Oh a rules discussion. Let's go.

A couple notes or clarifications on the OP... TAF doesn't always start on Mamushka, it's random between Itt and Mamushka. So that helps a little bit (yes they are both frenzy modes). RS you always start on NYC, which sucks because if you do the "proper" thing and go for the skill shot, you're always starting with NYC as your first mode. Only if you tank the skill shot do you even have a remote shot at starting Miami first.

On modes vs awards... You can make that argument, but if you want to be really fair, you have to consider all 3 West Coast modes the same because your SOLE PURPOSE is to start the wizard mode. I have never even ONCE given a crap about whatever the rules might be for the 3 west coast modes because Super Payday is your goal. Nothing else. Also you can throw out Albuquerque because that's not a mode either. Someone really wanting to be feisty would argue about how much of a mode a one-shot deal is like the gunfight and Atlanta (yes I know you can 2x or 3x Atlanta, but most people rarely try that), but I won't bother you too much there.

Now linearity... It sure is a nice diagram you posted, but the fact remains that RS is a simple loopless directed graph. Yes you have a couple choices as to how to proceed, but you're not getting to any of the left modes without doing a bunch of the right ones first. TAF and most other mode-based games are pure undirected graphs and by definition have no linearity whatsoever.

This does get into a discussion on breadth vs depth though. TAF is extremely broad and extremely shallow in terms of mode accessibility, whereas RS is extremely narrow and quite deep. I do not think RS makes a very good design from a casual player perspective. TAF gets the casual benefit of pulling the plunger as hard as possible and effectively getting a "random" mode at start. On RS, you get a choice of 2.

Some people will like RS's structure better (I'm presuming you're one of them)... And not every game should/needs to be the same, etc. But there's far more entertainment value to be had for MOST people with TAF-style modes than RS-style modes.