I can see why they did it because there should be a tactical advantage to use one hand no shield as opposed to one hand with shield.
Ehm... why?
Defense - 1 with shield.
Offense - 2-handed or dual-wield.
What possible area does one-handed without shield fit?
Not to mention the idea that using a one handed weapon without a shield was a viable martial strategy IRL, as was wearing the shield until it was no longer useful and then dropping it for better mobility and being able to have an open hand - which was one of the most versatile and deadly 'weapons' you could use in close combat.
So, I prefer to have - 1) stronger armor/magic armor on shields,
and 2) either a talent which makes shield armor regenerate each round OR 3) a suite of skills and a free skill which make using a shield a viable option. Some of the options provided early in this thread would make great skills.
So 1 is a must and either 2 or 3, whichever the developers like better.
