Since every character gets 3 actions and a reaction, some active defense options won't necessarily bite into your attack options.
It would appear that the Raise Shield action isn't part of a chain, it's available to fighters right out of the gate, and available to other characters later on, as a feat. Also, if you're just trading your 3rd attack (at -10) the trade-off becomes much more appealing.
I'm expecting that "fresh" characters will be more willing to go all-out on their attack sequence, with little thought for defense, while gravely wounded ones will be far more willing to spend resources on defense.
Lastly, remember that Raise Shield doesn't only boost your AC. It also gives you a hefty swath of DR against an attack.
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As Wheldrake mentioned, blocking doesn't cost a feat. The shield warden feat just lets you do it on behalf of someone else.
Hopefully the wording on that would be not just "you have to be adjacent to this ally" but instead "you must be adjacent to either this ally or the creature attacking this ally." The latter gives much more flexibility so it goes off more than never, making it less of a trap option. It's also totally reasonable, shield checking the enemy to interfere with the attack.
As Wheldrake mentioned, blocking doesn't cost a feat. The shield warden feat just lets you do it on behalf of someone else.
Hopefully the wording on that would be not just "you have to be adjacent to this ally" but instead "you must be adjacent to either this ally or the creature attacking this ally." The latter gives much more flexibility so it goes off more than never, making it less of a trap option. It's also totally reasonable, shield checking the enemy to interfere with the attack.
I don't agree on this.
Positioning is important: if the fighter and her ally are side by side, it makes sense that she can block an attack directed on the adjacent ally; if they are flanking the enemy, how can she do that? In that case she is in a position suited to hit the enemy better, not to protect her friend.
I think facing should be important. If I have a shield in right hand and try defending someone on my left side would be more difficult then the right. I understand the need to move away from facing but for shield s I feel it is needed. To say that in a 6 second round I can actively defend every square around me and attack I feel is unrealistic.
Example
123
456
789
If I am a fighter with a shield in my right hand is square 5 facing 2. Trying to defend 4,7,8 would be difficult compared to 2,3,6
There's a reason facing is an optional rule since 3.x, it's a gigantic pain in the tail to keep track of for minimal gain.
Also remember that people aren't actually politely taking turns, moving one after the one with their own discrete time space. It's just an abstraction of what's actually happening "in context" which is everyone in the combat moving more or less simultaneously. This is part of why facing breaks down even from a flavor standpoint, because someone really would be adjusting facing on the fly to keep their guard or threat up.
Rounds should really probably be 12 seconds though, not 6 seconds.
I understand that all of that. But with my example and using a shield in 6 seconds doesn’t work realistically. I get everything happens simultaneously. That why I made my comment. I agree a hex system would be better than a square system.
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Rounds should really probably be 12 seconds though, not 6 seconds.
I'm curious why you say that?
The six second round makes it easy to remember that 10 rounds = 1 minute. And if you're taking 20 on something that's a move or a standard action it means it takes 1 minute (3 seconds x 20 = 1 minute).
However I'm curious what would make the 12 second round superior?
12 seconds still results in a round number, 5 rounds per minute. It feels right as far as moving while being jostled and jockeying for position with the other people moving "in context," casting spells with verbal components longer than just a single "Abracadabra," actually applying simple binding to a wound rather than slapping a magical stickybandage to it, and so on. It gives the space for both the actions you take on your own turn, the other actions that people with slightly higher or lower initiative are taking somewhat before and after yours, and the reactions you are taking "out of turn" in between.