Armor rework update - discuss

I will happily kick this off.

We've been needing a change. So this is good to see. 
One of my chief concerns is this:
Heavy armor is obviously taking a hit. From a balancing perspective I can easily see why this is coming to pass. However, as someone who has used all 3 types, has over 50 skill in 2 of them and mid 40s in light armor I can safely say I feel heavy armor is in a pretty good place right now. 
The issue is not that heavy armor is "too good." The issue is that it is the only viable armor type unless you are a medic that is not "close" melee range or a ranged character.
Meaning the other two classes of armor are severely lacking.

In the current dynamic, a group fighting "at level" content on the higher level echelon of the player base currently wipes roughly 1 out of every 3 or 4 groups, even when the balance is pretty optimal, and the group size is apt, not overbearing. 

The current dynamic is thus:
A heavy armor tank takes the hits... If he goes down, the group folds like a limp sack of over-boiled 7 cent ramen noodles.

The cases in which the group survive when the tank goes down are extremely rare and typically that only happens if the tank was able to hold them off for long enough for the group to finish off a remnant force. If a tank goes down early your best option, as a group, is to bend over, grab the back of your knees, and go ahead and kiss your ass goodbye. It's the best treatment your ass will receive. 

With heavy armor taking a hit this is my concern. I fear the dynamic will switch thusly:
A heavy armor tank is less tanky. If he goes down, the rest of the group is slightly more survivable so either they will take a longer time wiping out or they may manage to survive the encounter. However, fact remains, the heavy tank is squishier and more likely to go down. 

Maybe I am the only person on the server sporting this opinion, but tanks are already in rare supply and recently had an overhaul to make them more desirable, which thankfully, brought a new tank or two into play. So making the tank squishier, means they will fold far more frequently... What does this mean? Sure, the group may be more survivable... and sure if everything is balanced out juuuust right the fights may end in victory more often... at least, until you lose your tanks because no one wants to play that guy who dies every fight and their sole purpose is to absorb as much as they can before they inevitably go down... Leaving the server in dire need of tanks -again- and leaving the groups wiping out once again because no one enjoys getting knocked on their ass every fight. 

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Side thoughts:


Those who have metal in their armor should be given the opportunity to melt it down because a lot of the choices made up until now have been under a system that is about to be rendered irrelevant. I know of at least 2 players who would want the metal in their armor changed or at least removed back out of it so it can be used another way. 


Quite frankly, I already got screwed by the metal/ore change because I used what is now the value of 2 titanium bars in 2 of my accessory pieces... so I am effectively 2 bars of titanium short without recompense. 

Also, the changes to adamantium in heavy armor seems crippling. As it is, there is one, ONE (restated for dramatic effect~whee), set of adamantium heavy armor on the entire server and it is currently out of commission anyway... And that was only the chest-piece. Is there even enough testing to justify the block/dodge/stam nerf? I doubt it... It is the rarest metal, in an insanely short supply and you are rendering one of it's primary functions less relevant. 

I do not feel the nerf to adamantium in heavy armor is justified. Literally, it has no justification for this. My only theory for the change is in one of your spreadsheets it began to "look too good." 
Meanwhile in practical use it has no testing, and without trying to sound too critical, there are many things that "look good" but end up under-used, under-whelming, out-right crappy and therefore are never touched... Pommel strike was one very minor example. Likewise, there were things that "on paper" looked fine and ended up needing a nerf like how triage was prior to its balance overhaul. 

I think the negatives for adamantium should be reconsidered for heavy armor - at the very least, until it is actually even used and tested... Frankly, no one has a set of adamantium heavy armor in play to test it adequately and with this change? I wouldn't even want to waste the bars needed to test it... Screw that, MOAR ADAMANTIUM CLAYMOARS!

I remain confused where this theorizing that heavy armor is getting worse is coming from. as written, it looks primarily like Light and Medium armor are getting buffs.

And that means that other, lighter classes, will be somewhat more useful after the tank is struggling because they can actually block a blow or two while the tank gets back on his feet.

Until numbers go out, the actual changes are only general directions, and nothing mentions heavy getting worse.

I like it, my only complaint is that I used titanium to achieve what you're doing with mithral on partial plate already. but we'll see how it all works out.