How bout instead of putting points into aptitudes, putting a point in any skill in an aptitude increases the aptitude level?
So if you a total of 3 points into combat skills, you'd have combat 3.
If you put 5 in technology (lets say Electronic warfare 2, Optical Targeting 2 and Navigation 1), you have tech 3.
People are misunderstanding this post, look at the last line in the quote, it's not 1:1.
I actually like this, you can't just go instantly for the super duper mega ultra cool skill, you need to pick some extra skills in the aptitude first, kind of like in payday 2 where you gotta spend a certain amount of points in a tree before unlocking the next tier of skills.
Also, this model would actually benefit the player in terms of points, since in the game you need 2 points for a level 1 skill(1 ap 1 skill), then 4 points for a level 2(2 ap 2 skill) and then 6 for a level 3(3 ap 3 skill), while with this system you save the ap point from level, and while you spend the same amount of points to get a skill to level 2 or 3, those points are spent in other skills.
Honestly i really support this idea, it allows for more skills to be viable(for example just dropping in 1 point in a spec you don't really want to get just one skill(*cough* Electronic Warfare *cough*) instead of having to spend 2 character points or simply just making it so the player has to choose more skills, so more get used.