The way armor works (bonus suggestion: melee rework)

[Boston]

The actual "Power Armor" is not going to be one giant solid sheet, because ..... you know, that isn't how armor works. In order for a person to move in it, it has to be able to shift and move over the body. Hence, plates of armor material. Breastplate, pauldrons, helmet, vambraces, all that.

"High tech future materials" or not, there will always be some deficiency in anything that can be abused.

[Darkfirephoenix]

The actual "Power Armor" is not going to be one giant solid sheet, because ..... you know, that isn't how armor works. In order for a person to move in it, it has to be able to shift and move over the body. Hence, plates of armor material. Breastplate, pauldrons, helmet, vambraces, all that.

"High tech future materials" or not, there will always be some deficiency in anything that can be abused.

And I still find it highly unlikely that the flexible parts aren't made out of hightech materials that also offer a high cut protection.

Have you ever heard of carbon nanofibres? Those are so thin and flexible you could implant it under your skin to get bullet/knife proof (meaning: Piercing/Cutting proof. And the body won't reject it because it's just pure carbon), so making protective gear out of it would be only logical and we can make that stuff already (although not in usable amounts yet).

If you make the "base" of the suit out of such a stuff you would get a protection that works perfect against piercing and cutting attacks and the "armor plates" would just serve to take the blow of heavy/plasma attacks to prevent broken bones or burning of the wearer.

[Aristocat]

Why not? A knife between armor plates is still a knife slotted between armor plates......

The actual "Power Armor" is not going to be one giant solid sheet, because ..... you know, that isn't how armor works. In order for a person to move in it, it has to be able to shift and move over the body. Hence, plates of armor material. Breastplate, pauldrons, helmet, vambraces, all that.

"High tech future materials" or not, there will always be some deficiency in anything that can be abused.

And I still find it highly unlikely that the flexible parts aren't made out of hightech materials that also offer a high cut protection.

Have you ever heard of carbon nanofibres? Those are so thin and flexible you could implant it under your skin to get bullet/knife proof (meaning: Piercing/Cutting proof. And the body won't reject it because it's just pure carbon), so making protective gear out of it would be only logical and we can make that stuff already (although not in usable amounts yet).

If you make the "base" of the suit out of such a stuff you would get a protection that works perfect against piercing and cutting attacks and the "armor plates" would just serve to take the blow of heavy/plasma attacks to prevent broken bones or burning of the wearer.

Actually if you use mods and wear lots of armor, for instance curass + armor vest + hyperweave gambeson you take only 1 damage against most attack and even sniper rifle deal around 10.

Masterwork power armor has similar effect although bit weaker because it cannot wear armor vest.

Oh and add medieval shield with high melee skill and you can literally block bullets, plasmas and lasers.

Edit : I guess this is kinda off topic