Just wondering your thoughts.

Damage threshold? What exactly do you mean by that?

Why would you want to have gold armour? It's too soft to be of any use as a protection tool.

I hope the highest quality armour will only have one or two sets in the game.

In FNV if you were wearing power armor it had a high DT meaning that it would prevent any damage from attacks with damage below its DT. So the shot of a 9 mil. pistol would probably not be able to get through it.

Didn't Oblivion still call it Armor Rating? DR and DT are Fallout terminology. As for armor types, I'm sure Daedric will still be the best unenchanted armor you'll find, with some unique enchanted armor offering the same or slightly more protection. Glass has been shown in game and Ebony is a big part of the lore, though I think ebony primarily came from Vvardenfell... Finally, Gold is a very impractical metal to make armor and swords from, so hopefully not.

Personal opinion : Guns in game, DT. No guns, DR. Damage resistance is more forgiving for a greater variety of weapons, so if your Elf wants to use Elven weapons, they can, just at a slightly lower damage than ebony or Daedric. Damage threshold, however, is less forgiving of player style, and pretty much demands you use the best weapons available.
Also, DT might make smithing a 'must have' skill, and absolutely needing a skill takes a lot from player choice (I think this may be a factor in the removal of degradation, smithing gives nice bonuses and is optional, armourer was pretty much essential for anyone but a pure mage).

Damage threshold or damage resistance?
It doesn't matter to me. As long as it's a balanced system. I don't care how it's mechanics are applied.

How many types?
Well, variety is always a good thing.

How common is high quality armor?
I'm all for NPCs leveling with the character. I am NOT for them magically obtaining high end weapons and gear, as the player advances in level.

Do you want gold armor?
Gold armor is ornate. Gold clad armor has more reasonable structure. So gold armor...No. Gold colored armor...yes.

EDIT : alex186 is correct DR and DT, is a FO thing. In FONV, Damage Resistance is extremely overpowered. DR divides the damage taken by a %. Then the DT is subtracted from that. So, if you have a DR of 25 and a DT of 30, and you are hit with 200 damage. It would be 200 - 25% = 150 - 30 = 120 damage taken.

IMHO it all depends on the inventory system. While on the one hand it is not realistic to carry around lots of armor without a pack mule, on the other hand one of the things that bothered me most in Oblivion were the frequent trips back and forth to the trader.

So .. gice me a high carrying capacity (or some possibilty to fast travel/teleport) and a huge lockable chest - and I'm all in for hunting armor sets across the whole country ;o). If the load and travel system is similar to the one employed in Oblivion, I'd rather have a few more armor types but nothiing that HAS to be combined in order to unlock its full potential.

Another thought on AI armour - at a certain point in the game I woul rather be a hero than a commoner. For me that's one of the major points of role playing games, to have a bit of bad ass potential and attitude after some hours of gemplay and to survice to live it out ))))). So please spare me bandits or other standard foes with high level armour - a person that can afford costly armour and would like to rob people IMHO usually choses a life as a tax collector or trader, not the dusty road ;o)

cheers,

M.

I want to have gold plated armour just to look kingly.

Are these not golden enough for you?

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110912211019/elderscrolls/images/a/ac/Elven_Armor.jpg

http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Skyrim-inventory.jpg