The artificial cap I am referencing too is if you block or attempt to block you cant block again for .5 to 1 second. To me that is a artificial cap. Yes there will always be animations etc. There are always game mechanics...
Here is my bottom line where I am coming from hate it or love it.
Darkfall, MO, and several other full loot pvp games all tried to go with fast TTK's. None of them made it and died out or minimal following. Because it's all about reflexes and being young. or macroing magic/skills. Fast speed is about reflex speed skills. No one wants to waste there time playing, getting mats, and be melt down in a second due to not being young , at different location on the globe, poor computer, or whatever. I can symphonize. "getgud", they will just leave...
Slower is about thinking/tactics and you still need some skill to read your opponent. Medieval combat was pretty slow paced. The slower pace allows people with bad or great pings, people older or younger, to put up a fight. I see people get melted down even with the current speed but at least they can do something. Also, tactics? you have time to lure / use the environment to make miss/collides happen, you can actually guard/block and maybe might survive until you get help, you can survive and get into a alley way and fight 1 at a time instead of being zerged. You get time to live/fight. We get longer fights which is awesome. I know some people here are very competitive and skilled and want COD ttk reflexes, I think that is a bad idea in this genera. Mount and Blade isnt fast paced and it's very successful. I think the devs are going the right direction personally.