This is a good thread!
I sense I'm coming from the "other" camp in that I like structure in my RPGs. I like well-defined rules etc., But Rob's approach in ICAR is more free-form.
So, I can understand the reluctance to put down fixed rules on making skeletons because you don't want to limit players imaginations and give them cookie-cutter layouts.
What about this idea, as mentioned by DOC_Agren,
A set of ICAR guidelines for skeleton creation:
(as an example)
General Education: (if the character is educated, they would have these skills, if not perhaps they have a different set that would have to be approved by the GM, like a streetwise skill).
Class skills: Skills that define the characters job(s) in his/her life. These are often trained skills, perhaps they should be allowed to pick 3-5 Epoch 1 skills?
Pickup skills: (again the idea stolen from Cyberpunk) These are additional skills the character has learned on their own accord, either through life experience or training. The character would have a pool of percentage points to spend on any number of skills, with no skill being over X%.
This is a general idea...just for ICAR
The Scavenger Setting would have tighter restrictions such as requiring
Zero-G Operations , Mechasys Extraction skills which means they will have less "class" skills. (this would mean they could only have 1-3 class skills as an example.
By doing this, you are not making big lists of skeletons and making a player pick one, but instead providing borders and limits on how much they can choose but giving them teh freedom of choice. Of course, the GM must approve all skeletons first!
Thoughts? suggestions?