The problem with a def bonus would be the early game. People start out with pretty low melee accuracy and they all wear the lightest armor in the game. Battles would drag on forever without anybody hitting anything :)
Indeed. I recall someone making a post that certain weapons are not as effective when used against certain types of armor. It could mix very well with what you plan to do while giving weapons even more diversity. But I guess it’d be best to wait for the content before judging anything.
Revision of the armor system – this is a very important step in changing the gameplay, it is very important not to stumble. And do not sacrifice realism and common sense for the sake of gameplay. light armor can not be protected from getting damaged (by any means), better than heavy. And who said that my well-trained warrior can not move quickly in heavy armor and better than this one has just hired a thief in a leather cape? This is nonsense. You can not avoid throwing spears or crossbow bolts and even hitting ax – if it is made a master blow – not your shitty movies about elves, do not delusions.
You can avoid javelins and crossbow bolts in this game: it depends on your stats, perks and equipment (kite shield).
It’s a game and like any game can’t be too realistic. If you make ultra realistic game while sacrificing gameplay, then you have a game that could be – perhaps – closer to what’s considered “realistic”, but wouldn’t be enjoyable to play. That’s why gameplay is more important. Realism in games is ALWAYS contractual.
It’s good that armor system is being revisited, because its previous iteration created, as you yourself have said, “a certain pattern”. To break that pattern there must be more choices that are viable for a player. But to make choices viable (or to scale down too good choices) changes are needed to the system. And that’s what the game is: the system made up of certain rules.
You ask “why your well-trained warrior can not move quickly in heavy armor and better than this one has just hired a thief in a leather cape?”. That’s why. You say you want realism over gameplay, but suddenly you sound like you want your own image of realism over the actual realism…
