Whether it be a handheld shield projected from hardlight, a plasma bubble shield projected from a backpack or belt, or a powerful hardlight shield projected around a ship, shields are important defensive technologies due their regenerative properties, requiring only a substantial amount of power in most use cases. Although the technology to produce 'forcefields' have been around for nearly a millennium, even more for certain deviations, the ability for them to be readily utilized has only been available for a few centuries.
Forcefields can be utilized in various configurations. Armor-based shields typically project forcefields over the armor's plating using various conductive cerulium linings around the plates to shape the shield, along with a generator mounted somewhere on the armor. Handheld shields can be mounted on the wrist and can project a shield or buckler-sized barrier. Bubble shields project a forcefield around the entire user or even an area; bubble shields small enough to cover only a person are often installed as a belt, whereas larger bubble shields or big front-facing shields meant to shield other people are typically deployed using a backpack of sorts. And finally, ships also sometimes make use of shield technology, typically only by corvette class ships or lower that are small enough to where it is practical to utilize a shield.
Plasma field generators are a misnomer of a protective device that has been a long-time favorite of infantry and PMC operatives. PFG are deployed via the work of three devices. The emitter, the power unit, and the coolant system. The emitter is a powerful electromagnetic device, capable of creating a containment field that will hold the plasma shield, armors with shielding systems built in often utilize several linked emitters placed across the unit. The power unit is usually worn as an armored pack, as it has to be capable of supplying a large amount of power to sustain the magnetic fields. It isn't uncommon to see them utilize dense electron batteries to meet these energy requirements. The cooling system is the final portion of these devices, utilizing a tube system that distributes the coolant evenly through the shielding device. At first glance, this shield may seem to function simply off the plasma wall that is released by the emitter's function, but this is not the case. The true defensive capabilities come from the emission of high energy graviton particles. These subatomic particles are capable of resisting the oncoming force of most things that attempt to permeate the shield, making for an effective defensive coat.
Plasma forcefields are most effective against kinetic attacks and projectiles.
Hardlight field generators are also a utilized form of protection, popular for ship protection due to its ability to be shaped easier, allowing for openings to be left for turrets and bay doors. Lined along the hull of a ship with a hardlight shield generator are a series of photonic hardlight projectors. When activated, the projectors work in tandem, forming a protective "bubble" around the ship. This hardlight barrier is several inches thick, and forms to the size and shape of the ship. Although a generally powerful means of defense against ship weaponry, particularly energy weaponry, which is evenly scattered across the surface of the shield upon impact, weak spots exist on things such as turrets and railgun barrels, where the shield either is left open or is much more permeable to allow for such places to fire. The same can be said for whenever a hangar bay opens on ships capable of releasing craft stored within, as local areas of the shield have to become temporarily permeable to allow craft to exit the field, giving an opening for attack.
When used in personal devices, faux hardlight is most often used due to energy restrictions.
Hardlight forcefields are most effective against energy attacks and projectiles.