i always argued that non-med armor should have a damage reduction like the swamp dragon barding. like 2% a piece, so 12% for a full non-med suit. of course this just means that everyone will end up wearing samurai armor instead of leather in the end.
personally, i really like the old AR system which balanced medability, dexterity, and protection. can't understand why this couldn't work with the current system, given the poorly thought-out strength requirements...