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The following is an assorted collection of rules changes I would make to the playtest rulebook (as of update 1.5)
Stronger Ancestries
• Unconventional Weaponry has the following alternate benefits: "You’ve familiarized yourself with a weapon from another ancestry or culture. Choose a common or uncommon weapon. You're trained in, and have access to that weapon."
Earlier Ability Boosts
• Every character classes' Ability Boosts have the following alternate benefits: "At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it’s already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18."
Improved Infusions
• The alchemist's Advanced Alchemy has the following additional benefit (inserted at the end of the first paragraph): "When you create an infused alchemical item that allows a saving throw, you can change its DC to your class DC."
• The alchemist's Studied Resonance has the following additional benefit: "You gain 3 bonus Resonance Points, but you can only use these bonus Resonance Points when you create alchemical items during your daily preparations (see Advanced Alchemy)."
• Remove Powerful Alchemy from the list of Alchemist Feats.
Fighter's Armor Training
• If you're a Fighter whose Key Ability is Dexterity, you gain Light Armor Expertise at 11th level instead of Heavy Armor Expertise. Light Armor Expertise has the following benefits: "Your proficiency rank for light armor and all shields increases to expert."
• If you're a Fighter whose Key Ability is Dexterity, your Armor Mastery ability has the following alternate benefits: "Your proficiency rank for light armor and shields increases to master. Your proficiency rank for medium armor and unarmored defense increases to expert."
Wizard's Foci
• The wizard's Arcane Spellcasting has the following additional benefit (inserted between the first and second sentences): "Because you're a wizard, you can usually hold an arcane focus or spellbook as part of your Material Casting and Somatic Casting actions, so you usually don't need spell components or another hand free."
Armor Resistance (Optional)
• While wearing a given suit of armor, you gain (or increase your existing) resistance to the listed damage types (see below). Reduce the resistance given by a poor-quality suit of armor by 2 (to a minimum of 0). Increase the resistance given by a high-quality suit of armor by the listed item bonus for an item of its quality. Note: The resistance values were chosen based upon my estimation of how much worse given armor types are compared to the "best possible defense in the game." Which is being Legendary in Unarmored, with a 24 Dexterity and Mage Armor X (via either bracers or spell).
Light Armor
• Padded (bludgeoning 3)
• Leather (slashing 1)
• Studded Leather (slashing 2)
• Chain Shirt (slashing 2)
Medium Armor
• Hide (bludgeoning and slashing 1)
• Scale Mail (piercing and slashing 1)
• Chainmail (bludgeoning and slashing 3)
• Breastplate (piercing and slashing 2)
Heavy Armor
• Splint Mail (piercing and slashing 3)
• Half Plate (bludgeoning, piercing and slashing 2)
• Full Plate (bludgeoning, piercing and slashing 3)
Uncommon Martial Melee Weapon
• Bayonette (10 sp | 1d4 P | 1 Light | 1 Hand | Spear | Agile, Attached to crossbow or firearm, Two-Hand d8)
• Court Sword (18 sp | 1d6 P | Light | 1 Hand | Sword | Agile, Disarm, Parry)
• Odachi (40 sp | 1d12 S | 2 Bulk | 2 Hands | Sword | Versatile P)
Uncommon Exotic Ranged Weapons
• Hand Pistol (250 sp | 1d8 P | 40 ft. | Reload 2 | 1 Bulk | 1 Hand | Gun | Deadly d10)
• 10 pinlock cartridges (10 sp | 1 Light | Alchemical, Consumable)
• Long Rifle (400 sp | 1d12 P | 80 ft. | Reload 3 | 2 Bulk | 2 Hands | Gun | Deadly d10)
• 10 pinlock cartridges (10 sp | 1 Light | Alchemical, Consumable)
Pinlock Cartridge: Ammunition for pinlock firearms (including hand pistols, and long rifles) can be crafted in batches of up to 40 cartridges (20 if created by Advanced Alchemy, or 10 if created by Quick Alchemy).
Critical Specialization Effect (Gun): The target takes 1 additional damage per weapon damage die (including the extra dice from a critical hit).
Healing Surge
• You automatically succeed when overspending resonance points to activate any kind of Healing Potion or Elixir of Life (including an Elixir of Rejuvenation) while you are Dying.
Daily Heroics:
• Unless otherwise noted, you begin each adventure with 2 Hero Points, and lose all remaining Hero Points at the end of the adventure. You may gain 1 Hero Point each day during your daily preparations, and may have up to 3 Hero Points at any given time.
Realistic Exploration
• You can engage in a fatiguing tactic for up to 30 minutes, or a very fatiguing tactic for up to 5 minutes before becoming fatigued.
• You can engage in any tactic while fatigued, including fatiguing and very fatiguing tactics.
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Nope. Item rarity should be determined on a setting level, not a character level.
I agree, however your complaint also applies to the original feat. The access mechanic remained because the system needs to remain functional in PFS where the GM literally isn't allowed to make that call. This isn't a list of ways I would have made a better game. These are consise changes to an existing product, designed to do the most good with the least revision. I can't go removing access mechanics from all the other feats (like Adopted). Instead focus on the benefits; which are that unlike the original, my version allows you to select common weapons, and uncommon weapons which aren't ancestral. In addition it trains you in the weapon. Which means a Human Wizard can become an expert in the Katana (or nearly any other single weapon) for just two ancestry feats (just like an Elven Wizard with their whole glut of weapons).
I know that some of the tropes, like studs improving armor and padded being a joke aren't going away any time soon. But one detail that I think is reasonable to complain about is the split between half and full plate.
I've done my research as well, and while I disagree with some of your arguments... I'm not interested in debating armor theory. Rewriting the entire armor rules is outside the scope of the scope of my intent. The presense or absence of half- and full- plate as distinct armor types is no more relevent than the incorrectness of the term "chainmail". If you want historically accurate armor you'll have to talk to Paizo. Also note this is the only house-rule I've tagged as 'Optional', that wasn't an accident. It is only appropo if you're using the playtest rulebook's selection of (historically inaccurate, and selectively anachronistic) armor.