Skill Based System.

[Kakarat]

I did like the D&D/RPG'ish thing with Mount&Blade where you picked your background and that influenced your starting skills/attributes (to some degree)

I would want to do something like that as well.

Like if you can have a total of 1000 skill points, why not start out new characters with 500 skill points already assigned, based on a "starting class"? This doesn't lock you into anything but if you start off as a "swordman", maybe you start with 5 ranks of basic swordfighting, 4 ranks of basic armor wearing, 2 ranks of medic, 0 ranks of magic, etc.

That way everyone can hit the ground running with a degree of ability in something-or-another but they still have a lot of room to customize and specialize from there.

(Also similar to what EVE does.)

Perhaps instead of just handing them these 500 skill points. Make them earn it and implement them within the first 10-15 levels. Then decrease the amount of points the higher up you go. So from 1-10 you get 500 points, but from 10-50 you get 500 points.