I actually prefer variable armor protection far and above fixed armor point values.
It allows for some variability, doesn't slow combat down that much, and even creates some nice options for graphical descriptions of armor working or not working, such as:
(low roll) "Your armor only stops one point? Okay, then. The dagger slips between joints of the half-plate and plunges deeply into your flesh. You take seven points of damage after the armor protection."
(high roll) "Your armor stops eight points? Okay, then. The dagger scratches along the metal plates on your breastplate and leaves a bright scratch, but doesn't penetrate."
It also helps add an air of unpredictability, where fixed armor values don't. A character with fixed-point value full plate layered with something else, for example, is nigh-invulnerable to any hand weapons that don't critical or have a significant damage bonus.
I was happy to include both systems in the core rules, but whenever I play, I'm using random armor protection.
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