I don't like re-doing characters.
I don't like low level skills getting useless later on.
I don't like choosing whether I want to have an easy start and quite weak character towards the higher levels or painful start and more powerful high level character.
My idea is to implement a variation on ultima online-like skill system.
Classes stay as they are.
Skill points should be limited by the maximum char level times 5 (as it is now).
Skill points should be gained as one would use coresponding skills (i.e. if one would use a sword, some successful sword attacks would gain a point in swordmastery (and weaponmastery and combat in longer term).
Skills could be marked as "trainable", "not-trainable" and "forgetable".
Trainable would allow a specific skill to be gained (provided the character would have some unused skill points in pool).
Not-trainable would not allow gains in specific skills despite them being used and character having some unused skill points in pool).
Forgetable, would allow to degrade previously trained skill and transfer regained points to the unused skill points pool, thus making the character being able to train other skills.
How about that?