I know there are legends around but I'm not part of Rodeo and besides mails during the beta I talk with them mostly via Twitter.
Actually they are really nice people, and when I sent mails asking/complaint/etc...they always gave me reasonable answers.
They are pretty busy these days with the patch and multiplayer, but they are really active in TA on right now.
I know they have requested an account on NeoGAF too, they want to be active here too (actually they asked it before the TA account) but they are still waiting for approval.
I will ask them if you wish so (not that me asking would be different from you asking) but I suggest to ask them over TA, hoping the question won't be buried by the tons of discussions there right now.
Actually, I do not think the requirements are excessive and I can testify you do not have to grind in the game.
Let me explain (but Rodeo coukd provide much more infos), based on my experience.
The game is set up in this way:
A first play through at normal...that generally grants you some veterans and some tier 2-3 items.
Very few skills.
A second one at veteran...IMHO the 'real' game...you will level up much faster and get much better loot (champions and tier 3 and 4 items)....you will now unlock many skills and face aliens with a lot of new skills too.
I have yet to hit heroic, but it's when you have fully unlocked almost everything I'm told.
The fact there is so much loot and tier 4 marines doesn't mean you have to get them to complete the game (on the contrary a fresh tier 4 is much weaker than a leveled up normal marine).
As a matter of fact I competed normal with just tier 1 and veterans marines.
I think 3-4 skills in the total squad and some tier 2-3 items.
Now I'm in the middle of the veteran campaign with all champions and one Sanguinary Guard, with many tier 3-4 weapons and items and many fully developed skill-wise.
Nobody has th second item slot unlocked (but I'm about to unlock one).
I never grinded any level, I replayed twice if I recall well one level because I missed so,e chatter and I was 40XP short of an 8K skill.
That's my experience...just play the game....trying to 'crack' the levels with what you have at disposal is IMHO the most fun to play the game and where Rodeo games really shine.
Actually I read many on TA that have still to complete the game on normal and grind like madmen or pay a fortune and already have unlocked almost everything.
They will breeze through the game on normal...but hey it's their fun.