I had an idea for my melee character, and I wanted to see what other people thought. I think that for melee players it would be cool if there was the option of equipping a shield.
I'd like to hear what you have to say about it, and any other ideas you might have for other class specific equipment.

uhh, i don't think that would really fit in to the game, i mean, where are u gonna find a shield in 2281. shields stopped being used long before the war in 2077, and any shields in museums were likely destroyed in the war.

For melee, all I have to say is get Explosives as your trusty second.

What about a high tech energy shield that was developed at the Big MT. It could act like a forcefield that doesn't let bullets through.

or riot shields? they have Riot Armor, where is the Riot Shields?

Not antique sword and board shields made of wood and iron... modern riot shields. Look in any daily CNN news feed, and you'll see thousands of them in use. Everywhere. All over the world.

But, that little factoid aside, shields have traditionally been most useful in group combat situations, where you have lines of men with sheilds working close together and protecting each others flanks. As a solo combat item, it would just slow you down and make you easier to kill in any situation with more than one opponent. And if they have guns, it would just be laughable.

There are riot shields and some swat teams use entry shields for the first man in a 4 man stack going into a room (do Google search under Images "Swat Team Shield"). They give good protection against pistol and shotgun ammo and the police can use them to "dog pile" a hysterical suspect (ie force him into a corner or onto the ground) to keep him from flailing around and hurting himself and others.

Since the game uses the same engine as was used for Oblivion it would be theoretically possible to add shields into the game. I just don't know if there'd be that much interest that the developers would go to the trouble.

I think a shield would be great against other melee fighters, and while it wouldn't offer complete protection from gunfire, it would at least be something. It would be enough to help you get close enough to do your own damage. I just thought it would be a fun addition to the game.