I've always felt the Pure Arms Users got the short end of the stick and not only is it something I've tried to resolve in my own RM modifications and with the Martial Arts Companion, but it's something I was pushing for in RMU talks. RMU helped by implementing the rank bonus professions get (meaning a fighter with 50 ranks in Broadsword gets +50OB with it), and while the shield rules help I feel the rules ended up more complex than necessary - however, from John Seals comments it seems one of the original primary goals of RMU, that being to draw in new players, is no longer the case for the first go round of publications... so maybe in that light the shield rules are an improvement that leans in the direction of Pure Arms Users.
The problem with the profession setups are that Pure Arms Users have the advantage up front. They are tougher, have the potential to deal more damage, don't run out of power points, etc. Semi's can get halfway decent at combat if you focus on it, then you slowly develop them over time. Pure Casters start slower but gain ground quicker. At mid levels the Pure Casters move up the ladder and at high level the Semi's move up the ladder but in the end Pure Casters won hands down. Eventually Pure Arms Users are left behind for one primary reason: Options. As a caster I can develop a single 9DP weapon skill each level. As a Fighter I have to spend 25DP on one spell from one Open List (of my own realm). The caster can get good at weapons far easier than the fighter can get good at spells... and, the kicker, the weapon has, for all intense purposes, one use; to cause physical damage. The spells have an incredible variety of uses. So the caster really only need to get good at one weapon to realistically compete with the fighter at high levels, while the fighter has an incredibly steeper hill to climb to match the variety of options casters have at their disposal. Fighters also suffer more from the diminishing returns problem. A casters SKILL at casting suffers from that, but not the selection of options still open to them.
So, I feel that part of the solution for Pure Arms Users lies in weapon specialization that works in a manner similar to the Martial Arts Companion fighting styles and Spell Lists using Exhaustion Points as the "Power Points" that drive the use of such a mechanic for those weapon specializations. I have a set of "Combat Specializations" that take a particular combination of attack/weapon usage and form a sort of limited spell list where some of the benefits are gained as constant abilities and others are treated as maneuvers you expend your Exhaustion Points on. The base styles are things like: 1H Weapon/Free Hand, 1H Weapon/Shield, 1H Weapon/1H Weapon, 2H Weapon, Missile: Triggered, Missile: Drawn, Thrown, and Pole Arms (if I recall correctly). These are also the manner in which I make it possible to make additional attacks with same weapon. But there are things like lowering your fumble range, improving your initiative, drawing/loading the weapon faster, and lots of other aspects to them (I really should submit it to the Guild Companion).
While, in the VERY long run, everyone will be able to do everything I think professions need to be fairly balanced to at least the mid 20's range. When you have 50th level spells as part of the standard rules (and due to the way the spell system works in RM) you need to be fairly evenly matched at least half way to that goal.
