A quick suggestion I figured I’d toss up on my way out to work. What if, instead of quitting a character via suicide you could choose to let them wander?
To go into further detail on just what I’m suggesting–instead of discarding a character you turn them into an NPC to be randomly plopped down somewhere in the created world. They’d have their carried and equipped gear, skills and (when NPC HQs are completed) a chance to spawn amid their chosen allies.
Why not have them spawn at their current location? The player (the actual player, not the PC) could even use this to build settlements. (If settlements worked anyway)
I like this idea a lot. It would be pretty cool to see old characters living on in out worlds.
Glad to see the idea is well received–the only reason I suggested them ending up elsewhere in the cataclysm was to account for them doing their own thing while the player is off doing what have you with a new character.
+1
This gives a sense of continuation, a living world. It will be awesome to meet your badass old character as NPC in the game, and maybe even kill him and take his stuffs. 
This. I’m all about this.