Hate to say this, but Savage Worlds...with the Modern Ops skirmish rules changes. Much higher fatality rate and much more realistic. Nobody is swinging from chandeliers in that version. Its all about real world, modern day combat.

Now for medievel combat, I'm not sure. May be able to adjust Modern Ops for it, but haven't really thought about it.

Ian,
I checked out The Riddle of Steel. very interesting, studied some of the free downloads to get a feel of it.

The byline is kinda; be careful because anyone can kill you with anything. Which, to me is pretty damned good. After all pencils are lethal weapons.

However, one of the issues I found: Same as in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. "Naked Dwarf Syndrome" where a starting character can be built with a high toughness and get armor (chain in this case) such that he practically cannot be hurt by another starting character.

Using the 'combat simulator' which I understand probably has some bugs and is fairly simple. I made an 'average joe fighter' and made a high toughness average joe fighter wearing chain and a helm.
The mock battle involved the attacker full out attacking with a spear and the chainmail defender not defending, not doing anything, just taking it.

The 'battle' went on for 32 rounds with the defender finally falling unconcious due to blood loss from 8 minor (lvl 1 crits) and 2 (lvl 3 crits) out of 32 hits the rest were all scratches (lvl 0 crits)

So my question is:
The full rules address this? or are there home rules to deal with it.

The system is interesting aside form that. (as I mentioned the same issue happens in WFRP.)

You might want to look at HARP from ICE. I've only played a couple of games of it, but I already like it much more than 3.5. The magic system is particularly cool, like Rolemaster, if that helps.

Role Master comes to mind.

The game is built quite well, heavier armour resists critical hits better, but you tend to take more HP damage. The biggest downside was that unlike D&D occasionally someone (including the DM) would luck out and get a kill with a lucky critical hit.

(I recall our cleric eviscerating an air elemental, after the air elemental finished off most of the fighters.)

You didn't want to fight unless it was worth it.

Finally, the critical hit descriptions always coloured up the game play. "Popped Groin" was always a favourite.

I would suggest GURPS 4e

It a wonderful game that allows you to add as much realism as you desire including weapon reach, blood loss, exhaustion, to name a few just for combat.

The other part I like about GURPS is that it only uses D6 and does not require a fistful (well some sci-fi weapons require a fist full for damage) of dice to do anything.

I've heard alot of people complain that GURPS is too technical at times but they normally have simple rules to use instead of the complex ones.

Another thing I love about GURPS is the mortality of your characters. Getting struck by a sword is going to hurt no matter what "level" you or the guy wielding it is. Getting 2 feet of metal stuck in you will pretty much kill you. So rely on your skills and training. Unlike 20th level characters in some game who are pretty much walking tanks even if they are naked.

Bottom line. I'm not sure that what you are asking is a useful question. Does it really enhance game play? How any players really read the rules? Understand the rules?

My best game experiences come from role playing, and no game system can set or define that. If you put your head around that fact, then the game system or rules do not really matter.

My Neutral Evil thief halfling.. useless mostly.. back stabbing a goblin for betrying the party about the location of traps.. is what its all about. I spent the next half hour arguing about how right I was with a group of good PCs.

There were a lot of angry players in my party after I did that. I robbed them silly afterwards too. But they still needed me, I got them past the traps.

Heroics? Realism? (OK... thats a real dragon right?) Let your imagination fly!