Taking an idea from Avallo Kantor and expanding it.

Currently we have 180 unique base suits.
5 roles
4 races
3 tiers
3 variants aurum and ISK and LP
Compounded together is 180.

The SKIN system looks to eliminate redundant assets of BPO's, but let's take it a step further. Give all suits the slot layout of their prototype, then add a power core slot similar to the SKIN slot. The power core would add the tier appropriate CPU and PG. Suits would cost the same as standard, and then power cores will cost the equivalent difference in tier costs. There will also be aurum cores and LP cores unlocked early.

Now you have
5 roles
4 races
nothing else
Compounded is 20 unique suits

You just shaved off 160 suits from the memory cap. Even more if you do this to basic suits as well.

My sincerest apologies if this has been previously addressed (it's just dem 13 pages tho):

If all suits have proto tier slot layouts according to race/role, what is to stop a basic level user from fitting their suit as if it were a different suit?

For example: Let us say I have only invested enough skill points for one level of Gallente Assault which allows me the use of only STD level dropsuits. Presently this suit has a slot layout of 1/3. A proto level GallAss has a layout of 3/5. Under this system, despite having only one level, I would have the 3/5 layout with only PG/CPU to limit my fitting choices. What is there to stop me from using the "power core" cpu/pg allotment to fit all three high slots? The current system allows only one.

If the answer is nothing, then this system also makes dropsuit RACE a redundant asset at early levels. I can now fit my std GA Assaultif it were a std Cal Assault. So if this is true, then why have racial suits at all? Just have one generic role suit?

To manitain racial layouts, you could remove racial slot layouts from the dropsuit and instead tie it to each power grid module, but then you have the same situation we have currently, only trading the suit for a module. No benefits will be gained.

How does this system work without confusing Race/Role slot layouts of differing skill levels?

A layout of 3/5 contains within it the 3/1 layout of a STD CALASS.

An uninhibited pg/cpu allotment allows me to fit the Std GALASS 3/1 (out of the 3/5) the exactly same way I fit the Std CALASS 3/1, thus removing Racial Slot Layouts as a limiting aspect differentiating these two STD level dropsuits, one from the other.

Then I am not sure I am in favor of tiericide.

You can design for what you intend to happen but players will ALWAYS use it as THEY intend.
Give me a 3/5 layout and a STD level module with enough resources to fit all at basic and I'll leave 4 slots empty (or fit boosters in them) and fit as much ADV and PROTO as I can. APEX suits avoid this only because they have all slots with locked in pre fits; you cannot leave a slot empty.

You will understand when you see Std level resourced GalAss bouncing around with 3 fibs and 4 or 5 empty low slots or a Std level resourced AmrAss running triple stacked shield extenders and an armor plate in a low slot.

I did an interview with Shayz which had prepared questions and went pretty straight forward. Not sure if it was ever uploaded. I'd be down for more if anyone is still confused about this whole ordeal, preferably with a little bit more warming ahead of time.

I think pretty much everyone understands the concept by now though. What would be more interesting is a topic discussing specific CPU and PG values for standard and advanced powercores. . .

The main fallacy here is none of the devs like the Amarr, outside of when we had Wolfman. Even with the Amarr's officer suit none of the devs wanted to put their name on it, and made it the clear worst officer.

Unless that's all part of my master disguise!