Personalized Armor/Raiment

Is there any way to have a decent selection of armor, helms, weapon types to choose from to help create a very individualized character? Maybe a way to almost build your character from the ground up with prerendered pieces of armor, so you wouldn't just select a character and go, you'd add this type of helmet, that kind of mail, etc. etc.
Also, How much combat will actually take place hand to hand? I think it would be great to really emphasize close-in personal sword, axe, hammer play. Parries, blocking, and just all out H2H destruction is what I'm talking about.