Introduction, let's understand each other with basics aspects:
In most games, you get the core Warrior, Healer, Mage.
Warrior could be declined in fighting capabilities (warrior) and other options like more secondary skills or different fight approch (ambush) (rogue).
Healer are your typical buffer that can HEAL or negative HEAL. They could be declined with buffers (Cleric) and healers (Empath)
Mage are your typical DPS dealers. They could be declined with DPS (wizard) and DOT ( sorcerer).
Ok, with this in mind. Let's compare GEMSTONE IV with his source of inspiration/Father … Rolemaster (second edition, the best) with a short analysis and let's try to narrow down the problem after the iterations below.
First iteration analysis (understanding the facts).
From rolemaster, there's 3 DOMAINES of "magic". There's ESSENCE which is the manipulation of the mana. There's "magic" coming from DIVINE entities and there's the PSYCHIC ability of people. And there's also a fourth DOMAINE which is ARMS.
Essence CAN'T be casted in ANYTHING higher than robe. DIVINE can't be casted with iron armor (chains or plates). Psychic cannot cast with helmets.
In rolemaster, you need to select a domaine or two (deux).
If you take only one "magic", you're a PURE. If you take only arms, you're a SQUARE.
If you take ARMS and a "magic" domaine, you are a SEMI. If you select Two (deux) "magic" domaine, you become a HYBRID.
Second iteration, about spell circles and getting list of spells.
From rolemaster, you got spell circles that got from level 1 to level 50 spells. But there's STEPS in learning them. More to come.
Every SEMI, PURE or HYBRID got their OWN spell circles. PURE and HYBRID can access to RESTRICTED (major in gemstone) circles. SQUARE, SEMI, HYBRID and PURE got access to their specific OPEN DOMAINE circles (essence, divine, psychic) (minor in gemstone).
Circles are divided in 5 bigs STEPs
A: lvl 1 to 5
B: lvl 1 to 10
C: lvl 6 to 10
D: lvl 11 to 20
E: 25, 30, 50
You learn spells by a chunk of them. So If I can learn B, D, E, every time I learn a step, I'll get 10 spells from this list, then 10 others (11-20), then the 25,30,50).
PURE can also select 4 circles from RESTRICTED and OPEN and put them in their OWN spell circles.
Pure can learn up to level 50 spells from their OWN (B, D, E). They can learn until level 20 RESTRICTED and OPEN (B, D each).
So they can learn E from restricted and open from 4 other lists.
HYBRIDE can learn up to level 50 spells from their OWN (B, D, E). They can learn up to level 10 RESTRICTED (B) and 20 in OPEN (B, D)
SEMI can learn up to level 50 spells from their OWN (B, D, E). They can learn up to level 10 in OPEN (A, C).
ARMS can learn up to level 5 in open (A).
OVERTRAIN: You Can learn also OVERTRAIN to get more letters when you hit the limitation. More to come below.
Let's continue with a third iteration about getting ranks in Role Master
ARMS can have many selections in manoeuvers, secondary skills and weapons cause it's cost so few.
PURE can have MANY spell circles but can't defend use weapons much to protect themselves. They got bad armor.
HYBRID and SEMI must choose with MANY possibilites. But you can't have em all even if you have the possibilities. So they'll always be weaker than PURE or ARMS even if they focuse 100% like them.
(i.e. in ROLEMASTER, WEAPONS: a warrior will pay 1 tp for every rank, and then 5 tp for the second rank. A bard will pay 3 and then 9. That's DOUBLE).
(i.e. in ROLEMASTER, SPELL CIRCLE: a PURE will pay 1 tp for every 5% to learn a magic. Same for HYBRID. A semi will pay FOUR (4). A square will pay up to 20).
(i.e. in ROLEMASTER, ARMOR: a SQUARE will pay 1 tp per rank to TRAIN armor for light, 2 tp per rank for heavy (same principle in RM than GS). A SEMI will pay DOUBLE and they are LIMITED with their magic domaine (a ranger can't cast in chain or plate).
(i.e. In ROLEMASTER, GENERAL (swim, climb, perception) and SPECIAL SKILLS (Ambush, UAC) are light TP for SQUARE (even more for rogues), medium for SEMI and heavy for PURE)
(i.e. In ROLEMASTER, MAGICAL SKILLS (reading runes, mana transfer, spell aim) are very light for PURE (none DEVINE) and HYBRIDE, heavy for ARMS and SEMI.
Overtrain: If you wanna take more spells, you need to pay the BIG bucks in TPS. A mage will only pay double, a hybrid triple, a semi QUADRUPLE.
And that's just to get the next letter (for a bard that want more spells from OPEN, since they're (A, C), you'll get D. Then need to pay again to reach E).
Outcome:
Again, we see that the profession imposed in RM has an impact. You have MORE possibilities with 2 domaines but everything cost more.
Pures and squares got their advantages since they can focuse in their particular domaine.
HYBRIDE and SEMI must take decisions in focuses or be a jack-of-all-trades.
Another iteration, the fourth about Rolemaster's bonuses which will bring us closer to the core problem.
The 10 first ranks in rolemaster gives + 5.
Then, from 11 to 20 ranks, you get +2.
Then, from 21 to 30 ranks, you get +1
Then, +.5 for every extra.
Per level bonus for combat:
WARRIOR get + 3 AS per level until max +60.
ROGUE and Warrior-monk ( Square specialized in unarmed) get +2 AS per level until max +40
Bard, ranger and monk got a +1 AS per level unil max +20.
So, even if a BARD decide to double rank each level in a weapon style (ohe for example) that cost DOUBLE, a WARRIOR will dig up a gap cause of his inherent bonus.
The fifth iteration, let's go gaining level in RM
The first 5 levels are 10k each
6 to 10 are 20k each
11 to 15 are 30k each
16 to 20 are 40k each
50k per level for life after.
Sixth iteration, SIMU'S attempt to equilibrate things with MANOEUVERS and a poke in the ribs with REDUX
MANOEUVERS
They could be treated as the same approach I gave about spell circles in RM. SIMU designed them the same way:
Every profession got access to that amount and each pay depending on their domaine
SQUARE pay less and got access to more
SEMI pay mid and got access to less
PURE/HYBRID pay high and got access to even less.
REDUX
It's the best secondary skill according to khaladon and I still believe it'S true. It makes a SQUARE even more sturdier against direct damage
SEMI can have access to some but at a cost of lesser spells.
Conclusion, let's focuse on each iteration's point.
Iteration 1 was about learning some key concepts with RM. GS4 has the same domaines (arms, psychic, divine, essence).
Iteration 2 was about spell circles (own, restricted, open) are the same logic than GS4. RM gives limitation to spells you can get. Hybrid got some. Semis got a lot. Squares are almost spell-less.
Iteration 3 was about getting ranks in RM in term of TPs. I see the same approach again in GS4.
Iteration 4 was about the bonus of the ranks. The more you grow, the less you gain like GS. BUT, after ranks 30, it's a low +.5 per. Combat inherent bonuses are helping keeping warring profession at the top.
Iteration 5 was about exp to gain levels. Again, similar approach in gemstone 4.
Iteration 6 was about simu's attempt to create a "spell" circle with reversed weight from the regular spell path (biais for warrior, few cost with the most CMAN, then heavier for semi with less CMAN, then even more heavy for pures with even less CMAN).