@Spaceyetu: So you are talking "same main weapon" (no difference in weapon values) but light gear vs. heavy gear. A good comparison would be the Khuzait Archer vs. the Khuzait Khan Guard - to quote something I know.
Armor-wise, the first just wears a kind of hat while the other has a full armor - should make a difference in movement. The normal archer should outrun other armored classes outright to play its cards like exploiting flanks or harassment, right?
Side-arm should not be more than some 1H-weapon for self-defense...we are talking short swords and one-handed maces here or a hatchet. No "2H-axe-wielding berserker with a bow"
Since the heavy archer is slower, it still could have better melee gear, so 2H-swords or polearms are o.k., right? But no shield or even with shield: no forcefield over the shield's border. You are trading survivability or melee prowess for speed in fact.
Somewhat I wonder, why we have damage types but armor does not react differently to them so: just one armor value. Or does it make a difference?
I know that chain mail protects versus cuts very well, but not versus piercing damage. Padded armor protects versus blunt damage. Plate protects versus piercing, but could be deformed by heavy blows from axes and maces (something not reflected at all), basically: blunt and cut damage