Quote Originally Posted by mythmonster2 View Post
Minor nitpick: Glass armor and weaponry in Elder Scrolls isn't actually glass as we know it, it's a type of metal that's just called glass. Same as how Ebony isn't actually wood, it's just a type of metal called ebony.


The main thing, I would think, would be that plate armor requires a lot more time, effort, and materials to craft, all of which might be short supply in the middle of a civil war. Plus, I read someone somewhere who pointed out that plate armor might not even be the best bet in Skyrim. Hjalmarch and the lower parts of Eastmarch are swamp, the Pale, Winterhold, and the rest of Eastmarch are tundra where warmth is more important than protection, and the Reach and Haafingar are mountainous terrain where wearing plate armor might wear you down.
Given that pretty much every set of light armor except for leather and scaled leave you shirtless, and most heavy armor below full plate leaves you sleeveless, warmth is clearly not a concern.

Granted, plate armor in a swamp or mountain is possibly not the greatest idea, but animal hide armor in a swamp is even worse!