i have a question about game model. why make a full body character ?
why not just make a head + neck cloth and armor.
no one see the full body anyway if you have cloth or armor on your character
While rigging, you will not be able to move your armor as smoothly as the base mesh. Just do not put detailing in the base mesh, if you are putting an armor on top. That will make it easier
Remember without a proper base mesh, you will not be able to place the armor according to anatomy.