Variant rules question

[Goodmush]

I have been going through the ultimate combat variant rules for armor as damage reduction, vigor & wounds and piecemeal armor. I want to incorporate these into my next campaign so I thought I would ask if anyone has anyone run a game with these? How did they work? Did you have any complaints? How did it affect survivability for the players? Did it add a bit of strategy to your encounters? How did the monsters hold up to damage?

[Artemis Moonstar]

Dotting. Have the same questions.

[Yalkom]

I'd like to try amor and dmg reduction, but I see that defense (DC to hit) is poor because is almost the same to hit a 20th level figther than a 1st level one, just like before the change. Expertise in combat/defense should improve by levels as the attacker's base attack bonus. I am thinking in a half of the attacker's base attack bonus to be used as "defenders's base defense bonus", and some new feasts.