Hey, how about you play it your way and everyone else will play it how they like? Min/maxers suck the life out of having a good time. lol I normally go with troll armor because it doesn't reduce speed and it has the sneak bonus, easy to build up by killing a few trolls. My wife likes the bronze armor, she likes having more protection and the way it looks. Different strokes for different folks. Both armors are perfectly fine--if the only real distinction is how much mining you have to do, that's really up to the individual. Not everyone thinks exploring/mining is a chore--we enjoy running around, mining things up, fighting mobs, exploring, sailing--all of it. There isn't a shortage of minerals in the world, it's fine to use it how you wish and just go dig up more if you need it.