Anyone have any advice for designing a specialization tree? Specific information I'd love:

• Advice on choosing a spec's skills. My assumption is first, choose skills that are iconic to the spec (such as Melee for a Marauder, etc.), regardless of whether the career provides them; then look for things the spec really needs but doesn't get from the career, then other skills.
• Placing Talents. I can generally pick existing Talents or design new ones, but I'm not sure where in the tree to place them. It seems like some trees (but not all) have different specialties going down one side or the other. Should I try to group similar Talents together vertically, or should I mix them up?
• Connecting Talents. This is where I'm having the most problems. There's a huge variety in how spec trees are connected, and I'm not sure I see the logic in why some Talents are connected but not others.

First, be sure you need one. Does one (or two combined) existing Specs do the same job? (Ignore the Spec's title - Batman has Assassin training, for instance.)

The Specialisation's bonus Career skills should be the four "must have" skills to be competent at the job. If you've more than four of these, then consider which the Career already has (but only then - PCs may be entering the Spec from a different Career).

When placing talents there are two questions:

"How often is a PC going to be able to use this?"

"How powerful is it?"

You could rate each out of five and multiply them together to give you an idea (roughly) of where they should appear. On the other hand having all the crappy Talents at the bottom could put people off taking the Spec, so take care.

When connecting talents, some talent trees have theme's running through them.

e.g. Gadgeteer mostly speaks to tech-head Bounty Hunters, but the right-hand column represents those who like to get up close and personal.

e.g. Politico has one side that'll appeal to charming guys and another that's more for your jerk boss-type characters.

If I were making a Gunslinger Spec, I'd have a route through it for steely-eyed "Wild West" types, one for acrobatic "Hong Kong Action Flick" types on the other side and maybe a column for Antonio Banderas in between them. (Yes, just Antonio Banderas. It'd have Talents that all began "If you or your character is named Antonio Banderas...")

When you've done the work (it's unlikely to be easy) have a look at your Spec and ask yourself:

"Would anybody not want to take this Spec?" If no, it's too good - so not fair on those who don't take it.

"What happens if I take this and X?" If - when purchased alongside another Spec - it turns the first answer to "no", it's still too good.

That's incredibly useful advice. Much appreciated--I'm mostly looking at fiddling around with it rather than creating specs that would see actual play.