DeadlyPhoenix wrote: »

I say free because it should have been an option with the outfit station already and it is a simple code to write since it already exists with the helmet. Apply that same code to the others and tweak a few things. It's maaaaaaybe a 30 minute process for an experienced coder.

"Should have" nets them no profit.
Crown store does.
And the suits in charge at ZOS are in to make a profit, that's their job and responsibility towards the owners/shareholders.
Welcome to capitalism!

If you prefer comminism... well, then forget about ESO and get reeeeeeaaaaalll familiar with Tetris...
(By the way, did you know that with some of the older MS-DOS based tetris programs, your score would flip to negative if you managed to get it over 32,767 due to programmer thoughtlessness and/or underestimation of gamer crazyness?)

DeadlyPhoenix wrote: »

As far as padded cloth armor in ancient times, it still did little to protect from any sort of blow. Bladed, blunt, piercing, it did almost nothing without proper armor on top of it, in which case it only served as a shock absorber and to make wearing the armor more comfortable.

You are talking about padded jerkins in medieval times - those are indeed meant to be worn under proper chainmail or plate armor, for those very reasons.
But for ancient times, well, properly treated layered linen armor was about as tough as boiled leather.
Granted, it only had to stand up against slashing attacks by a bronze khopesh... and was easily pieced by bronze spears and swords (which by the way is the reason piercing weapons were so pupular in those times - the early armors could not stop them). But even so... it -could- withstand lighter attacks, turning a glancing blow from a cut that could have been followed by a lethal infection into a mere bruise and thus reduced combat losses in the big picture.

And most people agreed that even light armor is better then no armor (except a bunch of woad-covered celtic barbarians that is...)

Of course, armor advanced. The greeks may have started with mere linen, but quickly added leather and metal plates until they eventually graduated to bronze cuirass and such... same for swords as iron replaced bronze and then evolved into mild steel... ancient times had their arms and armor races as well as modern.

DeadlyPhoenix wrote: »

Proper gladiators yes, they generally didn't die too often. The slaves they fought against however would. They still wore simple armor that exposed a good majority of their body. It was show armor and more often than not, impractical when it comes to solid protection and defense from various weapons.

Even slaves were expensive, and only killed off if there was no more profitable use for them... or someone was rich (or powerful) enough not to care.

But you are quite correct about gladiator armor - it was for show and not for actual wartime protection. Like I said... gladiator combat was more world wrestling entertainment then mixed martial arts fights, just with swords and more blood.

DeadlyPhoenix wrote: »

In ESO though, a lot of these cloth robes and armors appear to be very thin cloth. A robe is a robe, it doesn't say it's padded and some clearly are padded while others are not.

Of course, the light armor styles in ESO are very varied. Some do look like padded armor, others reinforced with leather and even metal, and other still... only cover the barest minimum to show off oiled skin and such.
Though even the worst of those seem more likely to stop a moderately sharp piece of metal or some skeevers fangs (if they hit in the right spot at least) then, say, a bathers towel or dancers silks

DeadlyPhoenix wrote: »

If you think cloth armor will save you any more than the clothes you're wearing now or going naked, my broadsword would like to test that theory.

Ah, against a well-honed broadsword? I would doubt it could do more then slow the blade for a meaningless amount without some proper mail to back it up...

Still, properly made cloth armor -does- offer some protection, more then a mere wollen tunic. Maybe not enough to stop a broadsword or arrow, but... at least you won't get shanked with a spoon...

lordrichter wrote: »

I don't even want to speculate how these will be introduced into the Crown Store. That path leads to depression.

That... is sadly a point well made.
I suppose all we can do is pray that we might at least not have to gamble for them with crown crates, huh? Though of course... we all know how likely we are to be dissappointed in that hope...

At least once a day, of course! All that running about, blood spatter and various excretions gets me pretty rank. What? You don't?