I have a synthweaver and armormech as my two highest level toons. I've lately been testing out using them to craft armor for my lower level toons. So far that's working out good - far as I can tell. I mean that as in the armor is as good as if not better that what I've been getting as loot.

Anyhow I did math on the level 40 armormech Quadranium Onslaught and the level 40 synthweaving Vinesilk Force Expert.

A full set of each provides:

Mastery 420

Endurance 437

Power 167

Critical 58

Accuracy 58

Alactity 29

Then I find the the Quadranium provides 2752 armor while the Vinesilk provides 1943 armor.

That seems really odd to me. I'd expect them to be matched or balanced in some other way. Yet if looks like the Quadranium has a significant advantage.

Am I missing something here. Are the armors balanced out in a way I'm not aware of?

Were the two charakter per chance different classes, one that has light armor proficiency and the other medium or heavy proficiency?

All schematics since 4.0 are adaptive, so the armor rating depends on the class wearing it. The tooltip shows only the values of the character you use to look at the item. Give the very same item to a character with different armor proficiency and the rating will change accordingly using the values of sturdiest armor category the class can wear.

Ah, well this changes everything. I didn't know the armor rating changed based on the class wearing it.

I got my numbers by looking at the stats visible in the tool tip you get when mousing over an item in the crafting window.

Thus I was previewing the Quadranium on my armormech - a sniper and the Vinesilk on my synthweaver - a sorcerer.

Knowing what you just told me I'll go have another look at things. Thanks very much.

Ah, well this changes everything. I didn't know the armor rating changed based on the class wearing it.

It doesn't. It changes depending on its weight. Armour with a fixed weight (heavy, medium, or light) has a fixed armour rating that depends only on its rating, Heavy > Medium > Light, and Adaptive armour adapts its weight to be the heaviest your character's class is allowed to wear. (All classes are allowed to wear *lighter* fixed-weight armour than their maximum, but Adaptive always behaves like the maximum.)

I know it's a rather thin distinction, but, for example, all classes with the Heavy Armor proficiency (Jugg/Guardian, Troopers, Bounty Hunters) have the same armour rating from that adaptive armour, and they have the same armour rating with it that they would with fixed-weight Heavy armour of the same rating number.

Final note. Back in the day, before 4.0 (October 2015), companions had their own for-stats gear, and you had to provide upgrades for it. There were occasional complaints about how this piece of armour had a different rating on the player's character than on the companion, by people who hadn't understood that point about the weight dependence.

I know it's a rather thin distinction,.

Yes, but an important distinction. In my brain I registered things as you describe. For the purpose of others reading this post it's good that you clarified my fuzzy phrasing.