Clarification on Armor DR vs DT

[Arc]

"When you take damage, your armor will either reduce it by the amount specified by the damage resistance or by the flat amount specified by the threshold, whichever is greater, not both."

What did they mean by this?

When I first started playing this game and reading the specs for armor I would pick up, my perception was that the damage resistance specified would ward off the percentage entailed and then the threshold would be added at the back end. Or, at the very least, I would think that whichever one would be used would be damage dependent (e.g if the damage taken is greater than the threshold, it'll simply factor resistance and not the threshold).

Based on what I read from the wiki, that is obviously not the case, but the wording still confuses me somewhat. If the armor I'm wearing only works for threshold OR resistance and not a synthesis of the two, does that mean that once I've made it and determined which one is greater, the one that is lesser is permanently useless and not factored into my defense AT ALL?

In which case, if I want to invest in resistance over threshold, does that mean I'm screwing myself over by adding a ceramic plate? Further, is resistance entirely nullified if I make a tactical vest with a laminated fabric ballistic panel?

If this is the case, a couple of questions are begged:

If threshold and resistance are simply two different flavors of defense and the player has to commit to one or the other based on preference and the given situation at hand, why are laminated panels more valuable than hybrid panels?

If both the threshold and the resistance end up being the same, which one takes priority?

[PaposikG6]

This information on the wiki appears to be outdated (from almost ten years ago).

Both threshold and resistances are taken into account when you are hit. First, threshold reduces the damage by flat amount, and then whatever penetrated it, is reduced by % of your resistances

[Arc]

*phew*

That's a relief. Thanks.

[haze1103]

Mind blown, I thought the game was working out of "better of DR% or DT" (then damage modifier) this whole time.

I already thought all those armor that trade away DT for more DR% were bad, it makes them even worse if the DT is always active, IMO

[harperfan7]

Mind blown, I thought the game was working out of "better of DR% or DT" (then damage modifier) this whole time.

It does, but he's referring to the percentage modifier; so if your cold resistance for instance is "DT 10/DR 30% (80%)" and you get hit for 15 cold damage, your DT applies since it blocks more than DR, so you get hit for 5, then your reduction (the %) kicks in and reduces that 5 by 20% to 4.  You take 4 damage total.