Gauntlets, boots, etc shouldn't be "armor" at all. They aren't in 5e. This is yet more homebrewing by Larian in the first place.
Agreed. Gauntlets, helmets, etc. should be a part of an armor set - not extras that even wizards can wear.
To be fair, there is precedent in D&D (3.5e) for body-specific gear, as well as in many crpgs. It's not necessarily a bad thing on it's own. Care just has to be taken to
a.) not overwhelm the player with constant managing of equipment slots as gear gets incrementally better throughout the game
b.) balance the helment/gauntlets/boots/rings/etc with the rest of the game mechanics/character abilities/enemy strength
...unfortunately I don't have much faith in Larian to do a or b, let alone both, so in that case they should stick to 5e RAW.
I agree with OP that, at the very least, metal gauntlets/boots/helmets should be Heavy Armor, with appropriate restrictions and bonuses. Light leather or cloth gear could be light armor with different bonuses, etc.
