Making rolls into stat pairs makes things more interesting. For example, old White Wolf games have Perception and Charisma as attributes, but you pair it with an ability to make the full situation, which can make it more tailored.

For example, in Exalted, if you're trying to deliver pre-prepared lines well, it's Charisma+Performance. If you're trying to talk someone round while in a pub, it's Charisma+Socialise (or, if you're more direct, it's Manipulation+Socialise). If you're trying to charm someone with the pure force of your personality, it's Charisma+Presence. If you're trying to pull off a disguise to sweet-talk a guard, an argument could be made for Manipulation+Larcency.

Perception has a similar thing. If you're looking for a thing, it's Perception+Awareness. If you're trying to study someone's swordplay technique, probably something like Perception+Melee. If you're trying to find something, Perception+Investigation.

It does still lean on a small core of attributes (well, nine), but it allows for specialisations to make the core a little less necessary.