Streamline getting people playing the game faster.
Both Monster of the Week and Blades in the Dark do this well. The players select playbooks, make some selections, and I spend five minutes explaining dice rolling and the game has started.
The creative writing part of Fate—making aspects—is IMO the biggest barrier for play, especially for new players. It is easier to make selections than to create something new.
(I say all of this knowing that writing aspects is a KEY part of Fate. It is a part that I love and once you get players used to it, they embrace the freedom. I’m just acknowledging it as a barrier.)
Fate games have been moving to solve this in different ways.
Uprising has legit playbooks. Aspects are answers to specific questions that relate to the playbook of choice.
Shadow of the Century has Roles and each role has a list of stunts to choose from.
Dresden Files Accelerated has mantles, which are like roles on steroids.
For my own WIP Fate RPG, I’m toying with the idea of playbooks that have pregenerated Aspects. See the Pistoleer at https://www.notion.so/amazingrando/Pistoleer-Royal-Pride-of-Musketeers-Playbook-d8231bc7207741e7b90abfc830102d65.
Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/FATErpg/comments/evjmfd/what_would_you_change_for_a_hypothetical_new/