A fairly large change is that armor ranks will now be utilized in the calculation for armor damage reduction. Armor has two components (as we know); Protection and Absoprtion. In the past, both were fixed components of the armor. The Protection component is now going to be influenced by both the protection stat of the armor AND your ranks in that armor.
This change finally brings much needed relief to the armor skill set. No longer will high ranks in armor be worthless.
The rank factor does apply to each piece of armor individually. If you usually wear chain armor and have all of your ranks in chain but wear a plate helm, the protection component of that helm is going to suffer (because you dont have the plate ranks).
<Lets that sink in>
Along with the change of making armor ranks actually mean something, armor hinderances are being re-evaluated (changed) across the board.
The ranks needed to reach the minimum hinderances have increased.
Zero hinderance will no longer be possible (for anyone). I know that there will be at least two guilds upset by this. Please realize that the benefits of what you are gaining (use of your ranks) FAR outweighs a few percent hinderance.
Wearing accesories which do not match the type your body armor will cause an increase in the hinderance of those items.
We are not planning to release the new hinderance percentages.
<Lets that sink in>
Utilizing your armor to reduce the damage from a blow will teach armor experience. If you are wearing chain body armor and a plate helm and get hit in the head (and have the plate ranks to use the protection factor of the helm), you will learn plate armor experience. If you get hit in the chest, you will learn chain armor.
This component of armor learning will not be huge but is there.
Regards,
GM Damissak
