You can a also play with a low AC if you want a better challenge.
When I'm playing a turn based game video game I want the game to challenge me... which is very different than challenging myself with stupid rules or self limitations because the game's is poorly balanced...
OPStuff-wise, AC is probably one of the last issues of the game... if it is one.
With all due respect, I think there is nothing "stupid" about self-limiting or adding extra rules to the ones that the game provides. For some games it would not make much sense I agree, but for an RPG it does, just like the official DND rules can be tweaked by a DM. It depends on each individual player I guess. For me, some things are just immersion-breaking, so in the heat of the action, I even forget it exists. An example is jumping around while doing battle. I jump of course -- to get over chasms, fires or onto something high. But I can't imagine fighters jumping left and right on a battlefield. So when I see an enemy do it I remember, oh yea the game allows this. But I 'll fight normally in a way that I think a fight should be fought. It is much more difficult to win, but the victory tastes much better. At least I can make a ballad of my victory, without the audience laughing at me. You get the picture ?
Other example, I don't have a thief in my party. My bard PC does the sleight-of-hand work (she's got charlatan background) and is also my scout and representative. So she wears gloves of thievery and the the ogre circlet to boost her INT to 17. I also have tons of gloves and helmets that are better in battle so in theory I could switch gear to fight better and switch back for the city and dungeon crawling, but this seems so un-heroic-fantasy-like. (Imagine Frodo putting his mithril shirt on and off when there are orcs nearby or go away)
I want to repeat that this is not a critique to players who play differently. It's that the game gives many options. You can try to make a balanced party that resembles the heroes you love to read about or see on the screen, or you can optimize to beat the game. It's a choice. If you do the latter, obviously combat will be much easier. I'm all in favour of a higher difficulty level if it can make gamers happy, but you can make the game ,as it is now, more challenging yourself too. It is not a stupid thing to do.
I play this way not to make combat mopre challenging, but because it makes the whole game more immersive and appealing. Several times it looked hopeless to even pass a boss and get to the end, but in the end I did make it. Showing how rich the game is and that (fortunately) you don't need to be overpowered to get there.
Finally I agree with everyone who think there are still too many bugs that should be corrected before adding new stuff (with inevitable new bugs)
