I've been thinking about the responses here and have a few ideas for tweeks. Would love some feedback
1) Concerning characters diminishing to a single point as they grow higher in levels: RM seemed to solve this through varying up the skill costs and having potentials when it comes to the stats. In RM most characters were at their potentials around level 10, maybe sooner, but level 10 seemed to be the point where you maxed everything out. Therefore how about placing rules for potentials in HARP. It does add another rule, but in the end it does keep character's unique.
2) To add to the above, there is also the idea of skill costs which varied in RM from profession to profession. One thing I noticed a player could do is start with a fighter and right away get an additional profession of a Mage. Then you build up the fighter until around level 10 then build up the mage until all skills are around the same bonus. So characters at level 20 start to converge on a single point. One idea is to have a skill cost of 2, of 4 and of 8. For each profession the categories are split evenly in thirds. The most important categories are 2, the mediums are 4 and the least important are 8. for example a fighter would have a 2 in combat, a 4 in outdoors and an 8 in mystical arts. A mage would have a 2 in mystical arts, a 4 in Outdoors and an 8 in combat. A Warrior monk could have to choose either combat or mystical arts to be favored. The other is then a 4. I would then say if you dual class, you can pick one category which costs 4 to be 2, and another category which costs 8 to be a 4 and that's it.
3) another problem I also see are certain skills I think should never be a cost 2. The skills that come to the top of my head on this one are Perception, Resistance: will, stamina and magic all of the Chi Skills (exception with a Monk only, and it must not be a dual class profession). Perhaps taking them out of the General Category and placing them into another category or into a new category or just making these skills unchangable for their costs.
4) Another problem I see mentioned are the combat rules, especially when it comes to an open-ended roll. One solution I see for this is that an attack roll does not open end on a 96 to a 100 but perhaps only on a 100. A GM could add rules for a 99 roll, like a +30, a 98 roll is a +20 and a 96 or 97 roll is a +10. This does make it a bit more complex but it does keep the odds greater at getting a killing blow. Also, most of the time if a player rolls a perfect hundred in my campaigns I usually grant them an instant death anyways of the foe.
5) I also agree with the complete ditching of Training Packages. In my own opinion this could and should be the concept behind what skills are ranked for each level.
I'm sure I'll think of others along the way.
