I'm just not really sure what the change is meant to achieve. Blocking was a pretty simple and functional system already. It facilitated skillful play and presented meaningful choices. It didn't have the sort of problems that require an overhaul to fix.

Now I'm worrying about a stagger bar in addition to the stamina bar, which is lower since I'm stacking health food, but not really because stamina generation comes from resting, not food. My wooden shield was ineffective against anything larger than a boar. I had to rely on footwork to clear a crypt and kill a troll, but I might as well use and atgeir then.

The single line from the patch notes doesn't help. How does current maximum hp greatly affect your ability to block attacks? What's the stagger bar for? What does it represent? What exactly is meant by "overhauled"? What are we supposed to be doing differently compared to before? Are timed blocks still a thing? What's the difference between large and small shields now, and how does it compare to before?

So this is where I'm at now. I simply don't understand what the game is trying to do or is asking of me now. I solo completed everything this game had to offer in the spring. Some of the bosses needed tweaking, but the basics were rock solid. Even so, I am willing to relearn this game's systems if need be as it develops. But I can't do that if the only thing I know is that my shield doesn't protect me anymore.