Light Armor

[crossfirex]

As far as lightweight armor goes there aren't many options besides leather, but I was just wondering if there are any plans for this, since most good protective armors are heavy or have a high penalty (understandable) but it would be really cool if you could have some form of very expensive maybe, but lightweight armor variety. Meaning for instance if you are really good at chemistry you could make a special hex-woven carbon nano-fiber armor or something like that. It's just a different idea of armor being scientifically enhanced and therefor giving lighter but more protective results. Kind of like how modern armor works in most cases, first we had ceramic and steel, then titanium, then I think now they use shear thickening fluid, etc. And another for instance is how kevlar is now giving way to carbon nano-tube vests. But this is just some idea as to a scientific approach instead of just the mechanical and tailoring approach.

[This Person]

Basic tactical vests are quite close to leather armor in carry weight and armor penalty.

[crossfirex]

I was thinking something with a better chem/fire/energy resist than that. For instance in polymer armors or gel armors a laser actually has less effect on account that the light hits the melting plastic and has a hard time going through, or like on space craft they use polymer coatings for fire proofing. Things like this included in a light armor the way it does in metal but offering a scientific approach. Not saying it needs an entirely new set of schematics, but maybe a new item that can be used in schematics like, polymer plating or ballistic gel infusions. Kind of like how kevlar cloth increases ballistic and mechanical damage resistance, polymer could be a lightweight version for energy/acid/thermal and maybe even mechanical considering a lot of new modern armor is made with it.

The difference being that in leather armor you can make it lighter and still have some energy/fire/cold resistance, and with metal as well, while the tactical vests are just about completely left out of this circle. While they do offer things like 200% ballistic damage threshold and 100/75% for riot armor, they are terribly heavier if you get any level of good protection from them, and then if you meet a single energy based enemy you just get destroyed. And by no means am I saying this is bad, but for late game as a tactical or riot armor user you have pretty much no chance since there are energy weapons all over the place. Pretty much you get forced into metal or leather if you want a good level of all around protection.

Also considering super steel I doubt a plastic based light armor would be too far fetched as far as damage resistance goes. The only difference is that when using super steel on tactical and riot armors, it has no energy protection value. While with metal you get 40-50%/20-25 Threshold mechanical and around 50-60%/20-35 threshold for energy, while at the same time you also get 40-50%/15-20 heat threshold protection. So you are really forced into metal armor for super steel. And if you use the infused leather you can very easily get some energy/acid/thermal protection from the leather you use. I am just suggesting a cloth or plating variant that could be used for tactical and riot armors that will give some level of protection against these things.

[Hazard]

There's no way to get any energy resistance/threshold from leather armor. Energy shield is the only source of damage mitigation against it, apart from metal armors.

Still, it is true that tactical vests kinda get left behind in general usefulness. They're good for psionic users with psi beetle plate, and no-selling SMGs, ARs and smaller caliber pistols in early and mid-game is very useful, but if you can craft super steel metal armor and have armor sloping, you'll be able to get way better protection against firearms, melee weapons and laser/plasma pistols for similar or even lower armor penalty. Or you can go the lightweight route with infused leathers.

What exactly could or should be done about that, I don't know. As far as I understand, modern ceramic rifle plates could theoretically offer some protection against a hypothetical infantry laser, thanks to their supposedly good heat resistance, so giving the ceramic plate armor component such properties could be one way to boost tac vest usefulness.

[LightningMonk]

Adding ceramic plates puts your armor into the heavy category, so it doesn't solve the op's problem. I do agree that it's weird ss sheets add no energy protection for vest and riot armor. They're expensive and mediocre options compared to the alternatives.

[hilf]

There's no way to get any energy resistance/threshold from leather armor. Energy shield is the only source of damage mitigation against it, apart from metal armors.

But a damn good one at that.
And it's not true, there are drugs that reduce all damage taken - Morphine and Aegis. There is also Stoicism.

[Hazard]

Yep, I should've clarified that I meant wearable equipment.

I'm also all for buffing super steel sheet or even reworking it to have a better specialty than just extra knife resistance. It's decidedly meh in its current iteration.

[hilf]

Energy damage is supposed to be resisted very rarely.
Now it's resisted by 1 out of 4 armor type. It seems too much but there are also monsters/robots and less than 25% of them sports energy resist. So it seems fine.
I have a small problem with final boss resisting so much energy damage. Biggest advantage of energy weapon does not work in a final boss battle that is both obligatory and difficult.

With SS sheet giving energy resist we'd have 3 armor types with potential for energy resistance. Feels to much. Maybe SS sheet needs a buff but i'd rather give it something else.

Besides, plasma deals half of its damage as fire and this can be resisted by aluminized cloth, siphoner leather or fire proximity suit. Only laser deals all of its damage as energy and its damage is low.