Matthew Wayne Selznick wrote:
 >
 > So I think I need to devise my own.  But I could use a little guidence or
 > best-practices from the field.
 >
 > Thank you so much,
 >
 > Matthew Wayne Selznick

New to the list, and just browsing when I came across your post.

Creating one from scratch can be quite the undertaking and you can end 
up spending all your time focused on rule design that you never get to 
actually play. But if you can come up with something that works for you 
and your group then you have it made. I wish you luck.

One ready-made option you may have checked out but did not mention is 
GURPs. Not very complex math-wise (three d6, that's it) and it has a lot 
of customization all based on a huge amount of skills. Adaptable to any 
genre and tons of source books. Less focused on "levels" and more on the 
acquisition and improvement of skills.

Just a suggestion.

-- 
Leonard C. Chadwick
"A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a 
fool trusts either of them." --- P. J. O'Rourke