Problem is just that we know how the RM fan base works...people have been sticking with the preferred edition no matter what.
I don't think I'd put it that way. If that were true RMSS would have failed to attract any of the RM2 users. The problem that RM has, to a good degree, is it's been a veterans game that was built from the idea of customization. So, once someone creates their own Rolemaster over the years, a new version doesn't need to be better than the previous one... it needs to be better than the
individual users version.
We've used RM1, RM2, RMSS and a little of RMFRP. What I use is an evolution of them all and my own modifications mixed in as a result. The only real way to get me to buy in to RMU fully is for it to do more better than
my version of RM. I'm likely still going to buy the books and will almost surely utilize new material that has never existed in the previous versions, but there's not much it will 'fix' about what I'm using currently. But I don't think I'm a great measuring stick since I'm very comfortable writing my own rules.
The question really is: Did it take the majority what of RM users most liked and leave behind what the majority of RM users dislike? That's what 'unified' implies. We may never fully know the answer to that and the only real gauge we'll likely have is sales numbers. I'm sure RM will continue to survive, but it won't prosper unless it can find new users to RM in general.
Giving those diehards a Rolemaster Legacy Editions label might satisfy their egos but I am convinced it would be a marketing disaster.
I think disaster is quite a reach. I don't think any mixture of possibilities is going to move the needle much.
My personal preference is what we have. A blanket Rolemaster forum then a sub-forum dedicated to each (of which RMU should become one). But unless they completely got rid of the various version boards I really don't care. I'm going to continue to read and post in them all just as I always have.