Or we could reduce the importance of SP by not having it unlock anything. Instead, SP can be applied specifically the groups of weapons (based on variants, perhaps) to enhance that specific group's effectiveness. For example, triage repair tools have a skill which increases repair rate to infantry, whilst axis repair tools have skills which increase effectiveness of repairing vehicles and installations. These skills would only apply to their specific items; there will be more skills and it'd be a little more fun to specialise, because you can go even further than a weapon: you can specialise into a variant.

Furthermore, because SP doesn't unlock anything, essentially no one can complain about an equipment gap due to SP. Now, many complain that there is no more 'progression' if everything was unlocked initially.

Well, okay. What if I told you advanced and prototype gear now cost the same as tanks do? There's your progression. Grinding for ISK. And this way, the gap between vets and newbs closes. Vets play longer, have more money, but use more expensive gear, and earn less profit from pubs. Newbies have less money, but earn more, because their gear is dirt cheap.

Furthermore, the new SP system means newbies can buy prototype weapons, but it'd still be weaker than the one veterans use because they haven't applied efficacy skills to it.

To me, at least, it makes more sense that ISK defines play more than SP. all these complaints about SP should be about ISK.