Redesigned dropsuit tree:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dofsg3mhhnluiny/DropsuitTree.png

Redesigned weaponry tree:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qkqj9ghmmeeao3k/WeaponTree.png

In both of the above, the militia node will automatically be purchased and will have no additional levels. It serves as a clean start point and reinforces the idea that militia gear requires no skills.

By gathering up all the suits into their respective races, we could then have 3 levels of bonuses to help reinforce characteristics of each suit. First there is the Racial bonus, then the Suit Class bonus, and finally the Suit Type bonus. Suit Type bonuses could keep their current setup of providing a generic bonus and a racial bonus.

Weapons are also gathered into their respective technology types. I feel this makes more sense as knowledge of how to use the tech of one weapon easily translates to another, i.e. SCR -> LR. This would also allow for a similar bonus scheme as the suit tree.

One possible benefit that could be implemented is for all skills that match your merc's race, their multiplier is decreased by one.

For example, using my tree with current multipliers, a Caldari trying to become a callogi would have multipliers like:
Cal suits x1
Cal Med x3
Cal Logi x7
Where as a non cal would have
Cal suits x2
Cal Med x4
Cal Logi x8

This would allow for our chosen race to actually have an effect on gameplay. (Probably would need to allow all players to reselect race once it was implemented though)

This reorganization would mean there are no pointless SP sinks (as long as CCP chose good bonuses) while also allowing for racial characteristics to be more prominent.

Absolutely not. CCP did away with race mattering a long time ago. Progress doesn't move backwards, you know.

One possible benefit that could be implemented is for all skills that match your merc's race, their multiplier is decreased by one.
This would allow for our chosen race to actually have an effect on gameplay. (Probably would need to allow all players to reselect race once it was implemented though)

The SP-sink skills being sinks is offset by the fact that they provide useful bonuses. Weaponry should get 1% weapon damage per level or something, but i don't see it as a big deal.

Also, the dropsuit tree as you've reorganized it introduces NEW sp sinks. If you don't actually intend this, and you mean to just have them as a means of organization, that would be more confusing, not less.

Absolutely not. This is one of the principle rules of Eve and Dust.

You do realize I proposed nearly the exact same thing in my thread. Mine doesn't look quite as nice, but does go into much more depth. Check ot the spreadsheets and tell me what you think. Maybe we can combine our ideas into one.

Just a thought here...what we are doing now could spark a revolution in Amarr/Minmatar relations in New Eden

EDIT: OR get us both executed for treason and conspiring with enemy forces

I like this whole thread quite a lot and it's quite similar to my recent thread on generalising the skill tree.

However I think that your orders should be done a little differently:

For the dropsuits have the frame size, then race, then speciality.

For weapons have weapon type, then racial variant (i.e. rifles > rail/scrambler/ion/assault)

The race/bloodline learning bonuses are a good idea too (I've been suggesting something like the Eve neural remaps as an alternative to the respec stuff people keep asking for but no one really seems too enthused for it).

This whole idea just makes sense and would help people understand the entire skill tree and speccing up process a lot better.

The problem with organizing dropsuits in that fashion is that it would hinder players branching out to different roles. I play as scout, but a scout isn't right for all situations. If I need to switch to a fitting that can take more hits, I'm going to have to skill into medium or heavy, which would mean I would spend more sp to get into another branch.

That weapons ordering also has some problems. Namely, the one off guns. I don't think CCP plans on implementing racial variants of all the races if any for laser rifles, mass drivers, or shotguns. That means you get two choices, don't give the laser rifle a weapon type node (and they lose a bonus because of it) or give it a node that it will be in by itself (kinda wasteful). It also has the branching out problem as players would have to spend more SP to get non-rifle weapons.

For the overall racial bonus, the bonuses you listed in the cultural tree would work if the cultural tree is not implemented or at least not implemented at the same time as a skill tree reorganization. The numbers do need some modification though. A lot of your bonuses provide greater benefits than proto modules which is probably too much.

Amarr
Armor HP bonus of 3% per level (while in an Amarr suit)
OR
+2% Amarr Racial and Bloodline bonuses

Caldari
Shield HP bonus of 3% per level (while in a Caldari suit)
OR
+2% Caldari Racial and Bloodline bonuses

Gallente
Armor repair bonus of 0.5HP/s per level (while in a Gallente suit) (I hope the current regen model can handle decimal armor values)
OR
+2% Gallente Racial and Bloodline bonuses

Minmatar
Movement & Sprint speed bonus of 2% per level (while in a Minmatar suit)
OR
+2% Minmatar Racial and Bloodline bonuses

This gives the Gallente an armor bonus in between a basic and advanced armor repairer and the Minmatar a speed boost between an advanced and proto kin cat (that one may need tweaking). The Amarr and Caldari bonuses are harder to evaluate but they are lower than the bonuses provided by Dropsuit Armor Upgrades and Dropsuit Shield Upgrades, so hopefully they are fine.

I'm thinking the light suit bonus could be a Max Stamina bonus (that would also benefit pilots when they need to get to a safe place to call for a vehicle or get away from a destroyed one). Not sure what bonuses would suit medium and heavy suits. Perhaps a damage reduction for heavy suits?

Totally understand that but it just makes more sense to me to have weapon types and suit types first. The reasoning is that being able to use a particular frame suit would likely mean you're able to use other similar weapons/size suits fairly easily. Being able to use a gallente scout doesn't mean you'd be able to use a gallente heavy easily just because it's the same race. Scrambler pistols are energy weapons but being able to use one doesn't mean you'd be able to switch over to laser rifles easily but you'd probably be pretty good with a bolt pistol.