Not really, no. Any armor effectively protected people from sling-stones let alone simply thrown rocks which is why slings fell out of use in periods where armor was common. think of it like this, you cannot generate any more force than you could with a punch by simply throwing an object, if you cant expect to punch thru a helmet why would you expect to throw an object through it?
I don't know about that. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the fastest punch in the world is 43 mph, while the fastest pitch in baseball was 108 mph. I don't know the physics of it, but I think elbow and wrist action generate a lot more force on a throw than you could get with a punch. One way or another, no matter how good your helmet is, I have a feeling that a well-thrown rock to the head would at least ring your bell.
Very true, the mechanics of throwing motion creates acceleration speeds that can far surpass anything achieved by simply moving one's body alone. So it's wholly inaccurate and rather short-sighted to say that a punch generates the same force as a throw.
That being said, if we are to use baseball pitchers as an example, then we must also keep in mind that in MLB -the highest level of baseball, the pitchers are incredible athletes who are also masters of their craft. They train all year-round to throw a ball at very high speeds and many of them are on steroids (but that's a topic for another forum).
With all of the above in mind, it's not uncommon for batters to get in the head by a pitch. Professional batting helmets are light and made of carbon fiber, and while serviceable, they're not like the heavier iron or steel helmets we find in Medieval-based games like Bannerlord. Even so, you often see batters walk away uninjured or pop right back up after being beaned by a pitch, although head injuries can occur.
On the other hand, the helmets MLB catchers wear are heavier than the batting helmets, with the catcher's masks often being made of steel or carbon-steel hybrid. Thus, they're more in line with the types of helmets worn in Bannerlord, and these catcher's helmets absolutely tank anything the pitcher throws at them. Catchers can get hit when the ball is foul tipped or when a low pitch bounces in the dirt, and even when taking a hit flush they are unfazed. The bottom line is, the helmet does its job.
By applying this to Bannerlord, we can infer that:
>Looters are not MLB pitchers
-they are desperate, starving, homeless men who lack the same access to the modern nutrition or training regimen as an MLB player would
but...
>Looters throw rocks like they are Cy Young Award winners
-the accuracy, the power, and the damage they do would make you believe they're wearing a few World Series rings on their hands. Maybe they should pawn off one or two and get some decent clothes...
Also:
>Helmets protect against thrown spherical objects
-As evidenced by the helmets baseball catchers wear
but...
>Just not in Bannerlord (In Warband they do)
Thus, we can see there is a disconnect here, and it's pretty disappointing.