There are really too many different costs (both in RM2 and in RMFRP IMHO) and, while I like the fact that this gives us the possibility of making unique character concepts, it also has drawbacks.
First so many costs are difficult to memorize, then to actually make possible to have many different character concepts, you have to introduce a lot of different professions. Wouldn't it be nicer if we could do the same thing using just few core professions?
How short do you suppose a list would have to be in order for players to be able to memorize it? 4 different costs, maybe?
And given that ultra-short list, how do you propose to do 'the same thing' in terms of flexibility in design space, depth of player choices, and RM level of detail?
I say you can't, not without introducing new dimensions in design space, such as E/O/R skills that Vroomfogle mention. These are
new rules that have to be learned and memorized as well, and this goes against what you were trying to accomplish in the first place.
I think you and David Johansen are seriously underestimating the power of long lists (of skills costs, in this case).
They are not just long lists for their own sake, or for the pleasing of number geeks. They span a huge design space that allow virtually infinite freedom in profession design and hence in character creation, and they accomplish this
without introducing any new rules. This is very important.
The many detailed lists, charts, and tables is one of the reasons why RM can be said to be, at the core, a simple game.