Naw, it's because it takes alot of time to animate them in all the armors and all the weapons. Plus, the enclave PA looked a bit stupid anyways. No need to have the Chosen one and friends all looking stupid with them.
it's all a matter of realism that fallout is beginning to lack. Yes, your NPC buddies should have their animations changed. I mean, why stop at the PC if their shootin' for realism?
but i dont see why the npc's couldnt look diff if u give them DIFFERENT armor! if other people in the game look different shouldnt your party? am i the only one who thinks it would be so cool if u had a traveling party of people decked out in power armor? it would bring more emphasis to fallout and i want to see it happen in fallout 3
oh, and by the way, you can tell who is who by reading the message box! it wouldnt matter to me because its wouldnt be that hard to tell and it wouldnt be a "hassle", no no!
yeath NPC's in difrent armours would look great, it would be the best though if therre would be an option in the preferences enabling you to toggle NPC's armour (Cassidy does after all look prity nice in leather armour most of the time (except fo the derrek where he looks rediculos)).
It's not long that armours change in games... For example, in Vampire the masquerade - redemption; it was a plus for the game, not only something that every games should have... But it's not so bad : in French version, there are no children ! No one at all ! In fact Fallout 2 have lots of bugs or things like that... But Fallout is so good ! I forgive programmers !