable for submission, your free to addon to it as much as you'd like such as I have with the Helka Alpha Star System (3,517 words and counting). For everything else? Theres master card!
I am not against making it optional, I think that it was even suggested a couple times. I just think since you can always add more detail that removing it from the template makes it optional anyway. But sure just write on the template optional and it's good.
Truth is, I'm not aiming to make a new template, but just removing the superfluous bits. If anyone's got a better template to suggest though, I'd be all for it as long as it's an improvement.