Rules Clarification: Costume vs. Professional armor

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.

[hr]

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.