Auvar
Currently, heavier armor reduces your movement speed, which is great. Because most people (I gather) fight mounted, however, it doesn't seem like much of a disadvantage, especially with a 33-armor charger that doesn't usually die unless you jump heroically off a cliff.
I'm aware that armor from this period isn't as bulky and stiff as it is often made out to be (I've heard of people doing cartwheels in plate mail, not sure if that's possible or not), but it would certainly increase the amount of decisionmaking necessary to choose an armor if the weight/armor value of the armor actually decreased attack speed slightly as well. At present, the "best" armor is either a leather jerkin (if you want to be a fast footman or foot archer) or black armor (for everyone else), and the only reason not to use these armors would seem to be poverty or the inability to locate some good black armor.
Similar to the way in which agility increases attack speed for all weapons, heavier armor could have a modest opposite effect, thus making the leather armor tactic of the mounted steppe raider more viable; he's not as well armored, but he can swing that sabre faster than an armored knight can swing his sword. It would increase the value of "middle" armors like padded cloth or scale, that are usually skipped over otherwise.
I'm aware that armor from this period isn't as bulky and stiff as it is often made out to be (I've heard of people doing cartwheels in plate mail, not sure if that's possible or not), but it would certainly increase the amount of decisionmaking necessary to choose an armor if the weight/armor value of the armor actually decreased attack speed slightly as well. At present, the "best" armor is either a leather jerkin (if you want to be a fast footman or foot archer) or black armor (for everyone else), and the only reason not to use these armors would seem to be poverty or the inability to locate some good black armor.
Similar to the way in which agility increases attack speed for all weapons, heavier armor could have a modest opposite effect, thus making the leather armor tactic of the mounted steppe raider more viable; he's not as well armored, but he can swing that sabre faster than an armored knight can swing his sword. It would increase the value of "middle" armors like padded cloth or scale, that are usually skipped over otherwise.