Rules Clarification: Costume vs. Professional armor

Personally, I've never liked micromesh in combat situations.  It's too flimsy to really do much against a sword swing.  It's the equivalent of wearing a t-shirt but you can't get cut.  Real chainmail can absorb the sword swing far better than micromesh ever will.  Micromesh is designed for a butcher to wear so they don't cut themselves when they drop a knife, not to take a blow from an oncoming sword.

As for hybrid vs steel, I think there should be a benefit to wearing the weight of metal on your shoulders.  Kwildar's armor is the exact armor that Gavin posted the link for, and it's made of steel.  Armor with weight adds a bit more to my game immersion than wearing something I can't even feel, the sound of metal on metal adds to when you hear people running, that sound that a weapon makes when it hits plate armor, and all the little things that give that bit of satisfaction that what you're wearing is actually protecting you.

That's my 2 cents

for modern live steel (Sharp) fencing 12guage steel plate is the minimum thickness allowed. so thats that for the weight refrence to which charlie was mentioning. i agree with gavin to some extent however.. my own personal 2 cents would be give the same AP for both real and costume grade.. but ONLY real steel & hardened armor grade leather gets the soak.. just my 2 cents

the idea that latex armor looks good is RETARDED. now you know.

To use real numbers, 12 gauge is .105 hick, while 16 gauge is .060 thick.  In essence, 12 gauge weighs 1.75 times as much.  As ALex put it, that is the minimum for fencing, but breastplates are meant to stop slashing, as well as piercing attacks.  Well made plate is virtually sword proof - period.  Complete soak, enormous threshold, call it what you will.  The total weight of plate for complete upper body protection is somewhere in the neighborhood of 45-50 pounds, well distributed, resting on the hips.  Stay out of the sun and one will be fine.

An entire school of swordsmanship evolved in which fighters maneuvered to stab at the joints, which, accordingly were often protected with mail.  

Effective weapons were specialized - various styles of polearms and battle hammers/military picks being the most common.  Blunt force trauma weapons often had a major impact (pun intended).

Did we lose track of the fact that KR is a game, and a fantasy one at that? :)

Alex - don't hold back - say what you really mean.

I think somewhere along the way the fact that this is a game got lost. 
Realistic armor (aesthetics, weight, and material) is great for atmosphere and roleplay but more times than not too expensive for most players to afford.  This is a game; a game for people of all income levels to enjoy not just those able to afford $200-$600 armor.

If you are unsure what a particular make of armor will be (costume vs pro) feel free to send a photo/detail description of it to any of the monster marshals before purchasing.  If we are unsure we'll seek additional help from other staff members in determining its type.

the idea that latex armor looks good is RETARDED. now you know.

False.

This is not a discussion of opinions, and it's gotten way out of hand.  I'm locking the thread.

If there's any further updates, they will be posted by an Officer.

Update:

Costume Grade Armor will have the same AP values as Pro Grade armor.  The lesser AP values for Costume Grade armor are being dropped.

Pro Grade armor, which must be made of authentic materials, will grant a soak.  Costume grade armor will just grant (the same amount) of AP.

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I'm unlocking this thread for questions - please keep this on-topic to questions about the rules update.  Thank you.

The goal of James, MattWhite, and the rest of the RMs who had input was the following: To make a system that encouraged better looking armor at the game, while at the same time making the mechanical evaluation of the armor a simple and clear process, not subject to opinion.

As much as we'd like everyone to be able to afford high-quality (and usually high-priced) steel, latex, or even aluminum armor, we know this isn't possible.  New players, or even veteran players, without much money are going to try to do their best to find or make something that represents armor.  We cannot allow only people with OOG resources to have the IG benefit of Pro-Grade armor.  On the other hand, we've already seen from the discussion above that not everyone agrees on what looks real.  Thus, a clear and objective guide was set - the material used to make the armor.

Hopefully, this compromise allows everyone to enjoy their armor physreps.  If you have an old Costume Grade item, it just got a boost.  If you have an old Pro Grade that is not authentic, it's grandfathered in.  If you're in the market to buy new armor, you now have clearer guidelines on what is what when it comes to evaluate it.

Do costume grade armor get the soaks and special effects of arcane materials?

Like mithril or fire drake scale.

That's answered in the rules for those materials already.  The materials give a +1 bonus (and +3 vs Fire for F.D. Scales) on top of the soak for Pro Grade armor.

Right, but what about mithril having any body damage turn into normal damage?

Does costume grade afford that?

The grade (pro/costume) of armor does not have any relation to IG properties.

Quick question:

I am making my own chainmail. I am using galvanized steel wire. Does the galvanization of the steel disqualify it from being professional grade (assuming it meets all other standards). I am simply curious as to how strict we're going to be on the "authentic materials" stipulation. I ask this only for the sake of clarification. I don't have a stance either way, I just want to understand the rules as best I can.

Steel is steel, so it's Professional grade.  Stainless steel has been graded as professional, so galvanized counts.

Thank you very much! I was curious, so I decided to ask.