Do you mind adding a list of what the different armours actually are and if there's any difference? My fort can make three different types of harnesses but idk if they're different or just for the RP. Same with trashcan armour vs barrel armour.
Oh, right. I'll split them into a few categories.
Generally they do not provide as much coverage as bigger suits of armor, but are worn on the COVER layer, similarly to capes and cloaks in the vanilla game. They only protect the upper body (and unfortunately also the lower body, that's something I can't change) - will probably change them to protect upper arms too for the next update.
Regular shoulderpads are the baseline - 50% coverage.
Footballer's shoulderpads and Rando shoulderpads have 50% coverage, but slightly more material size, so they should be a tad more expensive but a bit harder to get through in theory.
Spiked shoulderpads and red skull shoulderpads have 60% coverage and even higher material size.
Worn on the ARMOR layer, they only protect the upper/lower body, but have relatively small layer size so multiples can be worn.
Hubcap, fridge and washboard harnesses are the same functionally - 40% coverage. Mostly just for RP/flavor purposes.
Scrap harnesses have 60% coverage and slightly higher layer size and material size - should be more protective overall.
Tire harness - leather armor equivalent essentially. 40% coverage, but can only be made out of leather.
Every other type of chest armor.
Pipe vest - basically an improved version of the harnesses, though worn on the COVER layer. Also protects the upper arms. 65% coverage.
Trash Can Armor - 85% coverage, protects upper/lower body and upper arms. Essentially a trash can with holes for the arms and legs. Doesn't allow all that much else to be worn with it. Worn on the armor layer.
Fridge Armor - 95% coverage, protects all the way down to the lower arms and legs. Hollowed out fridge turned into a really heavy suit of armor. More expensive and heavy than the Trash Can armor, but more protective.
Barrel Armor - 90% coverage, protects down to the lower arms and the upper legs. Barrel with a hole for arms and legs. Middle ground between the Trash Can Armor and the Fridge Armor in terms of weight, coverage and expense.
Barrel Suit - pretty much only for Barrel Bros - civilian version of the Barrel Armor. Identical more or less, it just will be worn by civilians - is also worn on the COVER layer rather than the armor layer.
Knife Poncho - a poncho with numerous metal or plastic knives attached to it - wearing it is a terrible idea for everyone involved (but not really). Will be worn by civilians, but is useful for armor purposes too, as it covers down to the lower arms, has 100% coverage and chainmail elasticity.
Plate Carrier, Heavy Plate Carrier and Load Vest - rare and only really used by factions with access to military gear. All provide 90% coverage - load vest is only made from leather or cloth, protecting the upper/lower body, plate carrier is made of metal and only protects the upper/lower body, and the heavy plate carrier has a similar weight to the regular plate carrier, but extends to cover the upper arms.
Three of the radio packs - CB Radio Pack, Military Radio Pack and the Boombox Pack - also can be made out of metal or plastic (presumably in the latter case its plastic replacing the metal outer bits that have fallen off), but they're civilian wear rather than proper armor - they still can provide some protection, even if its a small amount - 15% for the CB radio pack, 40% for the Boombox pack and 25% for the Military Radio pack. The Boombox pack is the heaviest and most expensive, whereas the CB radio pack is the least expensive.
Shin Guard - worn on the feet. 80% coverage and relatively light - extend to protect the lower legs.
Armguard - worn on the hands. 75% coverage, also quite light. Extend to protect the lower arms.
There's other hand-wear that can be made of metal, like the different bracelet types, but those aren't considered armor, just civilian wear.
There are no lower body-only worn armor types yet - those will come with the next update. Some of the belts are made out of metal/plastic and can deflect attacks, however, even though they provide very little coverage - the same extends to the Car Radio packs.
For headwear, the following are considered proper armor:
Red Skull Mask - masks worn in memory of Rando. Provide 70% coverage, and are quite light. Worn on the UNDER layer.
Riot Helmet - rare helmet type Provides 100% coverage, and is mildly heavy. Worn on the ARMOR layer.
Football Helmet - common helmet. Provides 90% coverage, and is rather light. There are also two variants - a Signed Football Helmet, which is heavier and more expensive, and the Horned Football Helmet, which is only slightly heavier and more expensive (between the standard Football Helmet and the Signed version). Worn on the ARMOR layer.
Pickelhaube - common helmet. Light and cheap, but only provides 65% coverage. Worn on the ARMOR layer.
Repairbot Head - cheap helmet that you can get from butchering the various Repairbot types. Only provides 60% coverage, and isn't all that heavy, but its better than nothing. Worn on the UNDER layer.
Ballistic Helmet - comes in standard, goggled, face-wrapped and night-vision equipped versions. All are rare and worn on the ARMOR layer. Only the night-vision version is somewhat different, being heavier and more expensive, but providing 100% coverage - the other three provide 95% coverage and are slightly lighter and cheaper.
There are numerous other types of headwear that are made out of metal, but those are considered civilian wear. Their protection amount and what layer they're worn on vary.
Generally the full-head masks or helmets like Biker Helmets, Skull Helmets, the various costume heads or the different Salvation Ranger helmets have more coverage, compared to stuff that'd go over the face, like the Hockey Masks, or the gang masks like the Joy Masks of the Joy Boys or the Heart Masks of the Lovelies.