[OldSam]

Thinking about it, as your group is new to GURPS, I'd say that is one more reason why you should get After the End 1+2.

Reasoning: GURPS is a "front loaded" system, that means a great portion of the complexity is handled before the game starts, so that many things are already clarified, values are ready etc. when it comes to certain ingame situations (to not interrupt the gaming process later).

A setting kit like After the End, Dungeon Fantasy etc. makes the character generation much easier, especially for first time players: You just select a template like 'Trooper', 'Nomad' or something like that and then go through a reduced select list belonging to that template.

E.g. let's say you are a trooper, then the selection of your character's favored weapon skill looks like that: "One of Beam Weapons (Pistol or Rifle) or Guns (Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, or SMG), both (E) DX+3 [8]-16"

That means you just have to decide between Beam Pistols, Beam Rifles*, (conventional) Pistol, Rifles, Shotgun and SMG and select and write down one for your character. Your value to hit a shot will be 16 (last number written there) which is based on the already given dexterity attribute of your selected template and the fact that these are "easy" DX skills (E). Actually that is all you "really" need to know, but for the purpose of deeper information and more customization options it also lists [8] which means 8 character points were used for that choice in the background calculations.
But, nice for beginners, you do not have to care for the calculation, because as long as you just follow the template instructions (select one ...; choose three... etc.) everything automatically will sum up correctly :)

Later then when you and your players have learned the game by playing, it would be much easier for everyone to generate custom characters (ignoring templates) with much more freedom of choice (you can change/manipulate about everything, invent new races and all!). In the beginning, though, many people are overwhelmed by the many choices if they do not use templates. For D&D players "templates" will be familiar anyway because they are similar to the concept of classes (though more flexible actually).

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*: btw: As a GM it would be absolutely no problem to rule, for instance, that Beam Weapons are not existing (not a choice) in your game. Just delete the option from the template and all is fine. If it was a pre-selected (must have) option, then you would have to replace it with another option worth the same character points. In that latter case (if unsure how it works correctly) just ask anyone here... ;)