If you started over...

[Deldaron]

If you started over what would you do differently? Are there any skills you slept on that you wish you had picked up sooner or skills that you put a lot of effort into at the start, but realize would've been easier if you'd waited? NPCs you ignored, over-valued, or would have gifted differently? Items you dropped/hoarded incorrectly, etc.

[Daguin]

CIVIC PRIDE 100 times over. I can't imagine how many councils would be saved by maxing that one before even bothering to buy any skills. I would consider revoking my lycanthrope status as well, since it is kind of pointless once you complete all of the altar quests.

[INXS]

Druid skill I wouldn't take this one, especially since Priest is Druid 2.0 but also I wouldn't take Priest either, the thought of Druid emergency and event followed by a Priest emergency.......

[Celerity]

Here's what I would do:

Train shield to level 8 for take the lead as a first priority, god knows I spent so long running around with default run speed when I could have very easily at least gotten this when I was a noob.
Then instead of going sword/necromancy I would go sword/psych instead, since psych is a much better support skill and also offers it's own run speed bonuses. I would also snag the +sprint speed equipment such as the ring of jaunty traipsing and the amulet of the rugged traveller asap from buy used/begging for them on trade.
After this I would probably train sword/psych both to 50 but before getting any unlocks I would spend a long while getting as much notoriety and civic pride as I could while leveling surveying for money. Initial cash would go towards a pocket set, preferably with a +1 sprint boost on the legs then I would spend the rest on getting my skill unlocks and to start learning alchemy. Eventually I would learn bc and probably transition into the main builds I use now e.g. ice/bc and focus on the non-combat skills after.

For any new player I highly recommend taking a skill that provides run speed boosts as a first main combat skill and that shield bonus is just too easy to give up, but I really wouldn't recommend putting every single non-combat skill off until the end, since it could be a bit boring just doing combat and while getting civic pride first is a very nice help, it's not an absolute necessity.

EDIT:
Not something I would personally change for me since I did it, but for others; NPCs are incredibly important to favour up whereas money at the beginning is not so much of a priority so definitely the storage/shop NPCs favour is also one of the things I would do first.

EDIT EDIT:
Join a guild too. Seriously, join one. If they do guild quests it is a good amount of free money, even if they don't, it makes finding groups 10x easier not to mention a lot of the community is very nice and will often help you out with starting equipment, doing recipes for you, removing curses etc.

[Vish]

Shamanic infusion and CIVIC PRIDE should start sooner, at beginning help a lot

[Madmatx]

I'd have learned Transmutation and Augmentation earlier. Also, I'd learn tailoring or leatherworking earlier and do their work orders and use that gear for better aug mods and favor.