I think it'd be best to group things by race, then by size, and finally have a single specialization skill for a given item.
An example; to get into a Gallente Logistics suit:
Dropsuit Operation 1
Gallente Light Dropsuit Operation 3
Dropsuit Operation 3
Gallente Medium Dropsuit Operation 5
Gallente Logistics Dropsuits 1
Another example; this time for the Minmatar HMG:
Weaponry 1
Minmatar Sidearm Operation 3
Weaponry 3
Minmatar Light Weapon Operation 3
Weaponry 5
Minmatar Heavy Weapon Operation 1
This has a sense of progression within a given race, but the important part is that it inherently makes the player more nerf resistant than before; better able to cope with shifts in the meta game. When Logistics become undesirable for whatever reason, the player still has options, since getting to Logistics required investments in other areas. Much of the skill points to get there has not been "wasted", and the player can identify what his/her best course of action is.
And in the example above, each Operation skill unlocks access to ALL Minmatar STD meta sidearms at level 1, and at Level 5, specializations become unlocked (e.g. Minmatar SMG Specialization), which unlocks ADV at level 1 and PRO at level 3.
Currently, the 'path of least resistance' consists of the other role in your frame size. This remains true in the structure above, except it also adds all the other roles for all the other suits and weapons that you've already trained.
In other words: there is less feeling of starting over, more feelings of continued progression, if something doesn't work out at least getting there got you closer to something else you might want to try.
Cross training to a different race becomes a much more heavy choice too, especially for the bigger equipment.
One requirement for this to work right is that there needs to be bonuses on every single skill. They all need to be worth training to 5 at some point; and each level needs to feel like a worthy milestone. Basic suits need bonuses, for example.
Which brings me to blanket skills.
You mention:
Malkai Inos wrote:[...]that the pre uprising tree offered a variety of blanket bonuses to whole weapon classes (light, heavy) and constituted too large of an advantage for high SP chars[...]
But I would argue that the root of that problem lay in game mechanics. Sharpshooter gets demonized a lot, but it was really just the fact that it increased the range at which bullets magically disintegrated which was the issue. The fact that a newbie couldn't shoot back at a veteran because of a few meters of magic range. With the addition of Absolute range, sharpshooter could technically make a comeback, because that scenario just can't happen anymore.
Blanket skills only become problems when the mechanics they affect are weak enough to break under them; and in those cases, its the mechanics that need fixing.
And that's about all I have to say.
