Game Experiment: Unknown Rules

What If I played DnD on the surface but all the mechanics used was something else. Players select Scale, Shield, and a broad sword. The "fantasy" stats would be AC5, 53lbs of equipment, and 1d8 damage but in the way I adjudicated it it was 2mm of steel scales over a cloth and leather backing, balanced lever capable of generating 180 joules of edged force in quick and defensive footing attacks (the way a skilled boxer would through a punch and shift quickly)?

A shield is +1 AC? 5% affect on defense. Experimentation by anachronistic reenactors have very strong evidence that this +1 AC item is practically 2/3 the defense of an individual scaled to the skill of the individual. In a close formation fighting its practically all the defense, since very little footwork can be used. Why would I let nonsensical munckin Logic dictate that shields are 1/20.

ARMA's take on Myths is an essential reading.

I'm getting at, what if the players don't exactly know that shields grant them 2/3 their defense. Or if all things being equal and two basically skilled combatants have 50% chance of hitting each other without a shield, with a shield they would hit each other 2/3rds less. Or 2/3 x 50%. rounded up that shield would grant a +6-7 to defense or AC.

Armor, just reduces damage by the amount they really did in historical experimentation. Meaning most metal armors are Blade proof, as long as they are made out of materials and worksmanship of closely equal quality and the force does not exceed what can be generated by all those within the 20% physical ability deviation of professionals (320-450J). At greater than 450J there is a chance of breakage.

As the GM, what if I start asking specific or targeting questions about footwork, balance, stance, metal quality etc. As well as provide unprecedented levels of details? Using deductive and inductive reasoning to provide inferential data from tiny differences and details. even if the player is not familiar with martial arts, but phrase concepts in economies of attention: Do you pay more attention to X or Y? In any given moment of around 6 seconds, how do you distribute your attention?

It all seems DnD in the surface until after character creation. Where all of a sudden even the economics goes "realistic" norms. Gold fluctuates to the value and relationship to goods and its monetary equivalents: typically ranging from 1:20 (gold to bronze) or 1:4000+ (gold to bronze).

Verbal -linguistic Intelligence. It is weird when races posses 7 or more languages (+2 with average int of 9-10). It is strange when Human Intelligence and abilities are dwarfed by demihuman races. By language count, elves and half elves are Int18, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, 16. Demihumans exhibiting Multi-lingualism comparable to human geniuses doesn't exactly put Int of the two different races at the same level. Learning a language a great cost and needs to be maintained through practice. Einstein's brain is an example of trade off Verbal Linguistic Int vs Visual Spatial Int. How can one say 18int human is equal to that of 18int demi human. Even geniuses have problems learning language, depending on which intelligence their abilities lie.