It's all fun and games until you come home to bloody battle. I'm not picking on you, but I've seen what happens when people don't take this seriously. All it takes is a couple flyes with a long spurred cock, for Legs to lose an eye.
There is many reasons, the general look of tightly feathered birds, some standards call for barbless down feathers. Plus like you say it is helpful in the warm climates of asia. And tight, hard feathers are helpful in combat.