I suppose the studded Imperial armor was supposed to be close, but I don't run the patches and can't smith it, nor does it come with a perk. Chain could have been light and chain plate could have been heavy. I love chainmail and chain-plate, which the real Roman Empire had adapted from the Gauls and equipped high ranking officers with early in the empire, and entire cavalry forces to face the Parthians in the later Empire. There is no reason the technology and production skill of the Empire could not have produced such. So I think their should have been some kind of special light Imperial armor for Skyrim, with a perk like elven armor.
Oddly, they had a five point bonus for light armor in MW, but the pocket guide description said they're famous heavy infantry had created the Empire (they have amended the website description on MW to laude light infantry, in fact each game is the same desc.
I find it odd that once again they gave a 5 pt bonus to heavy instead of light armor, while the racial description on the website says they are known for their light infantry and 95% of the army wears light armor. Each is armed with an Imperial sword, an Imperial bow, a random number from twelve to twenty steel arrows and a steel dagger. Yeah the Imperial Armor is okay, though a bit bulky, especially on males. Each guard wears a set of Imperial Light armor, or a set of Studded Imperial armor, an Imperial Light helm, Imperial Light bracers, and Imperial Light boots.
