There will be many types of each category (some longer than others, different patterns, etc.).
I want to make it so that they are overlayed. For example the gambeson could be larger than the chainmail and therefore we should be able to see the gambeson underneath the chainmail. And maybe the player does not have all the equipment equiped, maybe only gambeson and shirt.
I don’t know if I should use a modular character because when I set it up in Blender the joints look bad (I read that Blender gives different Normals to each mesh).
Easier said than done, but achievable, the way i do this with Daz3D characters when using a bridge that works is, first i make up the character body with needed morphs & materials to export into FBX format as an Unreal file type, i port over a naked body with no attachments or genitalia as this affects the model after export, you can send them over with all gear on or whatever but that will be stuck too the mesh & you won’t be able to remove it from the model.
Since i create each outfit in the Daz3D editor shaped too the body size and structure of the morphs to port over each piece of layer gear for armour i would than unparent all the gear on the model in daz3d than delete the model leaving each piece of gear in the proper body location, now this is the bad part, i have to delete each piece to the last outfit piece than port over that piece of equipment first into an outfit file in UE i than use the undo feature to load previous parts back into the scene to port over deleting the pieces i have just ported so i only port the one piece of equipment at one time till the whole set is done.
Once both character and equipment are in project you then have to parent the item too the skeleton within the blueprint, so you create named sockets for each item and the location on the skeleton where the equipment will sit, you then adjust the equipment within the bp for correct positioning on the model ready of animation & cloth simulations to be placed on them.