What people like Formless dont understand, due to their lack of intelligence, is that this game is not played under "fair" circumstances.
When you play with a bad internet connection and on top of that with an old computer, its obvious that others with good internet and computer swing faster.
Nathaniel the first thing you should check is if this is the problem.
Do the following. Go to native Singleplayer, normal speed, AI on good (AI on good is better than most crpg players) and report how you are doing. When the AI can outspam you, well, then your are too slow, and others are better, what means you have to practice when you want to do better in multiplayer.
In this test is important that you dont circle around, dance and spam, force yourself to parry, strike, parry, strike.
Are you fast enough to strike back, or does the AI swing faster than you could strike?
When you can win against the AI even on fastest speed, then its your internet, not your lack on skill.
When you lose against AI, then you have to practice more. =)
As I wrote in another topic, crpg privileges authistic 2h/polearm spammers. Only awlpike/battlefork tards can spam easier than they can.
I know that. When I can play without delay, I dont lose in native with shield against 2h/polearms very often. When and if I lose, its because the other guy chambers me, be it skill, or just luck, doesnt matter.
1hshielder in crpg is a lot harder than in native, but it is not impossible.
Try what I said.
If its your internet, do like everyone else with the same problem: get the bigger stick, and spam back!
On builds, 18/18 is fine, but I am with Bruce and other successfull shielders, 21 str 7 ps is best, cos you can 1 shot many with a swing to the head.
High agi can compensate a shitty internet a bit, but its still shitty. So polearmspammer, 2hstabber, would be your way then.
So less than 18 str for a 1h is like 1 power draw for a bowman: funny, you will get tons of hits, but kills, no, not really.
Sounds weird, but str is for a 1h more important than for a 2h in crpg.